Auto Insurance Usage Based Coverage

[PatrickA5]

You folks know you can get a low mileage discount without those stupid devices, right? I have one. I think car services report the miles so they would probably know if you were lying, but I am not so it makes no difference.

I was already getting a low mileage discount (under 7,500 miles), but got an additional discount with the Drive Safe and Save device (State Farm).

The only way my rate could go up (using the device) was if I was already getting the low mileage discount and the new Device showed I was actually driving more than what I was stating to get the low mileage discount. I only drive about 3K per year on my car. We put on about 15K on the wife's car.

I'm certainly not trying to talk anybody into using one of these devices, but am pleased with the $400 per year I'm saving. If that goes down substantially next policy period, then I'll just get rid of it. You can also just disconnect blue tooth for awhile if you have a certain trip that you don't want recorded. I've done this on vacation since I tend to drive over the speed limit on open interstates.

 

[38Chevy454]

I will never use one of those insurance OBD plugin devices. Just too big brother for me. It also can't work on any of my older vehicles without OBD; but to be fair the significantly older vehicles are on classic car policy where this mileage based is not an option. I do though have older regular vehicle without OBD, my old 88 Ford diesel pickup. That truck does get driven at least once/week. One of my newer vehicles is now in winter garage storage and will likely not come out until spring and warmer weather; it has high performance tires that are not even supposed to be driven below 50F temps.

The aspect of cell phone tracking is bothersome as how does it know who is driving? I see way too many difficulties to prove one way or the other.

I also do most all of my own maintenance, and no required emissions testing here, so the vehicles do not really get reported to any state system. I guess the ins co can ask me to take a current picture of the odometer to prove mileage for the low miles claim, or could just drive it by the agent's office.

The one thing that does get me on my soapbox for vehicle ins is that I pay for liability on each vehicle (currently 5) when at the most only 2 can be driven at one time. I understand comprehensive and collision for each, but why the additional liability when it is not driven? At least my classic car ins policy recognizes that fact and one the initial vehicle liability is covered, then additional vehicles are only comp and collision.

 

[GTFan]

Nice thing about our USAA insurance is that they take the mileage numbers we give them and discount accordingly, there's no device verification stuff you have to use.

 

[zinger1457]

I think many of the newer vehicles have the monitoring built. I can check my 'driving score' for each trip on my 2019 Avalon just by logging into the Toyota app on my phone.