Bryce

iTrader: (24)

That makes sense and would completely depend on the driver. I know people who progressively apply the brakes harder the closer they get to a car, leaving very little room for a loss of traction event, or sudden deceleration of the car they are approaching. On the other hand, some people, including myself, seem to be better at estimating what distance to begin braking at a constant mid-level. I wonder if the reporter is of the second group, but his constant level of braking happens to be too high for whatever rate Progressive determined.

rleete

iTrader: (21)

I read that article. Road & Track, IIRC. The guy claimed he drives like that all the time, and thought the chirp sound was an "attaboy" instead of a warning.

Guy from work got one (Progressive), and because he had a couple of 'events' (hard braking, fast starts, etc) his rate is more than if he had not gotten the damn thing. It's a racket.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Heh. That was kind of my thought. I'm not sure I'd be able to avoid tripping the system even on an empty road with not a traffic light in sight.



Fortunately, this is all, of course, voluntary. While the insurance companies may well adjust their policies over time such that customers who do not submit to monitoring are treated non-preferentially, the idea of universal compulsory remote surveillance is just implausible.

There's just no need for it. Most of us already voluntarily submit to 24/7 position tracking by carrying cell phones.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

i keep my gps off unless i need it. but im sure that's just to make me feel better.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

As do I, because it sucks down the battery.

But even without GPS, the location of all cell phones is still tracked and logged. It's a necessary function in order for the cellular networks to operate- unless they know which cell every given user is in at all times, they'd have to broadcast all incoming calls across the whole network, which would be totally unfeasible.

Normally, the resolution of this data is only accurate down to the cell level (anywhere from a few hundred meters to a mile or so, depending on density) however so long as your phone can be seen by three or more cell towers (as would be the case in any urban area), the position of the phone can be ascertained to a fairly high degree of accuracy. Such methods have been employed by law enforcement for over a decade. In some cases, the microphone in the telephone can even be monitored while the phone is not in use.

http://www.wired.com/politics/securi.../2006/05/70829

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-6140191.html


Privacy is an illusion, folks. Accept it, and get on with your lives.

JasonC SBB

I have a tendency to overbrake a bit in the beginning, to have a bit more margin for anything unexpected, then reduce braking to a constant level.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Man I never thought of that. We're fucked. I'm just waiting for the day that you inspect your car and you're provided a list of fines to pay for each time you broke a law that previous year.

brainzata

iTrader: (4)

Any idea what the scrap chunk and bumper structure way compared to the aluminum bar? I have an NB which has the aluminum bumper structure vs NA plastic. But mostly curious about the steel hunk.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Cool car man, GLWS! I always loved those Mazdaspeed Proteges.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

@Robb M.

Robb M.

Jesse99James

I am an USPS Letter Carrier and I get to deliver these OBD2 collection devices more often than I like to see. I have often wondered if it is also used to raise rates, the previous post confirms my suspicion. I will never agree to that but insurance companies are already looking at any possible way to cancel your discounts and raise your rates and soon it won't even be voluntary with all the technology being installed into our vehicles.

A few months after owning my 2016 Mazda 6 I took it in for some minor warranty work or a recall. The dealer sent or released my mileage to my insurance company. I'm not sure how they knew what insurance I carry, maybe it's tied to VIN reports. Within a week I received a letter stating they were cancelling my mileage discount (< 7,000/year) BEFORE I had even come close to going over. They were estimating based on current mileage accrued since I bought it hoping to raise my rates ASAP. It is mainly my winter car and my Miata is driven as much as possible all Spring/Summer/Fall. I had to escalate up the chain of command telling them if they cancelled my discount without proof BEFORE I went over the limit, I would find a new company and share my experience every chance I got. They finally agreed to keep the discount.

Insurance companies have absolutely no idea about the car (tires, brakes), driver capability, or weather and road conditions during these "risky" braking and acceleration events. Why people believe it's in their best interest to use these devices is beyond me. I would bet the limits are set similar to how a legally blind 80+ year old would drive knowing everybody is going to drive more easily while it's plugged in.

yossi126

iTrader: (6)

Our Renault Clio has an "eco" meter which rates your eco driving capabilities from 0-100. Awesome way to show the next owner how heavy your right foot is/was.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

ROBB M.

Schroedinger

This was my experience as well. My wife ordered them from Progressive. The thing beeped everytime I came to a stop unless I started braking hundreds of yards early. For background, I drive within 5 mph of the speed limit, have never had an accident, and haven’t had a speeding ticket in 15 years. You could learn to beat the monitor but it was very stressful, as I was worried that braking so early was going to get me rear-ended by the other jackhole Atlanta drivers. After my test period, my rates went up, although by a nominal amount. I switched to a different insurance company on principal, and saved money in the process.

All of that said, I think the technology is immature. Let’s not forget the reason we have astronomical insurance rates is mostly because of irresponsible, uninsured drivers who can’t be held legally responsible for their decisions or behavior. If monitoring technology brings some accountability to those idiots, bring it on. If you don’t want problems, don’t break the law.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

THIS THREAD IS SEVEN YEARS OLD STOP POSTING IN IT

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

This place is fucked up... @Robb M.

rleete

iTrader: (21)

Says the guy posting in it...

Robb M.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

@Robb M. just turn off related threads globally, please.

Yeah, we can each opt out of it to prevent ourselves from diluting the useful threads this forum has, but we can't turn it off for other people, who then dilute and destroy threads.

You DO understand why related threads are bad for the quality of the forums, right? You DO realize that this is the only Miata-related forum that insists on having this "feature" defaulting to "ON" globally, and is the only Miata-related forum gradually destroying itself because of this crap?

We have other options. We don't want to use them because they suck, but with each passing day of this crap going on, this place gets worse. Eventually, the other forums will not suck in comparison.

Myself, i've been posting on Miata.net more, recently, because of the crap going on here.