Mike Cornelison

When I saw the headline, my first thought was that all those people having their bills sent to the lower-risk zip codes of their parents or family members in order to get a better rate on their car insurance were screwed. (At least, I’ve heard some people have done that.)

Turns out, Fair Pay Insurance plans on assesing their rates based on the specific driving habits of their clients as reported by the TomTom units that will come bundled with the policy. (Here’s an idea – leave the GPS unit in the garage and go out and drive like the hot rod drivin’ maniac you are!)

Ah, the wonders of technology, it won’t be too long before all the insurance companies embrace similar systems and you can have your insurance agent right there in the car with you, setting your rates with every stomp of the gas pedal and every squeal of the tires. Forget speeding tickets raising your rates, your insurance company won’t even need a cop with a radar gun to know you’re speeding.

This comes on the heels of a blow to the old statistical model insurance companies use as the European Court of Justice recently struck down the discriminatory practice of insurance companies charging men higher rates than women for nothing other than being . . . men. Take that, you gender biased pigs!

source: PC Pro

When I first got my license and my 280Z (that was a Datsun 280Z, not a Nissan, don’t even google how long ago that was) I was the guy other drivers used to be yelling at, “Crazy freakin’ driver!” My how things change – now I’m the guy complaining about all those crazy freakin’ drivers.

By all means, judge us by the content of our driving instead of the broad bias of your statistical models.

So how much more are men charged than women on their car insurace rates? Find three different sources, you’ll get three differenct answers: 5 percent more, 20 percent more or 66% more . . . who the hell knows?