Do You Trust Flo?

[MTI]

Progressive Insurance Offers Discounts for Driving Monitor

How it works: The Snapshot device plugs into the onboard diagnostic port (OBD-II) found in most cars built after 1996 and tracks how and when you are driving. The latest telematics and mobile technology aggregate and render real-time data analysis about your driving — how many miles, how many sudden stops — and drivers who are less aggressive and travel fewer miles can get 30% discounts in 30 days.

I was part of a test group for another company that voluntarily installed a similar device. The system collected acceleration, lateral G and GPS based speed information which was reviewable online within a few minutes of the event. Trucking companies use these systems to monitor their employees.

[HuskyMan]

The more information you give up, the more of a 'reward' you receive. My problem is in the "who" is analyzing the statistical data. Is it a 20 something who may decide you are driving "too aggressively" and then penalize you? Mr. 20 something isn't riding along in the car and able to see traffic conditions, patterns, etc which may necessitate in you hitting the brakes hard or swerving rapidly to miss hitting another car. These actions may be interpreted as "too aggressive" when in fact, they were life saving maneuvers.

And don't forget, they now they have a boat load of information to use against you on your next claim.

Good luck.

[Txjake]

no way, no how....

[el presidente]

Originally Posted by MTI

Progressive Insurance Offers Discounts for Driving Monitor

How it works: The Snapshot device plugs into the onboard diagnostic port (OBD-II) found in most cars built after 1996 and tracks how and when you are driving. The latest telematics and mobile technology aggregate and render real-time data analysis about your driving — how many miles, how many sudden stops — and drivers who are less aggressive and travel fewer miles can get 30% discounts in 30 days.

I was part of a test group for another company that voluntarily installed a similar device. The system collected acceleration, lateral G and GPS based speed information which was reviewable online within a few minutes of the event. Trucking companies use these systems to monitor their employees.

Did you receive a discount, based on your behavior - how much? If you own 3 vehicles in a 2-driver household, must you agree to allow monitoring of all the vehicles?

[MTI]

Underwriting isn't done by "twenty somethings" . . . certainly not on a state or national basis. It's done by primarily by software.

The unspecified, but easily answered, issue is what access does a person suing you in an accident or the state in a criminal prosecution, have to the data? There's certainly no legal privilege or privacy protection, so the data logs are likely discoverable and could be deemed relevant.

[MTI]

Originally Posted by el presidente

Did you receive a discount, based on your behavior - how much? If you own 3 vehicles in a 2-driver household, must you agree to allow monitoring of all the vehicles?

As part of a test group, there was no effect on premiums, just a fairly generous "thank you" in the form of VISA gift cards. Having the device in the car (actually we tested two different devices, one that provided visual real time feedback and one that did not) did make me more cognizant of acceleration and cornering speeds.

[davidmash]

I think most are leery for similar reasons. Most of us speed a bit and we are worried that this device will make it easier for law enforcement to hold us accountable for our bad behavior. Someone who has above average driving skills (read as - the ability to stay with in all/most driving laws) would have little to loose and everything to gain with such a device. The rest of us are screwed to one degree or another. I think the bottom line is most of us fear being held accountable for our bad behaviors.

[tbomachines]

Originally Posted by MTI

Underwriting isn't done by "twenty somethings" . . . certainly not on a state or national basis. It's done by primarily by software.

Yes it is, plus some more number crunchers plus some software, most underwriting folks I know are pretty young then move on to other things. There isn't a magical computer program that comes up with algorithms to measure each possible insurance plan. Underwriting departments at insurance companies are comparable to manufacturing companies' engineering departments--so saying its all done by computers is like saying cars are completely designed by 3D CAD programs, which is a tool in the arsenal but useless without an army of engineers.

[Dee8go]

"They" are collecting way too much information on all of "us" already. I'm not going to willingly give up anymore. Whatever the perceived benefit, the liability will most likely one day outweigh it.

[TheDon]

Note to self, remove at track events.

[el presidente]

Originally Posted by Dee8go

"They" are collecting way too much information on all of "us" already. I'm not going to willingly give up anymore. Whatever the perceived benefit, the liability will most likely one day outweigh it.

Too late.....we already know everything.

(evil laugh)
Muuuaaahhh ha ha ha

[MBeige]

Sudden stops aren't necessarily a bad thing. If somebody crossed your path and you had to slam on the brakes, does that count as aggressive driving? Or what if you had enough space in front and somebody braked too late, so you floored it to give more room, is that aggressive driving?

This thing could work both ways.

[HuskyMan]

Originally Posted by MTI

Underwriting isn't done by "twenty somethings" . . . certainly not on a state or national basis. It's done by primarily by software.

The unspecified, but easily answered, issue is what access does a person suing you in an accident or the state in a criminal prosecution, have to the data? There's certainly no legal privilege or privacy protection, so the data logs are likely discoverable and could be deemed relevant.

Ok, my bad. Software written by twenty somethings. Who or what (the software??) determines what is and is not 'bad driving'?

We can all rest easy knowing that the twenty somethings who wrote the software are PERFECT drivers who wear white robes and wear angel wings. The algorithms that Mr. or Ms. 20 something programs into the computer are based on his or her perceptions of what they think is safe driving.

No thanks.

[HuskyMan]

Speaking of tracking our behavioral movements, most people are unaware of the advances in computer tracking models developed in just the last decade. "They" now know when you go to the bathroom, how many squares of toilet paper you used; what brand and color and the store you bought said toilet paper from. The word "privacy" has been removed from the dictionary. Your life is now an open book for any tom, dick or harry to peruse through, gawk at and draw incorrect conclusions, etc etc. etc.

YOUR data (financial and otherwise) is for sale to the highest bidder. Ask any private investigator, within fifteen minutes they will know more about you than your own mother does with only a few keystrokes on the computer.

The system is working.

[tbomachines]

Originally Posted by HuskyMan

Speaking of tracking our behavioral movements, most people are unaware of the advances in computer tracking models developed in just the last decade. "They" now know when you go to the bathroom, how many squares of toilet paper you used; what brand and color and the store you bought said toilet paper from. The word "privacy" has been removed from the dictionary. Your life is now an open book for any tom, dick or harry to peruse through, gawk at and draw incorrect conclusions, etc etc. etc.

YOUR data is for sale to the highest bidder.

The system is working.

Man I knew something was wrong with my toilet when it gave me a BSOD...guess that explains it!