An inventor has come up with a device that, he says, has the potential to greatly reduce the cost of car insurance.

The device, which works by remotely stopping the ignition of a car so that it cannot be stolen by thieves, has been developed by 48-year-old Dr Phillip Tann and has excited insurance companies worldwide. He explains the evolution of the gadget that may one day make motor insurance premiums cheaper for all.

“We were approached by one of our customers who hire out very expensive motors and they required not only the ability to track their vehicles, but also to immobilise and recover them should they be stolen,” he says.

Adding, “As soon as the vehicle’s ignition is turned off the vehicle cannot be restarted and the system pinpoints the vehicle’s location to an accuracy of less than one metre. The vehicle can then be recovered by the owner or the police. We can remotely immobilise a vehicle from anywhere in the world.”

The device may appeal particularly appeal to technology-savvy young drivers as it can be used from a mobile phone, laptop or PC.

An egghead beat a speeding ticket by proving claims by British police were physically impossible.

Dr. Phillip Tann
Dr. Phillip Tann has previously made the news when he used a gadget attached to his cellphone to demonstrate that he was not driving 42 mph in a 30-mph zone, but actually just under the speed limit, at 29.177196 mph.

When his lawyers demonstrated the computer scientist’s invention, the case was dropped. “They looked flabbergasted,” Tann said. “Police cameras are not 100 percent accurate, but my system is.”