Kashmir Hill has an interesting column over on Forbes. Here’s a bit of it:
Insurance companies have started offering drivers “roadside assistance” digital devices that can track and locate cars when drivers are in need of help. As Wired notes, State Farm’s On-Star competitor, In-Drive, can do more than just call a tow truck for a stranded driver or locate a stolen vehicle, it can also track driving habits, including “speed, time of day [driven], miles driven, acceleration, braking and the number of left and right turns.” Drivers who subscribe — for $5 to $15 per month — will see their premiums go down if they prove to be safe drivers.
[…]
AAA is currently offering a similar program for teen drivers in California and Texas, but it’s going about it differently. Cletus Nunes, a group manager at AAA in charge of “ACE Teen Pilot Program,” thinks that their competitors’ offerings are overly-invasive. “We’re sensitive to the concerns of our members,” says Nunes. “They’re using this data to rate drivers. They’re collecting information about how you drive. We’re not.”
Read more on Forbes.
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