ST. LOUIS — More and more insurance companies are offering safe-driver apps to their customers. It may seem like a great way to save money, but is it? Jim Lemonds from Brown & Crouppen is here to tell us more.
Jim starts by saying that these apps are on your cell phone, not the car, so they are not measuring exactly what you are doing while you are driving. Instead, the app measures remotely through the cell phone what the movements are that the cell phone is going through.
To define safe driving, Jim explains that for these apps they can measure things beyond the typical ideas of don’t speed and don’t drink and drive. The safe driving apps can tell your speed while turning, detect quick stops, or fast acceleration events and more. So even if you are driving and someone pulls out in front of you and you slam on the brake, Jim says that the app and the insurance company could still see that as a hard-braking event which indicates that you were not in good control of your car.
Jim has heard some other complaints with these safe driving apps such as if you are a passenger and do not turn off your phone to indicate you are not driving. Those passengers are then being monitored for the other person’s driving. Some other people are having the issue of the app picking up their activity even when they are out of the car and not driving anymore.
If you or someone you know needs legal advice, give the experts at Brown & Crouppen a call at 314-222-2222 or visit their website GETBC.com. You can also check out their YouTube channel.
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