You are the kind of person that does things right the first time. You did your comparison shopping, got your insurance quotes. You have a clean record, and think you are getting the most car insurance discounts possible. However, your still wondering is there anything else I can do to get cheap car insurance. Maybe...are you willing to put your driving to the test?
Technology is allowing insurance companies to add another tool to their arsenal that helps them decide if you are a good driver or not. Your driving record may be spotless, but not flawless. Just because you have no tickets, no points, and have been accident free for a number of years, you still may exhibit risky driving patterns. Or, you may be as safe a driver as you think you are.
Most new models (over 80 %) have black boxes already installed at the factory. Moreover, the US senate passed a mandate for cars built in 2015 to have a data recorder that monitors at least 15 different variables leading up to a crash. You can check your owner's manual to find out if you car is equipped with an EDR (event data recorder). EDR's record you speed at the accident, how long it took safety equipment to engage--like airbags to deploy, how the brakes were applied and more. This data belongs to the owner of the car. They can only access the data after an accident and if you give them access or they own the car. If your car is totaled and the insurance company pays you, your insurance company owns the data and can analyze it.
However, if you want the chance to get the best safe driver discount you can opt to have the insurance company add an additional black box to your vehicle, which will sends them data about your driving habits in real time. It will record your momentum around curves, driving speeds, breaking distance, application of the brakes, average distance verses speed and more. IT does not record your GPS. While some of the advertisements say your premiums will not go up if you employ an insurance company black box, that generally is limited to the current contract. At renewal time, if your driving proved to be more risky than you thought, you will see a premium increase. However if your driving is truly safe then a black box is a great way to get cheap car insurance.
