TXBubba

New method for remotely hacking cars.
http://www.wired.com/2015/08/hackers...on-car-gadget/

3 Z06ZR1

I was wondering why I would never plug one of these in for any insurance company.

zare191

The last thing I need is for my insurance company to know all about my driving habits

fsvoboda

I participated in a test of these for an insurance company (not my own) quite a few years ago, found that the reported results were not particularly accurate, with a lot of overestimates of speed, in particular. On that basis I don't think I ever would actually use one, not even considering the hacking risk.

(Also, you would lose points for hard braking, even if that was saving you from a collision.)

C7-Beast

Oh no! The tin hat wearer's are out...

You have the absolute right not to use a tracking device in your OBDII.

The fact is insurance company's track 4 things with these devices. They track total miles driven, hours driven between midnight and 4 am, number of hard acceleration events and the number of hard braking events. That's it. I took them and saved 20% on my wife's car and 13% off my Corvette. I drove my vette hard and it showed multiple 20-80 runs and a few 0 to 60 runs. I don't put a ton of miles on and never drive between midnight and 4 AM. I had a hundred hard acceleration events and hard braking events and still saved 13%. Even if you put a ton of miles on and drive between 12-4 AM most companies still offer a 5% discount just for using it.

It also only stays on for 90 days.

For those worried about being tracked, better toss your cell phones and get off the Internet as your already able to be tracked.

C7Joy

No dongles for me! Ever!

Vetteman Jack

Using devices like that from insurance companies may in some cases save on premiums, but I can live without them monitoring my driving habits.

Flame Red

Oh the money grabbing politicians, particularly the the ones in the Libitard states, would love to have a mileage tax - so wait until they figure out that they can grab data like this and every car will have a dongle like this builtin. If you drive aggressively it will self ticket you. Check that - they will tax your behavior. Big Brother is here and they will use any tool to reach further into your pocket.

alienranch

Couldn't agree more

Nosferatu

they wouldn't want to see the results on my trips to Mexico...does it even work there?

BlueDevilZ51

pewter99

someone here already did a thread about his actual experience...said never again as the savings he would get wasn't worth the hassle of being worried about actually driving and enjoying his car as opposed to being treated like a child

Crossed Flags Fan

....yea and the sky is falling....

Zymurgy

<p>State Farm has a program that uses OnStar monthly vehicle diagnostics report to give you a discount based on mileage. No dongle, only mileage as reported in OnStar monthly email.</p>

phileaglesfan

I wouldnt be surprised if a hacker can get into your car anyway. Onstar can shutdown 2009s and later if stolen. Now cars have autobraking.

And yes if your car has onstar they are already collecting info even if youare not singed up.

Ernest_T

The ones' I've seen don't track speed--in fact they have no way to track speed, but zero in on acceleration and braking forces.

Ernest_T

Vehicle tax based on mileage is coming. The tax on a gallon of gas is stagnant and since we're driving more efficient cars and driving less, revenue is down. States are looking for a way to recoup the revenue and tax payers are going to get shafted by their legislatures. I believe Oregon is one of the first states to look at this seriously and has a voluntary pilot program for those who want to try it out.

"In 2001, the Oregon Legislature created the Road User Fee Task Force to investigate options the state might have for creating a sustainable way to generate funds to support the transportation system. After in-depth research and exploration of options, the group spearheaded two pilot projects and continues regular meetings to keep Oregon leading the way on an issue of concern to other states, the federal government and other countries as well.

The focus now is on OReGO, a legislatively mandated program that creates a new way to fund road maintenance, preservation and improvements for all Oregonians. OReGO volunteers will pay their road usage charge by how many miles they drive, instead of the fuel tax.

•The OReGO road usage charge is set at 1.5 cents per mile.
•OReGO volunteers will get a credit on their bill to offset the fuel tax they pay at the pump.
•Volunteers will have their choice of three private and secure mileage reporting options offered by OReGO’s private-sector partners.
•OReGO volunteers’ personal information will be kept secure and private.
•The first phase of OReGO is limited to 5,000 cars and light commercial vehicles."

I've done a few calculations and I'd pay slightly more road use tax than gas tax on two of our four wheel vehicles and a whole lot less road use tax than gas tax on the third. I'd pay way more road use tax on my motorcycles than I do gas tax. This is assuming that the tax rate is a flat 1.5 ¢ per mile and not varied by vehicle weight. My bet is the states will enact a sliding scale based on weight so no vehicle pays less tax than they do now.

C7-Beast

I left mine in at the track while doing 1/4 mile runs at over 130 mph and they simply showed as "hard acceleration" on the report with the speed. As noted, I saved a good bit of money and the only hassle was plugging it in and pulling it out to send back. It was also helpful to track my 16 year old son and his driving habits. YMMV