Experience with Auto Insurance Data Logger

[jazz4cash]

I learned the hard way it does not pay to be loyal to auto and home insurance companies, so after State Farm's "Discount Double Check" did not work out for me, I went shopping. I ended up with a Nationwide policy with near equal cost for auto but the home policy was 50% less. The home policy was the main one that caused me to go shopping in the first place. I asked them for a low mileage discount for the extra vehicle we have and they said "we don't do that". The only way to get an additional discount was to install their "Smartdrive" data logger. Progressive Insurance has something similar and I guess others do as well. They sent me the datalogger devices which plug into the diagnostic connector for each car. They offer a discount based on driving patterns measured over a six week period. The patterns they measure are hard acceleration and braking, nighttime driving, and total miles.

I had no idea the device was capable of transmitting the data, although I am sure it was buried in fine print. I expected they would do the analysis at the end of the six week test. It shocked the hell outta me when I started receiving weekly reports via email for each vehicle. That does present an opportunity to "optimize" driving behavior serves as a constant reminder that "Big Brother" is watching! I have no doubt the data included GPS but it was not included with the report. I ended up with a 13% discount for the total policy and I am very satisfied so far.

Does anyone else have experience with a device of this type?

 

[Texas Proud]

Heck, we have Progressive and we drove very few miles and did not have 'bad' driving... but still only got between 5% and 8% off of our premiums...


FWIK, they can do a GPS, but are supposed to tell you if they do...

 

[Animorph]

I'd like to try it since I mostly just go to the grocery store once a week. However, I'm likely to hit full throttle and give the ABS braking a workout, so maybe I'll wait a few years.

 

[utrecht]

My brother got a 22% discount from Liberty Mutual after using one of the devices for 90 days. Once finishing his 90 days he took the device off and sent it back to them.....and then went back to driving like a bat out of hell like hes been doing since he got his license. I dont see how these things make any sense.

 

[rdy2go]

Some companies in the insurance industry are being sold a bill of goods from vendors that tell them the devices will help them find and keep the better, safer drivers. These things are what are called "telematics", which include the boxes that fleet trucks have to keep track of the truck and the driver's driving habits, stops, etc.

I know a few insurance agents that tried the Progressive tracker and didn't like it because it would tell them that they had too many sudden stops or hard acceleration events. Some record your speed and tell you that you were speeding since they know what the speed limit is (or was at one time) on the road you were on.

We had an employee in a fleet car that had a medical condition and didn't drive his car for an extended period and his car battery went dead. The company called him to ask why his car wasn't reporting his use any more, thinking that he had unplugged the device. It knows where you are at all times, so if you are concerned about your privacy, think twice before signing up for the potential discount.

 

[jazz4cash]

When I had the device installed there were a few times when a traffic light went to yellow as I approached and I had to decide instantly between registering a hard braking event and risking a traffic signal camera ticket. They did not offer any guidance on the level of braking or accel to trigger an event.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[zinger1457]

When I had the device installed there were a few times when a traffic light went to yellow as I approached and I had to decide instantly between registering a hard braking event and risking a traffic signal camera ticket. They did not offer any guidance on the level of braking or accel to trigger an event.

Below is a link to a blog on someone's experience using Progressives snapshot. Some pretty good information on what Progressive monitors. Sounds like with Progressive they look at the total/average number of braking events so I would definitely choose the quick stop over a possible signal camera ticket.

https://blog.joemanna.com/progressive-snapshot-review/