EEVblog #1337 - I Bought An Electric Car

[SilverSolder]

Today, my (car)  insurance agent tried to entice me into installing the insurance company's new app on my phone...   it tracks how you drive, basically, by using the accelerometers and GPS of the phone.

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance...  I politely declined.

How long until that kind of stuff becomes mandatory?   

[Monkeh]

Today, my (car)  insurance agent tried to entice me into installing the insurance company's new app on my phone...   it tracks how you drive, basically, by using the accelerometers and GPS of the phone.

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance...  I politely declined.

How long until that kind of stuff becomes mandatory?   

These days it's the only way a lot of younger drivers can afford insurance. The few actively spoil it for the rest of us, unfortunately.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Today, my (car)  insurance agent tried to entice me into installing the insurance company's new app on my phone...   it tracks how you drive, basically, by using the accelerometers and GPS of the phone.

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance...  I politely declined.

How long until that kind of stuff becomes mandatory?   

These days it's the only way a lot of younger drivers can afford insurance. The few actively spoil it for the rest of us, unfortunately.

It will be ushered in with the [initial] cost saving on the insurance premium by allowing the app into your life. The punters will lap it up, when the time comes.

[coppice]

Today, my (car)  insurance agent tried to entice me into installing the insurance company's new app on my phone...   it tracks how you drive, basically, by using the accelerometers and GPS of the phone.

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance...  I politely declined.

How long until that kind of stuff becomes mandatory?   

These days it's the only way a lot of younger drivers can afford insurance. The few actively spoil it for the rest of us, unfortunately.

If you go to a site like comparethemarket.com, and look for insurance for a young driver, most of the cheaper options require an app or a telemetry box attached to the car. However, when we looked around last year for our son we found a much cheaper option from a major insurer without requiring any telemetry. The spread of quotes you get is quite bizarre. You can find one company quoting 500 pounds, while another quotes 5000 pounds for basically the same insurance conditions. Its a strange market.

[SilverSolder]

Today, my (car)  insurance agent tried to entice me into installing the insurance company's new app on my phone...   it tracks how you drive, basically, by using the accelerometers and GPS of the phone.

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance...  I politely declined.

How long until that kind of stuff becomes mandatory?   

These days it's the only way a lot of younger drivers can afford insurance. The few actively spoil it for the rest of us, unfortunately.

If you go to a site like comparethemarket.com, and look for insurance for a young driver, most of the cheaper options require an app or a telemetry box attached to the car. However, when we looked around last year for our son we found a much cheaper option from a major insurer without requiring any telemetry. The spread of quotes you get is quite bizarre. You can find one company quoting 500 pounds, while another quotes 5000 pounds for basically the same insurance conditions. Its a strange market.

One insurance agent explained that they give ridiculous quotes if they don't really want the business.  Different companies apparently specialise in different types of risk.

[timelessbeing]

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance

I rarely do anyway and I like saving money on my insurance.

[SilverSolder]

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance

I rarely do anyway and I like saving money on my insurance.

I can't recall the last time I had to make a sudden stop - those are very rare.   But 80mph?  ... hmmmm

[timelessbeing]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

[coppice]

If you don't do any sudden stops and don't exceed 80mph, you get a discount on your insurance

I rarely do anyway and I like saving money on my insurance.

I can't recall the last time I had to make a sudden stop - those are very rare.   But 80mph?  ... hmmmm

Aren't most insurance claims the result of failing to make a sudden stop?

[Ed.Kloonk]

[SilverSolder]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

No allowance - and being a passenger in the car is also a problem (the phone doesn't know...  it doesn't even know what car you're in).

Apparently you can delete journeys "with an explanation".

[Ed.Kloonk]

I have a old picture of a very early model uniden gps receiver which I used as a speedo for a very old car I had. Once I was parked at the beach and the screen said 420km/h.

[timelessbeing]

Aren't most insurance claims the result of failing to make a sudden stop?

Hehe yes. However someone who makes sudden stops on a regular basis is a dangerous driver.

