Car insurance is expensive no matter what age you are, but for those under 25 it’s just horrendous. Now insurers in Britain are starting to offer up to a 15 per cent discount for young drivers, if you mount a crash-cam in your car.
Cameras have been fitted to lorries and emergency vehicles for ages; we’ve all seen the footage on TV. Now the same technology is being offered to young motorists by UK insurance firm ChilliBongo. There’s a catch though, the camera doesn’t come free with your insurance policy — you have to cough up £250 (about $400 Australian) for it and mount it yourself.
Still, 15 per cent off a £2000-odd insurance premium is £300, so you’ve made your money back and more in just the first year. The camera is basically there to help cut down on fraudulent “crash for cash” claims, which often take advantage of young drivers. It’ll record the head-on collision footage, as well as g-readings. It won’t make a blind bit of difference if someone crashes into the back of you or T-bones you though, of course.
Some day I reckon we’ll end up with cameras or radar all over our cars to show precisely, which fool was at fault when they smashed into your pride and joy. Till then, windscreen mounted cameras will have to do I guess. [BBC via Giz UK]
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