Want Auto Insurance Discount Then Agree To Have ALL Driving Habits Tracked-Not

WhatInThe said:
Many Americans don't want a auto insurance discount at the price of privacy. New tracking technology not only tracks miles and speed but how hard or often you apply the breaks. Got a lead foot, they know it.

http://consumerist.com/2016/01/11/s...ies-tracking-them-even-if-it-means-discounts/

Even if one agrees the data might be profiled as a higher risk driver than first thought and rates could go up.
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Not sure using the brakes proved you to be a lead foot or not. Using brakes means you want to slow down but if needing them harder all the time means you are following too close. In city traffic it is good to lay back a bit so hard braking is not needed. Out on the highway at good road speeds it is also good to lay well back in case a slow down is needed in order to avoid hard braking.
 
I have it in my car now. Haven't had it long enough yet to get the discount. From discussions with my agent, the biggest factors that count are distance driven and speeds over 80. You are not required to install it. Seems reasonable enough to me. I make one round trip of about 16 miles a week, and rarely drive over 55, so I'm good with it.
 

Progressive is known for sending huge amounts of money to "big brother" type politicians. I wouldn't insure a pogo stick with them.
With any other company, I would need to read and understand the details.
 
We get a nice discount for driving less than 7K miles per year, per vehicle, and Knock Wood, we haven't had to make an insurance claim in decades. I suppose a tracking device like this would be ok for most people...at the bare minimum it would probably help them to practice good defensive driving habits.

Besides, if a person has things like On Star installed in their vehicle, they are already being tracked. Today's new cars are so full of Gee Whiz electronic and computer controlled gadgets, that who knows what kind of info is gathered, and where that info goes.
 
Don M. said:
We get a nice discount for driving less than 7K miles per year, per vehicle, and Knock Wood, we haven't had to make an insurance claim in decades. I suppose a tracking device like this would be ok for most people...at the bare minimum it would probably help them to practice good defensive driving habits.

Besides, if a person has things like On Star installed in their vehicle, they are already being tracked. Today's new cars are so full of Gee Whiz electronic and computer controlled gadgets, that who knows what kind of info is gathered, and where that info goes.
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Maybe one of the perks of driving an old car, like I do, is not having all that stuff to contend with.
 
Butterfly said:
Maybe one of the perks of driving an old car, like I do, is not having all that stuff to contend with.
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I hear ya. It seems like the sales pitch on all the new cars is all about all the Gee Whiz electronic/communication devices installed. I just want something that gets good mileage, handles well, and is reliable. I guess the car makers think that everyone should be going down the road "entertaining" themselves....it's no wonder we have so many wrecks caused by "distracted" drivers.
 
Don M. said:
I hear ya. It seems like the sales pitch on all the new cars is all about all the Gee Whiz electronic/communication devices installed. I just want something that gets good mileage, handles well, and is reliable. I guess the car makers think that everyone should be going down the road "entertaining" themselves....it's no wonder we have so many wrecks caused by "distracted" drivers.
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Agreed. I'm still driving my 2002 Saturn, which meets all the above requirements. My son asks me every once in a while why I don't get a new car, and I ask him why, since it gets me where I want to go and is PAID FOR. Haven't had any major problems with it, so why go back to car payments just to have a new car???
 
So I just checked in with my (state farm) insurance about how to bring rate down and this was one of the options... I point blank asked, "What do they do with the information?" Agent stated "it's just used to get an idea of driving habits/practices of covered drivers."

Hmmm... I'm skeptical... I cannot believe that a for-profit company would give out 10% discounts just for info they will never somehow turn into cash/ profit. Am I being too paranoid?

This thread is several years old... any updates or new thoughts from previous contributors? Or anyone have new info?
 
SeaBreeze said:
And I'm one of them. I have a good driving record, never got a ticket, but don't want any tracking devices in my home or vehicles. Certainly wouldn't put one there voluntarily.
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Remember this. If you are involved in an accident, regardless of "who was in the right or the wrong " the Police CAN download the computer information stored in your on board computer for evidence at trial, if they charge you with a State traffic offense. This evidence is the last one minute of your driving movements, before the collision happened. It covers speed, throttle use, brake use, if your horn was used, or if your headlights or wipers were being used. I am sure you have heard of "The black box " that all commercial aircraft have mounted in them ? Well so does your car. link. Black Box 101: Understanding Event Data Recorders (EDR) - Pushor Mitchell LLP

JimB.
 
jimintoronto said:
Remember this. If you are involved in an accident, regardless of "who was in the right or the wrong " the Police CAN download the computer information stored in your on board computer for evidence at trial, if they charge you with a State traffic offense. This evidence is the last one minute of your driving movements, before the collision happened. It covers speed, throttle use, brake use, if your horn was used, or if your headlights or wipers were being used. I am sure you have heard of "The black box " that all commercial aircraft have mounted in them ? Well so does your car. link. Black Box 101: Understanding Event Data Recorders (EDR) - Pushor Mitchell LLP

JimB.
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I know that, of course. My response written in 2016 was regarding getting an insurance discount by installing a tracking device in my vehicle. I would not voluntarily do that to save a few dollars.

