Calif. bill would allow video monitors in vehicles  —
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The state Assembly passed a bill
Monday that would allow video recorders to be installed on
vehicles' dashboards, raising concern about drivers' privacy.
Currently, state law prohibits dashboard devices that may
obstruct a driver's view.  The bill is supported by companies
that hire teams of drivers. They want to ensure their employees
are driving safely and use the cameras to help determine fault
in an accident.  The bill's author, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher,
R-San Diego, says companies that use the recorders in other
states have reduced their accident claims by 80 percent.  The
devices could record a vehicle's speed, where it travels,
whether the driver wore a seatbelt and when the brakes were
applied before an accident.  Fletcher says parents of teenagers
or companies that hire drivers can use the video data to monitor
risky driving behavior and to coach drivers to adopt safer
habits.  The bill, AB1942, passed the Assembly 49