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Posted on 04/06/2005 9:09:48 PM PDT by rdb3
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But the idea does not sit well with some privacy experts.
The tags would be used by law enforcement to ensure compliance with the state's insurance laws, according to Larry Phillips, the Republican state representative who proposed the bill.
"This is a system that would be used to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road. Right now it's at 26%," Phillips said.
The bill also calls for the transponders to be compatible with the automated vehicle registration and certificate of title system established by the Texas Department of Transportation. It would also require compatibility with the standards established by the Transportation Department and other agencies for use of toll roads and toll facilities, Phillips said.
Regarding privacy concerns, Phillips said it would be a felony to misuse the information stored in the transponders.
Beth Givens, director of the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, isn't keen on the idea.
"This is an appalling application of RFID technology," Givens said. "The reason is that the use of RFID for this particular application will not stop there. As with any information technology, there will be many other uses found for the RFID tag located on the vehicle. And tracking could be one of them."
Some people call RFID a "promiscuous" technology, Givens said, because anyone can obtain a reading device and read the tag, she said.
Givens said that whenever a new use for an information technology is proposed in legislation, there should be a privacy impact assessment of that technology to analyze the pros and cons and to study the unintended consequences of that application.
"This is a very good example of the need for a privacy impact assessment," she said. "One of the questions that should come up in such an assessment is whether or not there are other technologies that are less intrusive that can do the same job."
In this case, Givens said a two-dimensional bar code or a plain old bar code could be used, where at least the reader would have to have line of sight to obtain the data. With RFID, however, it can be read from a distance and without the knowledge of the vehicle owner.
"So it is a technology that could be used invisibly and secretly," she said.
Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, agrees.
"We're concerned about the unregulated use of RFIDs because they make it possible to obtain personal information without the person's knowledge or consent," he said. "That doesn't mean that RFID applications are necessarily bad, but there has always been a concern about access to driver license information and states have tried to regulate that over the years."
Phillips said a hearing will be scheduled on the bill.
How sure are you that they're ultimately well intentioned?
TXDOT news ping. I heard a blip about this yesterday, and finally found an article on the subject.
Bullshi'ite. Cops today don't properly enforce the tags. A bar code and over-the-counter scanner would be more than sufficient. The only RF devices that go on my truck are placed there by me (toll tags, GPS etc).
A Texas legislator has filed a bill that would, in part, call for the state to replace vehicle inspection stickers with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, otherwise known as transponders.
Those active RFIDs that you've pictured are relatively large compared to the sticker type passive RFIDs I'm thinking of.
Also, the active RFIDs cost in the 30$~50$ range vs. 50 cents for the passive. Granted, no price is too high for Government when they are paying with other peoples money.
Speaking of which:
NHTSA has a notice of proposed rulemaking about mandatory tire inflation sensors on all new cars and light trucks.
Sounds great, right? But who's paying the $200 - $300 per vehicle this will cost?
Government?
Not a chance.
"This is a system that would be used to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road. Right now it's at 26%," Phillips said.What the heck!? Every time I go to get my Auto Safety Inspection or to get my Auto Registration sticker, they ask to see proof of insurance. How the he** are 26% of folks getting around this ?? Somebody's screwing up big time.
I have a friend who owns a car repair shop. He told me the DPS stopped by his place when he was still doing state inspections. Someone had their vehicle inspected there and the next month were caught without insurance. He ensured the DPS every vehicle he inspected had proof of insurance, but he could not prove they did not cancel the insurance the following day, week or month.
He said many people did just that. Paid for insurance for the month or two when the inspection and registration are due and then drop it the rest of the year. That was the biggest reason he quit the state inspections at his shop.
Wow. Some people are just real a-holes.And guess who's PAYING for the uninsureds?
Yeah, the folks paying for insurance. G-r-r-r-r!
I know everyone wants recourse if they are hit but I still get peeved that the government mandates insurance.
Apparently, they don't really enforce the law. 26% get away
without paying for liability insurance.My late uncle used to show financial responsibility (or whatever
they call it), and legally didn't have to carry insurance.
better yet, put one on his weewee!!!!
ROFLMAO!!!!!
Hmmmm, sweep all the illegal Mexican drivers into the assigned-risk pool, and suddenly insurance companies become supporters of immigration control?
What a thought.
<slaps self, wakes up>
It's still a stupid idea, sure to be abused. And it's Orwellian. No, thanks.
Remind me never to live there. Nor even to go there.
You have got to be kidding me!
You have got to be kidding me
I kid you not. My Dad was failed for being a thousandth of a Gm of NO2 over standard and the inspector refused to run it again until he bought a catalytic converter
gotta love the Watermelons. Watermelon = One that is green on the outside and red on the inside.
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