Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras - View Single Post

sperry · 2004-11-09, 10:21 AM

Actually, this situation has already been tested in the courts.

GPS systems installed in rental cars have had the ability to record location and speeds over the course of your trip. A rental company in MA added a "the renter will agree not to break any traffic laws during their trip" clause to the contract. Then charged customers that broke the speed limit according to the GPS record extra for violating the contract. The courts said they can't do that, but more importantly, they said the GPS info could only be used anonomously and not as specific data on the renter. So the precidence is leaning towards the rights of the consumer for now.

Plus, remember how our governement works, laws get passed or not for these reasons:

1) lobbyists buy off their representatives
2) supporting a law helps a representative get re-elected
3) the law affects the representative personally

Since a "black-box" law won't be popular with the public, and since representatives like to speed just like the rest of us, it's gonna take an ass-load of insurance company lobby money to get that passed... and even then I don't think it would be easy. Americans like to speed... which wouldn't actually be a big problem if we would actually teach people how to drive and keep the alcohol from behind the wheel.

2004-11-09, 10:21 AM	#7
sperry The Doink Real Name: Scott Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 20,335 Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata Class: PDX/TT-6 The way out is through	Actually, this situation has already been tested in the courts. GPS systems installed in rental cars have had the ability to record location and speeds over the course of your trip. A rental company in MA added a "the renter will agree not to break any traffic laws during their trip" clause to the contract. Then charged customers that broke the speed limit according to the GPS record extra for violating the contract. The courts said they can't do that, but more importantly, they said the GPS info could only be used anonomously and not as specific data on the renter. So the precidence is leaning towards the rights of the consumer for now. Plus, remember how our governement works, laws get passed or not for these reasons: 1) lobbyists buy off their representatives 2) supporting a law helps a representative get re-elected 3) the law affects the representative personally Since a "black-box" law won't be popular with the public, and since representatives like to speed just like the rest of us, it's gonna take an ass-load of insurance company lobby money to get that passed... and even then I don't think it would be easy. Americans like to speed... which wouldn't actually be a big problem if we would actually teach people how to drive and keep the alcohol from behind the wheel. __________________ Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?