Political risk insurance (PRI) is a type of business insurance that covers the loss due to political or social instability within the country. This type of insurance coverage is also a tool for attracting foreign investments, providing proof of the enterprise’s stability. Even small businesses may be required to purchase such insurance when working with many international partners.

Let’s take an example. A small business works as an importer in the US and wants to set up a shipping facility to reduce its costs of import. But the enterprise has problems with setting up the facility, not because of credit unavailability or poor financing, but because the area is often subjected to social riots or political disputes that impede normal functioning. And due to that many foreign companies are not willing to work with businesses from that area.

In such a case, a PRI coverage would be very beneficial for the project. In case of any loss or damage to the property or goods due to political or social riots the cost will be paid for, and this will initially encourage the presence of foreign partners, assuring financial stability of their operations. From this point of view PRI is not only a form of business insurance but also a risk management tool for foreign investment projects.

PRI is not quite similar to other types of cheap small business insurance. It is typically purchased and tailored by each company individually, assuring that specific risks of the region and situation are eliminated. However, there are three typical risks included in the majority of such policies:

• Expropriation, which means nationalization of previously private owned property by the government. Take the Venezuela oil industry for example.
• Political violence, which in a broader sense includes social protest, riots, military actions and so on, that may damage the enterprise’s assets. Think of typical violent protests at G20 summits.
• Currency inconvertibility, which makes it quite difficult to operate for the enterprise financially. Think of the inflation in Zimbabwe.

PRI doesn’t make part of standard cheap small business insurance and rarely can be found at your local insurance provider. These policies are typically sold as an element of a private-public partnership in the parent country as a tool for encouraging foreign investments. This means that the situation differs from one country to another taking into account the foreign business policy of the current government. To find brokers and agents who offer PRI you can consult with a list issued by the World Bank.

Prior to going on an international level it is better check the current situation in the region you’re looking forward to work with. International trade usually benefits all the parties involved. However, the current economical downshift is likely to cause more political and social unrest, making it almost mandatory to have political risk insurance for your project if you want to succeed.

The question at hand is whether such devices are legal to use? When driving in Florida, it all depends on the technology employed for such purposes.

Laser and Radar Jammers

In Florida it is forbidden to interfere with police radar and laser signals, so using such devices is not allowed. Moreover, in many states using such devices in your vehicle is considered a crime and has far more dramatic consequences than a mere fine.

Police Scanners

In general, using such devices is banned in Florida, but there are certain groups of drivers that have the right to employ them. These include amateur radio operators, licensed alarm system workers, Press worker on assignment or drivers having the permission of Chief or Sheriff I written form.

Stealth Coatings

Using stealth coatings that reduce the efficiency of police LIDAR laser guns (“Light Detection and Ranging”), which are employed for measuring the speed of a moving vehicle, is not prohibited in Florida, and moreover in none of other states. Numerous court files and defense processes have attracted much attention to this technology, which is claimed by some experts to cut the effectiveness of police speed measuring systems by half.

Lidar and Radar Detectors

Using such devices in Florida is perfectly legal, unless the vehicle of commercial purpose and weighting over 10,000 lbs.

Due to the fact that from the legal point of view there are many complications connected with jamming and radar detecting technologies, police officials, safety advocates, and Frorida auto insurance companies keep pushing the legislation restricting the use of such devices. Their success has been marked by far in Washington DC, Virginia and on US military bases.

One of the suggested reasons for such modest success in the camp against radar detectors and jammers is that the actual radars and lasers are susceptible to a rather high rate of inaccuracies and errors. Some sources suggest that about one in four speeding tickets given out after using radars and lasers is issued due to an error. The most common causes for such errors include:

• RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) from other radio signals
• Erroneous angle of the laser gun towards the moving object
• Poor device maintenance and condition

But no matter how accurate are the lasers and radars, when driving in Florida one should remember that speeding will result in a fine. With that said, the best way to avoid such fines is using common sense and responsibility rather than complicated technologies. And don’t forget that speeding will heavily affect your auto insurance rates so you’ll pay even more than just a ticked in the long run. The choice is yours to make.