| nightguy |
Big Brother under the dashboard?
Chris Serres, Star Tribune
August 10, 2004 CARTRACK0810
Each time Adam Gordon climbs behind the wheel of his 2000 Acura Integra, his movements are tracked.
A tiny device under his dashboard detects each time he slams the brakes, accelerates suddenly or drives above the speed limit. Each month, Gordon unplugs the gizmo, downloads the data onto his computer, and sends it to his auto insurer, Progressive Corp.
"My insurance company probably knows more about my driving habits than I do," said Gordon, 40, a vice president at an area technology company.
Gordon is among hundreds of Minnesotans who have surrendered some of their privacy in exchange for lower insurance rates.
Earlier this year, Progressive offered 250 drivers across the state $25 to plug a matchbox-size device, TripSense, into their cars to collect information. The test worked so well that, beginning next week, Progressive will offer the device to 5,000 Minnesotans.
Those who participate will be awarded discounts of up to 25 percent.
But is this level of surveillance a good thing for consumers?
Some privacy groups fear that Progressive, Mayfield Village, Ohio, is waving a carrot in front of its customers in order to gather more data on their driving habits. Once enough people have adopted the device, those who don't could face higher insurance premiums.
Others are concerned that the information gathered by the tiny boxes could end up in the wrong hands.
"This just shows how much of a surveillance society this has become," said Charles Samuelson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. "Ten years ago, you would have heard screams of protest about something like this, and not just from the lefties."
Progressive, which is the nation's third-largest auto insurer, says that the device is designed to give its customers more control over their insurance rates. Those who obey speed limits and drive only when necessary can save money on their insurance.
"When I get to 75 miles per hour, I know [the device] is there," said Jim Haas, Minnesota direct product manager for Progressive and a user of the device. "If nothing else, it gives me a financial incentive to drive safely."
Customers who register their vehicle in the program plug the device into the on-board diagnostic port under the dashboard. The port is on all models sold in the United States since 1996. Through the port, the device tracks how much, how fast and when they drive.
At the end of each policy term, customers download the data and see what discounts they can get. In Minnesota, where the highway speed limit is 70 mph, those who drive above 75 mph less than 0.1 percent of the time receive a 5 percent discount. Drivers who avoid the most dangerous times, including midnight to 4 a.m., get even larger discounts. Customers receive a 5 percent discount just for sending the data to Progressive.
They can also decide not to send the information, and not get any extra discounts.
Gordon said he used to think he was a patient driver -- that is, until he took a look at the data collected by the device under his dashboard. He was surprised how many times he broke the speed limit and made abrupt stops.
"This is a clever way to give me some control over my rates," he said. "Before, you had no choice but send in the check and take it like a man." |
|
|
| nightguy |
| Photo of the TripSense: |
|
|
| eurohazard |
I willl NEVER volunatarily put that crap in my car.
Also the thought of "midnight to 4 a.m." being unsafe seems ludicrous to me. It is not an unsafe "time" to drive. I bet most accidents are single-car accidents during those hours. ie DRUNKS. Maybe if you're driving at that hour, you are drunk, and shouldn't be behind the wheel. Cars with breath analyzers make more sense than this silliness.
When I travel, I travel at those times, because there are fewer people on the road......SAFER in my book. |
|
|
| BlueStreak |
Doesn't surprise me. Since I work for one of these companies the more information we can gather the more accurately we can evaluate (price) a risk. From a drivers standpoint, I'm not interested. I may speed to get away from someone that I feel is a risk and the last thin I want it for someone to surcharge me for incidences like this.
FAA says pilot in command makes the decisions when flying and to me, the vehicle driver is responsible and makes the decisions, not under the influence of the insurance company.
On a different note, I was reading calendar year 2003 premium and loss stats and Progressive is doing quite well. Premiums up some 25% and losses continue to go down. They sure are doing something right..... |
|
|
|
