Progressive's Snapshot Program: How a Driving Device Could Get You a Discount on Your Car Insurance | Techland

Looking for a way to be rewarded for being a cautious driver? Look no further. Progressive is giving up to a 30% discount to safe drivers through their Snapshot program.

Drivers who sign up for the program are sent a device that plugs into the on-board diagnostics port of their car. Once it’s installed, the device starts recording driving data and sends it to Progressive. The device measures how, how much, and when customers drive their cars — it even records sudden stops. After a 30-day evaluation, drivers find out if they’re eligible for a discount on their car insurance.

According to Progressive, “People who drive less, in safer ways and during safer times of day are more likely to get a discount.”

Seems like a win-win situation since the device can only help you save on insurance, and won’t make customer rates go up. For drivers worried about privacy issues, the device does not have a GPS, so it won’t track your vehicle’s location.

Right now the device is available in more than 25 states. You can find out if it’s offered where you live (and drive ) here.

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pks29733steel

Plug it into a car you don’t use that much and drive it around the block once aweek. Then send it back to ‘Progressive’! Plus anyone with installed in thier regular car will drive like a ‘saint’ til they have to send it back in. Once they have thier insurance they will drive in thier usual manner. It’s like leaving a bar at last call, do you pull out nicely or do you ‘burn rubber’ and get busted!
http://artbyderrick.com artbyderrick

I’m from MN and I actually just got done with the Snapshot program (it was still called MyRate when I enrolled). I have been with Progressive for almost 5 years and was looking for an extra way to save money. I learned that the program is actually not that easy to “crack”, but it’s worth it if you’re a safe driver.

First off, you are required to have the device plugged into your car for a minimum of 30 days for an “inital discount” (instant savings off your current insurance period). Then you can send it back, or continue for another 60 days and get the discount from the next insurance period on. So you can’t really “drive like a saint” or keep it unplugged and plug it in once a week, Progressive will ask for the device back, meaning no discount. So it takes a few months to work but shouldn’t everyone being driving safe anyway?

You can’t simply “drive it around the block once a week” either and expect a good discount. The device registers as being “idle” if you don’t use it enough, meaning you have to drive normally (commute) in order for it to really work. I received a $128 initial and renewal discount, bringing my monthly bill to $52 from $76. Not a huge discount, but $20 bucks helps when you’re broke and paying off +$150,000 in art school loans. Long story short, you forget that it’s even plugged in after awhile. Progressive actually had to call me and remind me to send the device back after the total 90 days (it’s a $50 fine if you don’t send it back).

Overall a good program if you are actually a good driver that obeys at least MOST of the laws of the road.
http://artbyderrick.com artbyderrick

If what I typed was confusing about not driving can get you booted from the program, think of it this way: Snapshot rewards safe DRIVERS, not safe parked cars.
pks29733steel

Wait a week, there will be a ‘hack’ for Progressive’s device that Progressive won’t be able to detect!
http://artbyderrick.com artbyderrick

Considering I just got done using the thing for 3 months and the device is actually older than that (the commercials just started with the rebrand to ‘Snapshot’), I doubt it, insurance fraud is a pretty big crime.