What do you think about State Farm's new In-Drive program?

Full disclosure: I work part-time at a State Farm office, but I gain nothing whatsoever by telling you about this, so please don't think I'm advertising. I'm genuinely curious what people here think about this.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is it: http://www.in-drive.com/sf

You can read more of the details on the website, but the basic idea is that they give you an OBD II device that monitors how you drive and sends the data to State Farm. You get an initial 10% discount just for being in the program, and then you can get even more of a discount depending on how they grade you as a driver. EDIT: I found this chart showing discounts you can expect to earn based on mileage and driving style: http://www.statefarm.com/insurance/...ve/illinois/drive-safe-save-inDrive-table.asp

This seems to be for Illinois only at the moment. The most basic In-Drive plan here is $24 every six months if you have a smartphone and $36 if you don't. (If you do, you use your own data plan to send the data to State Farm; otherwise the device itself uses some cellular service.)

I'm wary of anybody monitoring my driving, but the initial 10% discount alone is enough to cover the In-Drive cost and still take another $20 off my bill every six months. Any additional discount from safe driving is even better.

Supposedly there's no way your premium will go up by being in the program, but you have to wonder if they'd cancel you out if you're an "unsafe" driver. I'm not too concerned since I drive nicely anyway, but it's still something to consider.

What do you think about it? Would you do it? Etc.

state farm ftw, but no thanks to that program.

who's to decide what's "safe driving" and what's not?

i'm doing it with AAA as soon as my insurance lady gets back to me, since the crx sits and the accord only goes to and from work i'm not worried at all

ryan s said:

who's to decide what's "safe driving" and what's not?

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I completely agree, but for people like me who drive pretty efficiently anyway, it's not like I suddenly can't enjoy driving anymore. It could be a nice incentive to get better gas mileage, too.

I wouldn't really consider it in the first place if it weren't for that 10% discount right away. I think I'll give it a try--although it looks like I might have to wait until my renewal in January to sign up. If it turns out just to be annoying or unfair, then I'll cancel it.

i drive slow and such (24mpg mixed) but its the arbitrary nature of it that i dont like. there's probably some algorithms that we'll never know about which determines if you're a high risk driver or not.

or i should put it this way: without any accidents in your given premium period (month, 6 months, annual, etc) can you be kicked to the next lower "tier" of driver if the data says that's true?

and then there's the whole fourth amendment part of it...

I would have to read the policy and if it's like 10 pages, I would skip it. It just depends on how they use your information outside of their program, if at all, and if so, what would they use it for, or who would they share it with. If it's esoteric or not particularity clear, I would skip it.


I am really not a fan of being tracked for anything. I am sure I would probably do well, potentially save money, etc. I will wait for others to try and see how this goes.

Now, from a theoretical standpoint, I think it's great. I think good drivers should save money. I also think bad drivers would start thinking before they do something dumb. In CA, most people have decided that other people should not be able to switch lanes for some reason. The problem is, people have to switch lanes so everyone has to cut each other off and drive unsafely, even if you are a safe driver other wise, just to get where you need to go.


I do wonder what happens if you are an average commuter in a densely populated area. Driving in my town, I am a great driver. Driving in Oakland or Berkeley, depending on the time of day, I have to drive like an asshole to get around everyone else driving like an asshole. I wonder if you suffer, just because where you live.

10% off the premium for consumer behavior data... they'll know where u are at specific times doing god knows what *ahem*parked in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night*ahem*

sounds like they could recover the 10% loss by selling this data to 3rd party vendors

i'll be a jew and save the money

ryan s said:

i drive slow and such (24mpg mixed) but its the arbitrary nature of it that i dont like. there's probably some algorithms that we'll never know about which determines if you're a high risk driver or not.

or i should put it this way: without any accidents in your given premium period (month, 6 months, annual, etc) can you be kicked to the next lower "tier" of driver if the data says that's true?

and then there's the whole fourth amendment part of it...

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Well, there aren't really "tiers" of drivers. If you're in the mutual company, that's that. They use some sort of credit rating, but that has nothing to do with what kind of driver you are. So I'm curious to what they'll do with the data, but at this point, I don't think something like that would happen.

As for the Fourth Amendment, I get what you're saying, but that's pretty irrelevant here. It's a restriction on the government, not on your insurance company. Besides, it's voluntary [for now] anyway.

Regardless, I don't really like the "arbitrary" nature of it, either, but the discount is still very appealing.

talontsiawd said:

I do wonder what happens if you are an average commuter in a densely populated area. . . . I wonder if you suffer, just because where you live.

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That's definitely something I'm not sure I like. I accelerate nicely enough most of the time, but what if I'm getting on the interstate, or if there's somebody impatient behind me and I don't want to annoy them anymore getting going from a stop sign? It's those times that I usually choose to speed up faster and so forth. I wonder how much of an effect those instances would have on the grade they give you.

No thanks, I think my privacy is worth more.