Pay As You Go Insurance?

Progressive Insurance is offering to use the way that people actually drive to determine their rates. They plan on doing so by installing the equivalent of a "black box" that records how often you hit the brakes, how fast you accelerate, the rate of speed, etc.

While this seems like a better way of determining rates than using a credit score, level of education or race, insurance companies and software have a history of not mixing to your advantage. For years, insurers have used a program called "Collossus," which they used to artificially lower settlement rates. It isn't hard for us to imagine them figuring out how to tweak the information gathered so it skews in their favor.

It's that time of year again...

The NHTSA has released it's annual count of traffic accidents, deaths and alcohol related fatalities by space. We always take these numbers seriously, as they basically let us know whether the people of New Jersey are taking their responsibilities seriously when they get behind the wheel.

Follow this link to see how New Jersey is doing.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811016.PDF

Construction Work is the Equivalent of a Disease?

Well, no.

But it is interesting to note that the umbrella that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the Center for Disease Control.

When you consider that 17,000 construction workers died in America in a fifteen year period, it somewhat makes sense that they place it in the same category as an infectious disease.

If you are a construction worker and the site managers don't place a premium on safety, either report them or find work somewhere else.

Feds Drop Case Against NJ Construction Official

NEW YORK -- Federal prosecutors have decided to drop the extortion case against a New Jersey construction official charged earlier this year in a sweeping indictment targeting the Gambino organized crime family.

A government motion to dismiss the case against Anthony Delvescovo, sent today to his lawyer, said that further investigation found "there is presently insufficient evidence to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

The motion did not explain the decision, and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn declined comment.

For more information, follow the link below.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/feds_drop_case_against_nj_cons.html