Dave's Future Predictions

1. Insurance companies will require you to install driver monitoring devices in your vehicles in exchange for either (a) providing discounted costs for coverage, or (b) any coverage at all. The legal precedent already exists for this. It will only take time. Progressive is already trying it out.
2. GPS locator devices will become commonplace on kids, pets, cars and anything we want to be able to locate from our computers (or almost any device that can display a locator map)
3. Cash will not only become obsolete, it will eventually become unallowed. The government will require us to use cards or tokens or some form of electronic transaction 'enablers'. This will address a wide range of issues they want to resolve from terrorist/criminal money transactions, to taxation verification, to reduced minting and inventory lifecycle costs.
4. Mobile fingerprinting and other bio-id devices will become standard with police. Each time someone is stopped for any "potential" infraction, they will be identified and recorded in a central database. Think it can't happen? It's already starting in the UK and EU.
5. Health insurance companies will require us to submit to annual testing in order to qualify for coverage. They will assert their right to verify you are living up to your end of the deal to maintain your health and avoid unhealthy habits. You will have to sign a contractual agreement to abide as well. This is already being introduced in the newer health plans and gaining appeal in many states like Washington.
6. Legislation will forbid the use of "personal transportation vehicles" which do not meet green or consumption limitations. This will probably start at the city/municipal level and migrate to the state level. I don't think this will happen at Federal levels in my lifetime. For example, no petrol-based cars/vans/trucks which get less than X combined MPG. This would gain favor from the car makers since it would spur car sales.