Insurance question

[theeyres]

I'm with Liberty Mutual and they insured both vehicles, the trailer and two houses. Don't know about MA but I got a good discount for putting everything under one roof. After settling on the insurance I got two little thing-ma-bobbers that hooked into the computer port on both rigs and got additional discounts for good driving after three months. The things check a bunch of driving habits and report it back to Liberty Mutual. And the trailer is insured, even when un-hooked from the vehicle.

[JRTJH]

Progressive (and a couple of other insurance companies) are using the "driving monitors" to report speed, braking G-forces, acceleration, time at specific speeds and, as stated above, many other driving habits. Unfortunately, for some, after reviewing the data, they don't get a discount, they get a "policy increase".

Essentially, it's a "big brother monitor" used to "keep an eye on you" (I won't use the term "spy"), but ....

The auto industry has been installing a similar device in cars and trucks for several years now. Customers refer to these devices as the "car company black box". With the data recorded, law enforcement can determine multiple "contributing factors" after any accident.

I don't want to turn this into a "political discussion" but I think everyone needs to be aware of just what's being recorded and how it will be used. We have the "privacy statement" on all government forms when we share private information, but there's not even a "disclaimer" that these devices are installed in the vehicle when we purchase them. I'd ask if the insurance company divulging all the data they collect and what they do with your "driving habits" information ???