Dear Editor
I share the breathless excitement MLA Donna Harpauer has for the Saskatchewan Government Insurance pilot project to investigate using black-box technology to monitor motorcyclist's riding habits. She says, " it essentially lets the driver control their own insurance rate through their driving behaviour." Down the road, riders of the wired-up bikes who avoid hard braking, sudden swerving, speeding and rapid acceleration could be eligible for lower insurance rates.
Bikers should applaud this "groundbreaking technology" that will presumably also record their successful efforts at eluding leaping deer, cars trying to crowd them into a ditch or that pair of oncoming semis popping two abreast over a hill. And of course we expect the black box has the capability of recording for the authorities any rider getting aboard wearing only Bermuda shorts and a pair of flip-flops.
Electronic monitoring technology could be the dawn of a wonderful brave new world of lower insurance rates, not just limited to motorcycles. Think of it, black boxes and cameras installed in cars could lower rates by monitoring and discouraging the cellphone texting, burger eating, makeup applying, shaving, web surfing, dozy or conversationally distracted multi-tasking automobile drivers.
And by logical extension, savings on SGI insurance could go way beyond vehicle premiums. Electronic monitoring of residents' behaviour in the home could also mean lower premiums on residential package policies. The mind boggles at what dicey domestic shenanigans could be curtailed for the benefit of all insurance purchasers.
So I say to heck with weak kneed worrywarts and their namby pamby concerns about this pilot project leading to the erosion of privacy and civil liberties - bring on the savings! If you're not doing anything wrong anyway, what do you have to worry about, eh?
As Minister Responsible for SGI Harpauer says, "Simply put, those who drive responsibly pay less and those who don't pay more."
Wait a minute! Don't we have the necessary information to do that already? It's called a driving record.
Doug Bone,
Elrose