If I'm involved in an accident, they can and will use any information about the time of the collision, I never had any problem with that.
 
CinnamonSugar said:
So I just checked in with my (state farm) insurance about how to bring rate down and this was one of the options... I point blank asked, "What do they do with the information?" Agent stated "it's just used to get an idea of driving habits/practices of covered drivers."

Hmmm... I'm skeptical... I cannot believe that a for-profit company would give out 10% discounts just for info they will never somehow turn into cash/ profit. Am I being too paranoid?

This thread is several years old... any updates or new thoughts from previous contributors? Or anyone have new info?
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I haven't thought about this in years, but it appears the info could be sold or shared with third parties for the benefit of the insurance company. In my case, still not interested, I'll pay a few dollars more not to have my mileage, locations and everything else tracked on a daily basis.

Are safe driving discounts worth it?
 
SeaBreeze said:
I haven't thought about this in years, but it appears the info could be sold or shared with third parties for the benefit of the insurance company. In my case, still not interested, I'll pay a few dollars more not to have my mileage, locations and everything else tracked on a daily basis.

Are safe driving discounts worth it?
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Have you seen the license plate recognition cameras that many American cities now use to track vehicles ? In addition, MANY US Police Services have installed "Street Sweeper cameras " on their patrol cars, which automatically scan and record and compare license plates on cars that pass by the Pollice car as it moves around the city. A visual and an audio signal alerts the officer if the system gets a hit.

Here is Toronto the TPS has 14 of those equipped cars, whose main task is to scan parked cars for those that are stolen, wanted in a crime, or do NOT have current insurance. The Insurance Assocation of Canada provides an instant data base for the street sweeper cars to check insurance coverage all across Canada. The street sweepers find an average of 100 stolen cars a week in Toronto, and the system also results in dozens of arrests of persons who are driving under suspension or who have active arrest warrants in the CPIC national computer date base. Targeted enforcement works. JIMB.
 
jimintoronto said:
Have you seen the license plate recognition cameras that many American cities now use to track vehicles ? In addition, MANY US Police Services have installed "Street Sweeper cameras " on their patrol cars, which automatically scan and record and compare license plates on cars that pass by the Pollice car as it moves around the city. A visual and an audio signal alerts the officer if the system gets a hit.

Here is Toronto the TPS has 14 of those equipped cars, whose main task is to scan parked cars for those that are stolen, wanted in a crime, or do NOT have current insurance. The Insurance Assocation of Canada provides an instant data base for the street sweeper cars to check insurance coverage all across Canada. The street sweepers find an average of 100 stolen cars a week in Toronto, and the system also results in dozens of arrests of persons who are driving under suspension or who have active arrest warrants in the CPIC national computer date base. Targeted enforcement works. JIMB.
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You seem obsessed with crime, feeling guilty, LOL? You seem too paranoid to live in the US. 😉

I have known about license plate scanners for many years. I have no problems or concerns because I have never been wanted in a crime, have ALWAYS had up to date legitimate insurance and registrations. If scanning of plates is a way to detect criminals, I'm all for it. I have no warrants or anything to be afraid of.

I think this topic is about installing a device for insurance price deals, not sure where you keep going with it.
 
SeaBreeze said:
You seem obsessed with crime, feeling guilty, LOL? You seem too paranoid to live in the US. 😉

I have known about license plate scanners for many years. I have no problems or concerns because I have never been wanted in a crime, have ALWAYS had up to date legitimate insurance and registrations. If scanning of plates is a way to detect criminals, I'm all for it. I have no warrants or anything to be afraid of.

I think this topic is about installing a device for insurance price deals, not sure where you keep going with it.
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Yeah I was "obsessed with crime " while I was an Auxiliary Police Constable with the Toronto Police Service for ten years. I write to inform others. JimB.
 
I don't like the idea of being tracked while driving. Driving isn't just stopping and going. How is the tracker going to detect if your swerved because if you're a lousy driver, or there's a kid in the road? Today, supposedly we get discounts for allowing tracking. I doubt those discounts will remain when tracking becomes a thing, where everybody is tracked. What happens if you're speeding and you get into an accident, the insurance co. could say since you were speeding the accident was your fault, and thus not covered?
I feel very uncomfortable with tracking.
 
I have a lead foot at times so voluntarily consenting to being tracked is not something I'd be interested in. However, if tracking does in fact help to tailor an individual's insurance rates and rewards the good driver, then I see that as a move in the right direction.
Insurance carriers have used zip codes over the years to "red-line" customer rates within that zip code, punishing everyone in that geographic location instead of the individuals who actually are the high risk drivers. Homeowner insurance providers are currently red-lining via zip code in California, charging sky-high rates for those living within a zip code area that's experienced a brush fire. Not fair! I maintain a 200+ foot fire break around my house, but the insurance company has not clue, and they have no incentive to be fair...
 

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