Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

"Safe Driver App"


Three Foot Johnson

Recommended Posts

Seems like most, if not all, the major auto insurance companies have some version of a safe driver app for your phone that monitors such things as hard braking, phone usage, speeding, and whatnot. I recently switched to USAA and downloaded their app for the premium discount. Out of ten short trips to town, maybe 20 miles each, it tells me eight of them won't count toward my score or discount because I wasn't the driver...?

Now, I don't check my vehicles all that thoroughly before I get in, but at 6'4"/250+ lbs, I'm pretty sure I'd notice if there were two of us behind the wheel. Not only were there not two of us driving, I was the sole occupant on all ten trips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buddy did the nanny driver thing.  He put one in his corvette, immediately had many bad trips.  So the fix was to suspend it in a tub of glycerin.  That fixed it.  Now he could drive how he wanted and it reacted too slowly to capture how he drove.    We figured out it worked on accelerometers and not gps for speed.  By damping the acceleration it didn’t know how fast you were going.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Won’t use it!  None of their business how I drive so long as I don’t have accidents!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Won’t use it!  None of their business how I drive so long as I don’t have accidents!!

 

With all the wacko drivers we have here, I frequently have to do evasive maneuvering and hard braking just to avoid accidents.  I don't want to be penalized for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Calamity Kris said:

 

With all the wacko drivers we have here, I frequently have to do evasive maneuvering and hard braking just to avoid accidents.  I don't want to be penalized for that.


NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT!!

 

I’ve been seeing these ads for “self driving” vehicles and articles about “autonomous” vehicles!! At first I was just repelled by the ads and then they made me a little angry! Part of me doesn’t want some machine run by “artificial intelligence” going up and down the highway that I’m driving on making decisions about road conditions, traffic, or situations requiring judgment!

 

Another part of me snaps, “If you don’t want to pay attention to your driving, TAKE THE DAMNED BUS so’s you don’t endanger me on the road!!!”

 

But recently I have thought, “artificial intelligence is better than no intelligence at all!” and that maybe it’s a good thing that some of these idiots aren’t driving so much.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then again, I think, “JUST TAKE THE DAMNED BUS!!!”

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

Seems like most, if not all, the major auto insurance companies have some version of a safe driver app for your phone that monitors such things as hard braking, phone usage, speeding, and whatnot. I recently switched to USAA and downloaded their app for the premium discount. Out of ten short trips to town, maybe 20 miles each, it tells me eight of them won't count toward my score or discount because I wasn't the driver...?

Now, I don't check my vehicles all that thoroughly before I get in, but at 6'4"/250+ lbs, I'm pretty sure I'd notice if there were two of us behind the wheel. Not only were there not two of us driving, I was the sole occupant on all ten trips.

This is one of many reasons I hate these things and wouldn't use them. I think the "rewards" are specious, but the risk of penalties severe. Basically it's an ongoing warrantless search where you're handing them the evidence and tools to raise your rates at their discretion. Can you imagine trying to have a rational conversation with them about why their data collection is faulty? "I'm sorry sir but our data says you're an unsafe driver and we have to raise your premiums. That's company policy." 

 

I was under the impression this was the purview of companies like Progressive. I've been a USAA member for 50 years and was unaware they offered this carrot and stick for rates. But then, I don't pay attention to their marketing efforts anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the bill biden got congress to pass recently that he sighed into law, I'm told is a provision demanding car makers put a device that shuts down the car if you drive erratic and the car thinks you are drunk.  

 

That'd be bad, my new ford f250 already tells me to stop and get a cup of coffee when I straddled the line

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t think I am signed up for this on USA.A. I just looked and didn’t see any indication of it. I drive and ride my bike fast. I kind of expected to see this when I opened the app. 
 

image.png.d1c18bb86f6c7aeb468de9182d2d0e1a.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate to turn into a cynical ba$%rd, but when an insurance company tells me this will save me money, etc, I give them the Clint Eastwood eye squint.

 

Why you ask?

 

Well, 20 years ago I was in a motorcycle crash. Broad daylight, a lady in a mini-van turned left in front of me. Only 35mph in town, but nowhere for me to go. Had to lay the bike down. Full coverage helmet, leather jacket, gloves, jeans and boots. Clothing took a beating but I didn't lose a drop of blood. Other driver was ticketed and paid for my ambulance ride.

 

Fast forward one year. My premium for the motorcycle doubled! Even though the other driver's policy paid out! So I called my agent who called the main office. Main office said I was 20% at fault FOR BEING THERE! Apparently you are supposed to buy a vehicle, insure it, and keep it in the garage.

 

I really liked my local agent, but I told him I would not be renewing. He said he understood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Lawdog Dago Dom said:

I hate to turn into a cynical ba$%rd, but when an insurance company tells me this will save me money, etc, I give them the Clint Eastwood eye squint.

Same here. I don’t recall if my auto insurance asked if I wanted this “service” but I know my motorcycle insurance company did. I declined. 
Told the nice lady I liked our set up just as it was. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I worked a rotating shift the insurance company tried to sell me one of these. I explained to them that I drive to and from work at really odd hours and they told me those hours are high risk higher insurance rate driving times. I said no damn way am I taking your nanny device. I'd have to pay higher insurance just because I drive to work when they say it's a problem although nobody else is on the street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The insurance company sent me two of the devices to plug into the ECM interface on my vehicles.  I sent them back without ever plugging them into my vehicles. 
 

They sent two more and I returned them unopened, USPS collect!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tell them you drive a 1973 Gremlin and ask where the ECM is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

Tell them you drive a 1973 Gremlin and ask where the ECM is.

Of course they will respond with; “No, Sir, you have a 2007 Ford F-150, License number OU 812 in the state of Flux.

Currently it is parked in your driveway, a little to close to the sidewalk, I might add, and someone could bang their shin on that trailer hitch.
Also, as a courtesy we would like to inform you the hand sanitizer in your console is getting old and probably should be replaced.

That’s the bottle you bought at the Chevron convenience mart that day after CoVid was announced in the media. 
So, about that tracker. We never use them for nefarious reasons. Would you like to try it?”

;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

So, how many of you have the location tracking service deactivated in your phone?  

 

You make a valid point. Most people seem to rely on gps just to figure out NSEW anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

So, how many of you have the location tracking service deactivated in your phone?  

I don’t. Not for Life 360. I do for most apps but have it set to active when only using the app. Location apps aren’t used by my insurance to track me. Plugging in an insurance black box is not happening for me. They can’t track my phone. 
Also, I limited Life 360’s access. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I don’t. Not for Life 360. I do for most apps but have it set to active when only using the app. Location apps aren’t used by my insurance to track me. Plugging in an insurance black box is not happening for me. They can’t track my phone. 
Also, I limited Life 360’s access. 

Me too.   Mines only active when I'm using a mapping program like Google Map.  Otherwise it's off.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

So, how many of you have the location tracking service deactivated in your phone?  


ME!!

 

My Rat Rod is insured by Hagerty! Ol’ Green is eligible for antique tags this year. I MAY see about insuring it and my Harley, (it’s 43 years old already) through them this next cycle.  They don’t ask all of that crap and you set the value of the vehicle!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

So, how many of you have the location tracking service deactivated in your phone?  

Me.  I only turn it when there’s a specific need. For example, when I make online deposits with USAA, they require location services be on. 
 

there’s a feature on iPhones that only turns location services on when using a particular app that requires it. Quit the app and it turns off. I’m pretty religious about doing that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.