Everyone wants to save money, and insurance rates seem to consistently rise year after year. However, insurance companies have begun to offer discounts to those drivers who maintain good driving records if drivers will allow them to place a tracker in their car. With the innovation of new GPS and mobile device technology, certain apps and devices have the ability to track drivers and determine if they are speeding, are driving recklessly, or have been in an accident. The tradeoff for a better insurance premium is allowing the insurance company to have access to personal information and track your driving behavior. To many, allowing the insurance company inside your car and tracking your personal driving habits may seem too much like giving Big Brother access to your personal lives.
Data Privacy Concerns
There is a tradeoff to having a reduced insurance premium. In these cases, a driver is allowing an insurance company complete access to the data in their car and in some cases data on their smartphone. Drivers will voluntarily relinquish privacy rights in exchange for these reduced rates. The sacrifice of privacy rights has some experts alarmed who believe that these drivers are sacrificing much more than they realize. This data can be used in the future in ways that the driver never anticipated, or even sold for marketing purposes to other companies. Additionally, data breaches are rampant, and if you allow an insurance company access to your smartphone and data in your car, cyber attackers may be able to steal your personal information.
Further, if the insurance company sees that you regularly drive at non-traditional times such as late at night or in areas of town that they consider high risk, the tracking device could come back to haunt you. Further, if you have to do sudden braking or evasive maneuvers, it could be considered by the insurance company as unsafe driving habits.
Understanding Specifics
If you are interested in a program offered by your car insurance company regarding reduced rates to your insurance premiums in exchange for tracking, make sure to fully and completely understand what you are signing. Is the insurance company only monitoring for a limited time? Are they tracking speed, braking, mileage? How does this data affect your rate? Will your information be shared or sold in any way? What information is collected if you are in a car accident? Can the information collected in an accident be used against you if you are trying to receive compensation for your injuries?
Benefits to Drivers
Charging good and safe drivers less of a car insurance premium seems like a fair system, according to many advocates of these tracking systems. Oftentimes, your insurance premium is already tied to your accident history, and these proponents argue that this simply enhances the ability of an insurance company to determine who is a safe driver and incentivize them to keep driving in a safe manner. The discounts to drivers can be substantial, and in some cases reach up to 40% off of a premium amount. Some drivers receive reduced rates based on their safety, and others can receive benefits regarding their low-mileage.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney
If your insurance company can track your driving habits, and also any information related to an accident, you may have a right to feel concerned that this data could be used against you if you are trying to file a claim for compensation due to a car accident. Contact an experienced car accident attorney at Griggs Injury Law at (816) 474-0202 to help you determine your rights following a car accident and help you receive the compensation you deserve.
