Trust an Insurance Company's "Drive-Cam?"

ramen99 writes "Our new car insurance company offered us discounts for our teenage driver if we agree to install a 'drive-cam' that records driving habits and wirelessly transmits video footage to a 'neutral driving coach' for evaluation and comment. While this might be great to monitor a new teen driver, it will also monitor other adult drivers. The insurance company claims that they would never use any information obtained to consider changes in insurance rates, but that really sounds unbelievable. Would you give up your privacy to save some dough? Installation is free, and the camera mounts just under the rear-view mirror. Something seems fishy about this..." Especially when, according to a British insurance firm, computer engineers are most likely to crash (sent in by antdude).

Comments

Re:It's simple

[Mistlefoot]

Especially when it contradicts itself....

Per the slashdot post - ""Our new car insurance company offered us discounts for our teenage driver if we agree to install a 'drive-cam'"

Per the link provided in it.

"Will teens or parents participating in Teen Safe Driver get a discount on insurance?

A. No. While there are many financial and non-financial benefits from participating in Teen Safe Driver, American Family does not have enough information at this point to provide an insurance discount to participants. "

Re:Private Car Cameras

[pknoll]

Given mortality rates being the highest for drivers 16-24, what would be a better alternative?

Actual driver training that might reduce the accident rate rather than just attempts to apportion blame better ?

Indeed! I'm one of several driving instructors in my local Audi Club who run several teen driving clinics per year. It's astounding how much they'll learn in a single day of instruction. I certainly feel better about their ability to handle a car when they leave, and (I think) so do they.

We teach basic car control, and give them the opportunity to actually lose control in a safe environment, so they know what it's like, know what their car is capable of (and isn't capable of) and mostly, just instill some confidence in them, so that when something happens on the road, they'll already have been there at least once, and hopefully won't panic.

"Driver education" as taught here in the US doesn't teach them anything about driving a car. It teaches them to obey the law (and not too effectively). If they had a solid sense of the amount of energy involved in even the most basic maneuvers, they'd probably look at speeding etc. in a whole new light. And I hope we help, at least a little, with that.

I'd love to require a course like ours for all new drivers before they get a license, and perhaps an occasional refresher for all drivers, period (even us instructors!)

Black boxes With GPS are out there now

[theshowmecanuck]

I work for a company that is marketing this to insurance companies now. It uses GPS to track where you drive, how fast, how aggressively you accelerate or break, how far you drive, when you drive, etc. etc. etc. And it will shortly hook into the ODB2 to record all the data your car's computer records as well. And to top it off, it routinely uploads the data to a central server that the insurance companies can access, allowing them crunch all the data to their hearts content. The hook is that they will lower your rates if they can watch you. My imagination pictures other billing practices once everyone has one in their car(s). :/