Usage-based insurance
What the black box actually watches, and what it does not.
Monitored-driving programmes are sold on the discount and explained afterwards. It is worth knowing what is being recorded before you agree to it, because the list is both shorter and stranger than most people assume.
Recorded
Hard braking
A deceleration sharper than a set threshold. The threshold is the insurer’s and is rarely published, which is why two programmes score the same journey differently.
Rapid acceleration
Counted the same way and usually weighted less. Pulling away briskly from lights registers; it is not treated as seriously as stopping hard.
Time of day
Late-night driving carries a higher crash rate per mile, so hours behind the wheel between roughly midnight and four are weighted heavily.
Mileage
Straightforward and the least disputed input. Fewer miles is lower exposure, and that shows up almost linearly.
Phone handling
Where the app uses the handset’s own sensors, screen-on time while moving is often scored. This is the input drivers are most surprised by.
Cornering
Lateral force above a threshold. Common on scorecards, usually a small share of the total.
Not recorded
Whether you were at fault
A programme sees a hard stop. It cannot see that the hard stop was you avoiding someone who pulled out. Defensive driving and bad driving can score identically.
Who was driving
The car, or the phone, is being scored — not the person. A second driver in the household is usually indistinguishable from you.
Road type or conditions
Most programmes do not adjust for rain, traffic density or a road full of junctions. Braking often on a busy urban route reads as braking often.
Three questions worth asking first
- Can the programme raise my premium, or only lower it? Both exist. Some are discount-only; others treat the score as a rating factor at renewal. The answer should be in writing before you enrol.
- How long is the data kept, and who else sees it? Retention periods and sharing arrangements vary widely between insurers, and the app’s permissions are not the same thing as the policy’s terms.
- What happens if I stop? Leaving a programme mid-term is usually allowed, but whether the discount already earned survives is a separate question with a separate answer.
Programme terms differ by insurer and by state. Confirm anything here with the provider before enrolling.
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