I've been reading about Radio Frequency ID technology, most recently in Popular Mechanics, and while it certainly does sound like Big Brother, I also see some good uses.

One of my major pet peeves is the dangerous situation caused by truck tire treads littering the nations highways. I've been hit several times, once to the tune of $640.

RFID chips in truck tire treads could identify the company, maybe even the truck, that deposited the offending tread. They could be held responsible for damage caused to other vehicles or at least charged for the cost of removal. I would be interested in how much Tennessee spends to clear this mess from our highways.

The cause of this problem is that most companies want to squeeze every last mile out of a tire. t
This saves them money. Instead of discarding a dangerous tire, they put it on the outside of the rear axle of a trailer and run it until it blows. Getting that extra few miles out of that tire saves the trucking company a little money, but not much compared to the cost to motorists, state road departments, and insurance companies. There is also the risk of death and injury.

With those tiny chips inserted into the tread of each tire, those dangerous tires would be properly disposed of by the company instead of dumping them in the middle of the interstate.

I think the government should require this technologoy. The cost would be only pennies per tire. The larger tires are the greatest hazard, so it should be tried there first, but someday maybe all tires would be RFIDed.

The next time you are in Wal-Mart, look for these RFID chips on the stuff you buy. Almost everything has them, but some are so small you won't notice them.
Howard