Between cell phones and the internet, folks in the 1st world are increasingly connected. Why not use that to improve road safety? I propose a database to which one could report either using a cell phone. One would call in to report other drivers who were doing something illegal or irritating - cutting you off, not maintaining lane position, talking on a cell phone while driving, etc. This report would be filed with the offending vehicles license number. The funding for this endeavor would come from insurance companies, who would use the database to raise rates for folks with many reports.
Reports would be categorized using caller ID - thus limiting the ability of folks to pursue vendettas by multiply reporting their enemies. People could access their reports but would not see the indentity of the accuser (sort of like the fishbone system). They could log protests, which would be ignored, but might make them feel better.
The knowlege that you are surrounded by cell-phone toting dogooders hankering to report you would lead to a general increase in courteous and attentive driving. Road rageurs could use the system to vent their rage rather than hurling bricks at the offending drivers.
Note that reports are on the car, not the driver. The insurance companies would love this - if I have a flawless record and low insurance costs, but I loan my car to my reckless buddy, the reports his driving generates would go towards my insurance. This makes sense: insurance is on the car.-- bungston, Jan 08 2003 Same tyrannical principle http://www.halfbake...20Driving_20History [bungston, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Atlanta Roadways Digest http://www.tardsite.com/Humorous version of this for my town, recently stopped updating. [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004] Car-Ma http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Car-Ma [egnor, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Is this roughly "Car-Ma" crossed with "Car Insurance Based On Actual Driving History"?-- egnor, Jan 08 2003 Perhaps we need a geneology chart for halfbaked ideas.-- krelnik, Jan 08 2003 Hey thumb, what was your ex's license number again?-- RayfordSteele, Jan 08 2003 random, halfbakery