I was paying $2800 a year for my auto policy consisting of a compact car and a compact size truck. Robbery to me because both vehicles are listed at 6000 miles per year max, for each, or 12000 miles total. Solid credit, homeowner, no tickets, no accidents, 1 vehicle garaged, the other under a carport that is fenced in almost cocoon like because we do get hail. I'm late 40's too so it's not like I'm a spring chicken.

So my renewals come up first of the year. My insurance broker informs me we are switch my auto and bike policies and both are dropping substantially. The auto policy alone is dropping $1200 per year. After years of annual increases this was welcomed news. But at the end of last week when it was time for me to pay the down payments on the new policies, or you know how it goes, pay one payment up front to get the policy going, I got additional news. This discount or cheap policy I am getting, 10% of this depends on me installing an app from the insurance carrier who will monitor my driving for a 90 day window. So if I don't do it, I pay 10% additional. My first thought was fuck that. I have no interest in harvesting my driving data. I'll pay the extra 10%, the hell with that. But then my broker says upon next renewal, it will lead to an additional 20%-30% discount for next year on the auto policy. That's real money. Now I don't do social media apps because they harvest all your data and unlike most, I still value my privacy and do everything I can to protect it. But the insurance carriers have me by the balls. As a gearhead I have many vehicles, however none of them are expensive purchases. I have to do whatever I can or my passion/hobby dies. 4 figures is just not something I can ignore.

So I read the fine print on this app installation and the monitoring. Mostly it's for the phone fuckers. The application is mostly for the idjuts who have to play with their phones while driving. That's the main thing they are looking for. But also mentioned is hard acceleration and braking, which I do at times. Full acceleration from a stop when I'm at a stop sign needing to immediately go right and get up to speed on a 50-55 mph service road. Everyone is severely speeding right now. I see 75 mph on service roads and 90-100 mph on the highways regularly. And I have to get hard on the brakes to avoid idjuts sometimes because of their erratic driving behavior.

So reluctantly I am agreeing to do this for my own wallet and because personally I am sick of dealing with these phone in hand drivers, looking down, swerving, sitting there at green lights, etc. The frustrating portion is location based services having to be on all the time. I tried to go into settings and set it to only while using the app but it barked and I checked with the carrier, and you have to enable it 24/7 for this 90 day window. I inquired what happens when I'm on my bikes or ski, where full throttle, speed, etc will screw all this up and was informed I can go in there and explain this and have it removed. I mean on the lake or out on my country roads, well you can blast around without fear of anything. PITA to me because this carrier does not insure those vehicles. This distracted driving is causing all this. It's why these carriers are doing this, and why insurance has gotten real expensive for me. In the car I do not touch the phone, ever. My eyes are planted forward with regular mirror checks. I was trained on the motorcycles to ride like everyone on the road is out to kill you. It's saved my bacon in autos and on my bikes so many times I cannot even count.

So this is just informational or a PSA. High rates coming unless you let big brother eavesdrop on your driving. Prior I would never ever consider this but the money or payments are necessitating this. If an emergency comes up or something where I need to haul the mail I'm just going to leave the phone at home. I have a cellular watch and often leave the phone at home because of this, just so I don't have to lug the phone around. I can make a 911 call via watch so it's going to have to do, first world problems and all. My broker said to just get over it and drive like a grandma for 90 days and you'll benefit financially. The thought of having to do this just makes my insides turn but the distracted driving is causing all this. This is the world we live in now. Want half way decent insurance rates with clean records, clean billing history, etc, does not matter. Big brother wants in or you pay rates like you are the asshole surfing on the phone the whole time you are driving. if this becomes a full time 24/7 monitoring activity, especially for my motorcycles I'll cry and have to sell them. Nanny state.

Get a second phone one of the pay as you go, put the app on it, leave it at home on a charger, never take it out....

You'll look like a saint! LOL

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Get a second phone one of the pay as you go, put the app on it, leave it at home on a charger, never take it out....

You'll look like a saint! LOL

LOL. I can do that with the watch. Just a PITA. I use the phone for music on/in the vehicles, even my ski. I'm not going to fuck with their app or talking to them to remove a supercharged ski run on the lake.