So... what does it do that ANPR doesn't then ? I suppose it's cheaper.

No a lot as far as I can see. Note that the article was written nearly
three years ago now, and was talking about a database - which now
exists, but with NPR rather than the transponder system they suggest.

I doubt it, not at that price, not the amount of battering it will get on
a number plate. It'd be more sensible to put it in the car, harder to swap
plates for one thing.

These things are *very* robust. The ones I was using 15 years ago
were only a couple of pounds each. They are used for all sorts of
things now-a-days. I'm sure anyone who has a pet will tell you that
you can pop down to your local vets and have one of these injected
into your favourite animal. If they can stand up to animal abuse, they
can stand up to being stuck into a number plate.

Fine, but all that tells you is *that* plate is attached to *that* car.

Indeed.

Because on policies that have multiple vehicles and multiple drivers the
cars are explicitly detailed on the policy.

Not always they're not.

They should be. I used to have a motor trade policy and it was a legal
requirement that any cars which I kept on the road were registered on
the policy immediately. 18 months ago they didn't have to be, but they
do now. A lot of insurance companies can now refuse to run the period
of grace system because of this requirement (where they allow you
to back date your insurance a couple of weeks to your renewal date
if you "miss" it)

This in nothing new, the
insurance / tax & mot status of all vehicles is already part of a
database (MID for insurance) which the police can look up live now by
reading your number plate. There are many police cars with this system
already fitted, and it is used very sucessfully.

Not that successfully.....

Only because there are not enough police getting of their arses and
going out to pull cars!

How will it know the driver is insured to drive the car - all it will
know is that there is *some* insurance on the car.

as above - nothing new. Just because you are stopped does not mean you
are instantly guilty, it just means that there is no record of insurance
for that vehicle (or of you being insured to drive it) if you can later
produce documentary evidence to the police then no action is taken -
this is no different from what happens now when you get a producer.

So the point of this really is just to make life easier for the Police ?

yeah!

Getting Microchips for £1.00 is no problem ; hell they are cheaper
than that. Getting something that will work and keep working for £1.00
is a different matter entirely.

Well, you might be right, but to be honest I doubt you can do this en
masse for £1.00.


They will - they do!

Well, it doesn't seem to do anything much that ANPR does, will result in
less trafpol, and is highly dubious from a Civil Liberties POV.

I agree, the system for detecting if your car has insurance already exists,
it is already in place like it or not, it is just the transponder part of
the
scheme which has not yet been implemented.

Matt.