Drivers can save by letting Big Brother ride

[Bill in Houston]

Insurance is about pooling risk, but also understanding it. When you buy life insurance, they ask a jillion questions to try to determine how risky you are. And that is fine with me, because I am a low risk guy, and the system benefits me. I don't want to have to pay for the risk for the fat smoker dude in the cube next to me.

Just by accepting one of these boxes, you are demonstrating that you aren't trying to hide anything and are comfortable with the company knowing more about you. The fact that you aren't afraid immediately puts you in a lower risk category. Even if they never look at your data, they would be right in giving you a discount.

They are probably looking for certain things in your history that they think correlate to being accident-prone. Any speed over 75 mph, sudden braking, stuff like that. I doubt they are using any kind of gps/triangulation technique to compare you to speed limits. It would just take too much computational power. Risks are usually pretty easy to predict based on a few simple factors.

Whether you let them do it or not is up to you, and I can understand people NOT wanting to do it.

Just my thoughts...

[dcb]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

Just by accepting one of these boxes, you are demonstrating that you aren't trying to hide anything...

Do you think they would publish the algorithm used to determine safeness before I sign up? I think it is perfectly fair to know going into an agreement what the rules are for determining "safe" and how hairy is the appeals process? There is no reason to assume your current habits will be deemed safe regardless how you drive.

My target style is for efficiency, will they find that safe? I would need to know from them precisely what they are expecting from me. Would I have to burn more gas and drive in a more mindless and less safe manner to save on their plan?

I don't see ever using progressive again though for this, I do not care to have my driving MICROMANAGED by anyone, nor wish to be controlled or milked by arbitrary rulings from any corporation. This is a very dangerous precedent and will only lead to even less liberties for the driving public.

boycott progressive IMHO.

[Bill in Houston]

Fair questions. We all have our own value systems. It is good to see someone who understands his and acts accordingly.

[t vago]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

Insurance is about pooling risk, but also understanding it. When you buy life insurance, they ask a jillion questions to try to determine how risky you are. And that is fine with me, because I am a low risk guy, and the system benefits me. I don't want to have to pay for the risk for the fat smoker dude in the cube next to me.

Good for you.

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

Just by accepting one of these boxes, you are demonstrating that you aren't trying to hide anything and are comfortable with the company knowing more about you. The fact that you aren't afraid immediately puts you in a lower risk category. Even if they never look at your data, they would be right in giving you a discount.

And I would be right in going to a different auto insurer who didn't rely on that specious "you're not hiding anything if you submit" argument.

Besides that, risks have to be demonstrable. Just because somebody goes over 75 MPH, does not mean that that somebody is automagically a higher risk than the guy doing 65 MPH. Hell, if I did 65 MPH on certain interstates out west, I'd be at a higher risk for causing accidents, because I'd be travelling well below the speed limit. Would Big Brother Insurance Company be able to determine this? Probably not.

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

Any speed over 75 mph, sudden braking, stuff like that. I doubt they are using any kind of gps/triangulation technique to compare you to speed limits. It would just take too much computational power.

From 5 years ago, a likely argument against exactly this data tracking: "Driving history, court records, stuff like that. I doubt they are using any kind of vehicle data gathering techniques to figure your risks. It would just take too much computational power."

Sound familiar?

[UFO]

Once the data is there, there is a good reason to apply computational power to it. There is money in information as we all know.

[Bill in Houston]

Just stirring the pot. I hope you guys aren't as upset as you sound in my head when I read your comments.

[bestclimb]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Paranoid conspiracy theories are fun!

your only paranoid if they are not out to get you.

[BHarvey]

Well if your Miranda rights tell you that "Anything you say, CAN and WILL be used AGAINST you". You read that right, used AGAINST YOU.

[gone-ot]

...don't bend over to pickup any (a) ticket, (b) summon, or (c) docket documents!

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...don't bend over to pickup any (a) ticket, (b) summon, or (c) docket documents!

It's hard on the back anyway, use your legs...