A Wired story reports on a research project at Georgia Tech to evaluate using GPS technology to calculate automobile insurance rates. GPS units have been installed in 500 vehicles from a randomly selected cross section of households. The tracking boxes will create a detailed log of where every car went and when, how fast they traveled and the places they got stuck in traffic. Plus, 350 of those machines are collecting engine performance data, which can determine when drivers are shifting gears, when they are slamming on the brakes and when they are putting the pedal to the metal. Aside from the frightening privacy implications of this, I’m wondering what kind of cross-section they’re studying. I assume these are all volunteers (I sure hope researchers aren’t allowed to install these things without the owners’ knowledge and consent!) I can’t see many people with my driving habits volunteering for a study like this.