I'm not sure what's wrong with the idea to use fuel taxes to provide
third party insurance.

I assume you have in mind universal third party insurance paid for by
the government out of taxation (whether general taxation or hypothecated
fuel taxes). If so I can see that would be an option, and one which
might win some votes: the "right to drive" slogan might work.

Against that some (many?) might perceive disbenefits such as:

a. the safe/elderly drivers would have to pay more while the boy (and
increasingly girl) racers and careless would pay less;

b. high mileage drivers (eg in rural areas, driving on business,
freight) would pay more and low mileage drivers (eg drug dealers on the
local estates) less;

c. more young/bad drivers with big, fast cars - after all, they (or
Mummy and Daddy) wd no longer have to pay for insurance so they could
buy an Impreza instead of a Fiesta etc;

d. no incentive to avoid accidents if the "right to drive" is
universal and inalienable;



--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com