State Farm App: How am I driving?

[gadzookz]

Does anyone have this app and does it work?

Can the data collected on this app be used against you for insurance rating, claims payment, or by law enforcement agencies?

State Farm Updates Driver Feedback App
Insurance Networking News, January 20, 2012

by Justin Stephani


State Farm has made its Driver Feedback mobile app available on Android devices. This free app is designed to turn a person’s cell phone into a pocket-sized driving coach when placed in the car.

The app uses the device’s accelerometer to measure three essential driving behaviors: acceleration, braking and cornering.

When activated, at the end of a trip, the app provides the driver with a score and a log of potentially dangerous driving activities. If the app detects especially risky driving behaviors it suggests tips for improvement.

According to State Farm, key new features of the Driver Feedback app include:

* The ability to record trips and receive feedback on driving performance

* A map illustrating where potentially dangerous driving activities occurred

* The ability for drivers to compare their scores, or track the progress of an individual driver

* A trip completion notification allowing a driver to send a text or email to someone when they safely complete their trip

* Multi-trip average scores (up to five) to track progress

The app is now available for Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

[Mog]

My guess would be: no.

How could they be sure that you are using it for only yourself? You could always activate the app to monitor the driving of your friends, family, spouse, etc.

[Stan]

My insurance would go way up if I had this. Although, it could be fun to see how low of a score on could get without crashing or getting pulled over.

[Atropellador]

Originally Posted by gadzookz

Can the data collected on this app be used against you... by law enforcement agencies?

Yeah, the cops can check the stops you made on your drug route.

[vividox]

It can definitely be used for/against you for insurance rating (this is just standard telemetrics in the form of an app, right?). Claims payment and law enforcement? I don't think it could be used for much more than proving fault, but I'm not 100% sure.

Obviously, the vast majority of people who opt into it are going to be getting a benefit from it.

[Mog]

That doesn't make any sense at all. I'm going to download this app, turn it on, and run around with it. They will think I am driving at 6 mph, turning around on a dime, and driving through businesses/residences.

[ShakeNBakes]

get the app, turn it on, get on a rollercoaster.

[DeepPurple]

maybe a slight tangent....


my neighbor just got a new job at a major insurance company (household name but NOT State Farm) in the marketing department. Her major focus will be to develop ways to drive customer acceptance of "black box" type devices to track driver behavior data.
This technology is on our doorsteps and we have to find ways to use it, or be adversely selected against if we do not.

[Vorian Atreides]

I believe that app is intended more for teen drivers than the general public. I've been doing a lot of work with our youth group at church, and I think I saw something along these lines from them.

I doubt that they can use that info for rating given that most of the time, insurance coverage is tied more to the vehicle than the drivers. (Our company is starting with those telematic devices for rating purposes, but it requires a device to be plugged into the car itself and not an iPhone app or equivalent.)

[Vorian Atreides]

Originally Posted by ShakeNBakes

get the app, turn it on, get on a rollercoaster.

That would be interesting to see the results.

For the one who mentioned about walking with it turned on, I'd be surprised if the programming logic isn't set up to account for that very thing (that is, metrics aren't triggered until a "speed threshhold" has been exceeded).