[radar_macgyver]

I can't recall the last time I had to make a sudden stop - those are very rare.   But 80mph?  ... hmmmm

Neither can I, but my Bolt EV sends me a monthly report showing the number of times I've exceeded 80 mph (usually zero) and number of "sudden deceleration events", which is never zero. The question is "hard stop according to whom?" I've opted out of my insurance company's app offer as well.

[SilverSolder]

I can't recall the last time I had to make a sudden stop - those are very rare.   But 80mph?  ... hmmmm

Neither can I, but my Bolt EV sends me a monthly report showing the number of times I've exceeded 80 mph (usually zero) and number of "sudden deceleration events", which is never zero. The question is "hard stop according to whom?" I've opted out of my insurance company's app offer as well.

I found an article that says "a hard brake is defined as any condition where the vehicle decelerates faster than 7 MPH per second".

Not sure what to make of that...  I'm going to have to do some tests in my car next time I'm out and about, to see what that feels like in the real world.


https://blog.joemanna.com/progressive-snapshot-review/

[Monkeh]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass. It's a speed limit, not a suggestion.

Wonder what that daft app makes of a train journey.

[timelessbeing]

I found an article that says "a hard brake is defined as any condition where the vehicle decelerates faster than 7 MPH per second".

Not sure what to make of that...  I'm going to have to do some tests in my car next time I'm out and about, to see what that feels like in the real world.

Stunt drivers will pull 1G. 1G = 20 mph/s

A reasonably skilled driver could get deceleration rates in excess of 13 mph/s without loss of control.

Seems like 7 mph/s is gentle braking.

[timelessbeing]

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass.

  that's a good one

[SilverSolder]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass. It's a speed limit, not a suggestion.

Wonder what that daft app makes of a train journey.

I was taught to pass quickly - definitely don't dawdle at 4 mph faster than the car you are passing, for example - even if that means exceeding the limit for a few seconds.

[radar_macgyver]

GM launches Onstar Insurance Services

Damn...

[Monkeh]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass. It's a speed limit, not a suggestion.

Wonder what that daft app makes of a train journey.

I was taught to pass quickly - definitely don't dawdle at 4 mph faster than the car you are passing, for example - even if that means exceeding the limit for a few seconds.

And I'm pretty sure if you pass a police car at 80mph while they're doing 65, they'll take issue with your interpretation.

[timelessbeing]

If it's a 75mph zone, he would have to be having a pretty bad day. I would dispute it and he would have a hard time proving I was going 5 over.

[nctnico]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass. It's a speed limit, not a suggestion.

Wonder what that daft app makes of a train journey.

I was taught to pass quickly - definitely don't dawdle at 4 mph faster than the car you are passing, for example - even if that means exceeding the limit for a few seconds.

And I'm pretty sure if you pass a police car at 80mph while they're doing 65, they'll take issue with your interpretation.

Nahhh. Many years ago even overtook a car right in front of a mobile speed trap. Just stay under the absolute limit. Most cars show the speed 8% higher and then there is a measurement error margin on top of it.

[Monkeh]

Nahhh. Many years ago even overtook a car right in front of a mobile speed trap. Just stay under the absolute limit. Most cars show the speed 8% higher and then there is a measurement error margin on top of it.

The absolute limit being 70.

[SilverSolder]

that translates to 130kph which isn't legal anywhere in my province.  It could make passing difficult though. Is there any allowance for that?

If you need to break the speed limit to pass you don't need to pass. It's a speed limit, not a suggestion.

Wonder what that daft app makes of a train journey.

I was taught to pass quickly - definitely don't dawdle at 4 mph faster than the car you are passing, for example - even if that means exceeding the limit for a few seconds.

And I'm pretty sure if you pass a police car at 80mph while they're doing 65, they'll take issue with your interpretation.

Imagine you are on an A road and need to pass someone doing 55 (in a 60) for whatever reason, which you judge to be inappropriate.  If you peak at e.g. 70 for a couple of seconds during the overtaking process...  you are arguably a safer driver than a hypothetical other that spends 5 times as long in the opposite lane passing at 58mph!