this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2024
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My driving is being non-secretly scored, I have an app just for that. Currently it just complains that I have power saving mode on all the time, so I don't know if it's not working or if it is and I just can't see the results anymore. (I'm not turning off power saving mode.)
Does it actually tell you the results? I'm curious how they score your driving, and how effective it is. The scariest things I see on the road are things like:
I don't see how they'd measure how safe a driver you are.
Perhaps it's just that people are more careful when they know they're being monitored, and safe drivers are more likely to opt in?
For each trip it tells you things like how often you touch your phone, what % of the trip you spent using your phone, and how many times you braked hard (which is a proxy for things like tailgating or general inattentiveness, since it can't see the road). Mostly it seems to be a "don't use your phone" score. There's an overall score, and you can see how big your discount is, but the score itself is largely meaningless without the ability to compare to other drivers.
Does it have any mechanisms to detect someone who might just install the app on an old phone that just lives in the glove box? Seems like a real easy way to get around the "don't use your phone" aspect.
I think you need to use the same phone number you signed up with, but other than that I don't know. If you signed up with a burner phone, maybe you could do that.
Tailgating is actually pretty easy to measure - there are specific patterns of braking and acceleration.
Innatention may be measurable too. For example, if an inattentive driver frequently drifts from the center of the lane and makes small quick corrections periodically, that would be apparent from accelerometer data.
How would they even know you are the driver and not a passenger?
I don't know, but mine guesses correctly when I'm a passenger about 90% of the time. Unlike the other commenter, mine doesn't have a bluetooth connection to my car or a device in my car.
Once in a while I have to tell it I'm not driving.
There's an app installed on your phone and a separate bluetooth device you keep in your car.
By default, it assumes you're the driver of your car, but you can use the app to claim someone else was driving your car during a particular trip.
If you're in someone else's car, the app assumes you're not driving because the bluetooth device in your car isn't nearby.
My car can detect if there's someone in the passenger seat, and sends an alert if they didn't fasten their seat belt.
Sure but what about the smartphone in your pocket?
Ah, I didn't understand how the app worked. Thanks!
Why do you have an app for that?
Discount on my insurance.
I'm inclined to think this should be illegal because it could lead to a situation where insurance is unavailable to or unaffordable for anyone who doesn't opt in to fairly invasive tracking.
It is kinda like that. We have a tracker that we added because they increased the insurance rate and said if you install this device we'll keep the rate low based on driving patterns.
Basically records how often you drive, hard break/sharp turns, after midnight drives, etc. We don't drive the car often so the prob of accident is low but we recently learned that they can consider not driving enough also bad saying it can make you drive recklessly or sth.
If you can't afford insurance, you really can't afford to get in an accident.
It's also illegal in most jurisdictions. My point isn't that anyone should drive without insurance, but that allowing insurance companies to offer discounts for accepting spying will lead to the spying being effectively mandatory for most people.
I installed the app, did initial setup, then forced it to never update, shut off internet access, and disabled notifications. Still seeing the discount nearly 3 years later.
I have USAA, and if you use that app you’re eligible for discounts on your insurance.
I'm guessing insurance discounts.