How a Little Black Box Can Save You Money on Car Insurance
Updated: Sep 19, 2020
What Are Telematics?
Telematics is not a word that most people are familiar with, and, yet, it can affect your wallet. Basically, it is sending computer data over long distances. Why is this important? It is used in cars to report your driving data to insurance companies. It sounds like something only tech companies would be concerned with. In reality, it could help you save money on car insurance with a little black box.
Determining Auto Insurance Rates
Currently, insurance companies determine rates based on statistical data. For example, younger, elderly, and male drivers pay more because they have higher rates of tickets and accidents. Of course, this strategy is based on generalizations and, thus, is not very fair. It punishes or rewards individuals for the groups they belong to rather than for their personal value. Of course, there are rewards programs in place to incentivize good drivers, taking into account their personal driving record. But, what if your driving record and style were the only things the company considered? Hypothetically, if you are a man or someone in another high-risk driving category, you can save a lot of money.
Using the Little Black Box
So, how would this work? Insurance companies have devices that are called “black boxes”. These are placed into a car and used to collect data related to driving style. They record things such as speed, miles driven, and the time you are on the road. It will also monitor behavior on braking and the way you navigate corners. All of this information tells them what kind of driver you are and if you could make any improvement to be safer on the road.
Effect on Your Auto Insurance Rates
Due to the way in which the data is collected and assessed, policies based on a black box will have monthly insurance premiums. They will fluctuate based on your driving performance during the previous month. Of course, this is a risk. Once you have committed to this monitoring, you have to deal with the consequences. This can place a certain amount of pressure on you as a driver, making mistakes costly. Make sure to consider your driving record and confidence in your driving ability before securing black box insurance. If you feel comfortable with the process, it can be a very effective way to save money by being rewarded for safe driving.