car insurance tracking apps

[applefan8254]

Anyone else have car insurance tracking apps like geico drive easy or similar apps? what do you do when you need like a break from the app? It’s not always easy to use the phone function through CarPlay…sometimes I just need to hold the actual phone. I know that sorta goes against what the tracking apps are trying to do, but it almost feels Orwellian, and like, there should be a “take a break” function where one could pause the tracking for an hour or two. Or something. How do you all manage it.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Stop…. The car?

 

[canuckRus]

Change insurer, but various car manufacturers like GM's On Star have loads of info available to share. Present insurer would only assume the worst.

 

[Le Big Mac]

but it almost feels Orwellian,

Doesn't the tracking app feel that way in general? You could also forego the discount provided.

 

[nburwell]

Stop…. The car?

This. If I need to use my phone, I’ll wait until I get to a red light. I have State Farm’s Drive Safe device in my car. While I use CarPlay for most tasks, if I need to compose a lengthy text to my wife or something, I’ll just wait until I’m at a full stop, or pull to the side of the road.

 

[wonderings]

I opt out of using a tracking app. I think it is a bad precident to get used to, get things cheaper if we monitor everything you do. Switched to a new insurance company a few months back and when they told me about the app and how I needed to have it running I just asked if there was an opt out option. There is, you just pay a bit more. If there was not I would have continued shopping around for insurance pricing.

 

[jz0309]

Anyone else have car insurance tracking apps like geico drive easy or similar apps? what do you do when you need like a break from the app? It’s not always easy to use the phone function through CarPlay…sometimes I just need to hold the actual phone. I know that sorta goes against what the tracking apps are trying to do, but it almost feels Orwellian, and like, there should be a “take a break” function where one could pause the tracking for an hour or two. Or something. How do you all manage it.

why have it in the first place? how much money do you really save?

 

[AZhappyjack]

Anyone else have car insurance tracking apps like geico drive easy or similar apps? what do you do when you need like a break from the app? It’s not always easy to use the phone function through CarPlay…sometimes I just need to hold the actual phone. I know that sorta goes against what the tracking apps are trying to do, but it almost feels Orwellian, and like, there should be a “take a break” function where one could pause the tracking for an hour or two. Or something. How do you all manage it.

Don’t need big brother in my car - or in my life any more that it already is (which is already far too much).

 

[Apple_Robert]

I would never use such an app. I don't want any insurer tracking me.

 

[KaliYoni]

And worse…

Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led insurance companies to charge some of them more for premiums. I’m the reporter who broke the story. I recently discovered that I’m among the drivers who was spied on.
My husband and I bought a G.M.-manufactured 2023 Chevrolet Bolt in December. This month, my husband received his “consumer disclosure files” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, two data brokers that work with the insurance industry and that G.M. had been providing with data. (He requested the files after my article came out in March, heeding the advice I had given to readers.)
My husband’s LexisNexis report had a breakdown of the 203 trips we had taken in the car since January, including the distance, the start and end times, and how often we hard-braked or accelerated rapidly. The Verisk report, which dated back to mid-December and recounted 297 trips, had a high-level summary at the top: 1,890.89 miles driven; 4,251 driving minutes; 170 hard-brake events; 24 rapid accelerations, and, on a positive note, zero speeding events.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/technology/general-motors-spying-driver-data-consent.html

 

[icanhazmac]

WOW, this is creepy, the more I read into this the worse it gets. Apparently GM is not the only one, I have seen Honda implicated as well as Hyundai (sorry if that is duplicate info, paywall article):

https://www.reddit.com/r/Honda/comments/1bfhkx3
I have been unable to locate one but does anyone know of a list of cars capable of transmitting this data?

 

[icanhazmac]

Looks like this company didn't like the press:

FCRA

 

[russell_314]

This. If I need to use my phone, I’ll wait until I get to a red light. I have State Farm’s Drive Safe device in my car. While I use CarPlay for most tasks, if I need to compose a lengthy text to my wife or something, I’ll just wait until I’m at a full stop, or pull to the side of the road.

I totally agree with this.

While I don’t like insurance tracking my driving, one of my cars has this type of insurance policy. It has improved my driving because I can see how braking hard or cutting corners sharply effects my insurance rates. me trying to get a better insurance rate has conditioned me to drive a little bit less aggressively. Do I really need to drive so aggressively if I’m going to get groceries?


I also feel what the OP is feeling about wanting a break. For me it’s not trying to text and drive but not worry about was that last stop a little bit too harsh and going to ding my insurance rate. This is where my other car that has a different insurance policy comes in hand. I still drive the same way but not having my driving checked on makes it a bit more relaxing sometimes.

My advice to the OP is if it’s only about texting and driving, don’t do it because it’ll end badly sooner or later. You’re gambling and “winning“ in this situation is not good. Sorry if that sounds preachy but it’s reality. I’ve done it, but don’t do it anymore because I know it’s going to bite me or someone else.

If it’s about not feeling checked on all the time, which I can relate to then perhaps consider temporarily switching to a different insurance that doesn’t have this. Also, maybe inquire about other insurance companies if they have a pause feature on their app. I suspect pausing it would be a slight ding to the rates, but it might be worth paying $10 extra for that break.

 

[flyingspur]

Hard pass...

Shouldn't this actually be "opt in" vs "opt out"?

 

[Linkbill]

I totally agree with this.

While I don’t like insurance tracking my driving, one of my cars has this type of insurance policy. It has improved my driving because I can see how braking hard or cutting corners sharply effects my insurance rates. me trying to get a better insurance rate has conditioned me to drive a little bit less aggressively. Do I really need to drive so aggressively if I’m going to get groceries?


I also feel what the OP is feeling about wanting a break. For me it’s not trying to text and drive but not worry about was that last stop a little bit too harsh and going to ding my insurance rate. This is where my other car that has a different insurance policy comes in hand. I still drive the same way but not having my driving checked on makes it a bit more relaxing sometimes.

My advice to the OP is if it’s only about texting and driving, don’t do it because it’ll end badly sooner or later. You’re gambling and “winning“ in this situation is not good. Sorry if that sounds preachy but it’s reality. I’ve done it, but don’t do it anymore because I know it’s going to bite me or someone else.

If it’s about not feeling checked on all the time, which I can relate to then perhaps consider temporarily switching to a different insurance from moneyrepublic that doesn’t have this. Also, maybe inquire about other insurance companies if they have a pause feature on their app. I suspect pausing it would be a slight ding to the rates, but it might be worth paying $10 extra for that break.

Yeah, it’s also made me drive more carefully but I have to say I don't like it that way.

 

[nburwell]

Yeah, it’s also made me drive more carefully but I have to say I don't like it that way.

I’m not totally a fan of it either, but I drive more carefully and in return, we get a nice discount on our car insurance.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Not a fan. Don't need another Big Brother watching my every move... the government has enough of them... don't need to invite more into my life.

 

[canuckRus]

Yet, another big brother watching over your shoulder? Money isn't everything surely.