For the past six months, I decided to participate in Progressive’s Snapshot Discount program. This program involves using a device you plug into your car to track your driving habits and potentially earn a discount on your car insurance. Like many, the promise of savings was enticing, but I was also curious about what this driving data collection would reveal. My experience with Progressive Snapshot and its impact might just surprise you, and in this review, I aim to provide you with a comprehensive understanding to help you decide if participating in this monitoring program, even if it feels like having a Progressive Scan Car constantly evaluating your every move, is the right choice for you.
When I first signed up, the specifics of the program were a bit hazy, but after several months of using the Snapshot device, I’ve gained valuable insights that every insured driver considering such programs should be aware of.
UPDATE: For more recent reflections, check out my follow-up thoughts on Progressive Snapshot, building on this initial review.
Progressive Snapshot Deep Dive
“Save up to 30 percent!” That catchy slogan, often accompanied by Progressive’s memorable character Flo, is hard to ignore. Intrigued by the potential for significant savings with the Snapshot Discount, I decided to give it a try. In the rush of purchasing insurance for my new 2014 Mustang, eager to drive it off the lot, I admit I didn’t fully investigate the Snapshot program before ticking that tempting checkbox.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I thought. Even with my typical driving style, I imagined a small discount would make the experiment worthwhile. However, a nagging question arose: what price am I putting on my privacy? How much is that data worth? As you’ll see, the answer became clearer as my six-month trial progressed.
My initial week with the Snapshot device was marked by a growing annoyance. Yet, the idea of accessing concrete data about my driving habits sparked a certain curiosity. Once you commit to the program, it’s generally advisable to complete the entire term. Discontinuing early might actually lead to increased rates based on a limited and potentially skewed dataset. To give you a clearer picture of how the Snapshot program works, I’m sharing the actual data it collected on my driving.
Ask anyone who’s used Snapshot about their biggest pet peeve, and you’ll likely hear about the “BEEP-BEEP-BEEP” sound. This distinctive beep is the device’s way of signaling that you’ve just been flagged for slowing down a bit too abruptly – a direct report to Progressive on your braking behavior.
Unpacking the Progressive Snapshot Device
The Progressive Snapshot device is a compact module designed to plug directly into your car’s On-Board Diagnostics Type 2 (OBD-II) port. The OBD-II system is a powerful tool in modern vehicles, originally intended for automotive technicians to diagnose vehicle issues. It provides access to a vast range of your car’s systems: engine, drivetrain, brakes, transmission, and electronics – essentially, anything electronically monitored within your vehicle can be accessed through the OBD-II port.
Packed within the Snapshot device’s small 2” x 3” frame is a surprising amount of technology. It includes a memory chip for data storage, a cellular radio for transmitting data, and a GPS radio that communicates with satellites for location tracking. For those interested in the technical details, you can inspect the patent for a deeper dive into its internal components. While you drive, the Snapshot device continuously sends your vehicle’s data to Progressive’s servers. My device, for instance, utilizes a quad-band GSM module (datasheet), which aligns with Progressive’s partnership with AT&T for data services.
Progressive publicly states on their website that they monitor vehicle speed, but intentionally do not track location data. This is a policy choice, not a technological limitation. The device is essentially operating much like a cellphone connected to the AT&T network. However, they remain vague about the precise vehicle data they monitor. Are they also tracking RPMs, throttle position, or other parameters? The exact specifics remain undisclosed, but it’s reasonable to assume they could technically monitor a wide array of data.
Since I initially enrolled in the program, Progressive has updated their guidance on who benefits most from Snapshot. Interestingly, this information is not readily available to the general public or prospective customers. It’s only accessible to existing customers once they log into their account portal. Their publicly available FAQs regarding the program certainly present a more optimistic view compared to the nuanced reality.
Furthermore, the comprehensive terms and conditions for the Snapshot Discount program are not easily found until after you’ve agreed to participate. To save you the effort of searching their site (as it’s not visible to non-customers), here is a direct link to the Snapshot Terms & Conditions. This is one set of terms and conditions you definitely shouldn’t overlook. Moving forward…
As part of the program agreement, there’s a clear warning against reverse-engineering, disassembling, or tampering with the device in any way. I adhered to this. However, technically, it wouldn’t be overly complicated to investigate the specific data transmitted by the device. Perhaps with access to a Stingray scanner, one could intercept the cellular data being wirelessly transmitted. But, a less invasive method would be to monitor the data flow directly through the OBD-II protocol, employing a classic man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. But, I digress.
How Progressive Snapshot Issues Penalties
The Snapshot device seems to primarily focus on two types of data to assess your driving behavior and potentially penalize you. The first is speed reduction, specifically hard braking, which I’ll elaborate on shortly. The second is the time of day you drive, recorded the moment you start your car. Data logging occurs regardless of whether the vehicle is actually moving. (Once, after working under the hood late at night, I started my car briefly, and it registered as “driving” at 11 PM, categorized as a high-risk driving period.)
Interestingly, neither vehicle velocity nor acceleration are directly flagged. In theory, drag racing itself wouldn’t negatively impact your score. However, rapid deceleration, or hard braking, will trigger a penalty. This brings up the issue of potential false positives.
It’s crucial to understand how the device interprets tire spin, such as burnouts. This isn’t just relevant for spirited drivers; it affects anyone driving in areas with ice, unpaved roads, or wet conditions. When tires lose traction and spin, they rotate at a much higher speed than the vehicle itself. When traction is regained, they rapidly decelerate. To the Snapshot device, this can appear as abrupt braking, even if the brake pedal wasn’t pressed. This is because the vehicle speed sensor is often located in the transmission, meaning if the tires are spinning, so is the driveshaft, leading the speedometer to register a speed (like 40 MPH) even while the car remains stationary.
The Impracticality of Hard Braking Thresholds
Progressive defines a hard brake as any instance where your vehicle decelerates at a rate exceeding 7 miles per hour per second (MPH/s). This isn’t solely triggered by brake pedal application; it could also occur when coasting uphill to improve fuel efficiency. I’m uncertain if there are speed-dependent thresholds for this trigger, but based on my experience, the 7 MPH/s threshold seems consistent across all speeds.
I believe this fixed 7 MPH/s threshold is fundamentally flawed and impractical in diverse driving conditions. It’s a rigid, linear rule that fails to account for inertia and basic physics. If you frequently drive in an urban environment – good luck – you’re almost guaranteed to trigger “Hard Brakes” daily. Once I grasped this threshold, I consciously aimed to decelerate at rates slower than 10 MPH/s, obsessively monitoring my speedometer. This strategy proved effective in minimizing hard brake events.
To illustrate why I argue that 7 MPH/s (approximately 10.27 feet per second squared) is an inadequate measure of “safe” driving, consider these common driving scenarios:
- To reduce speed from 75 MPH (110 feet per second) to 25 MPH (36.67 feet per second) requires a minimum of 7.1 seconds to decelerate at 7 MPH/s.
- To come to a complete stop from 75 MPH (110 feet per second) necessitates a minimum of 11 seconds at the same deceleration rate.
- Even slowing down from 45 MPH (66 feet per second) to a complete stop, such as when making a left turn, requires 6.4 seconds to remain within the 7 MPH/s limit.
Why are these examples significant? They highlight that safe deceleration is heavily speed-dependent. What remains constant is the distance between your vehicle and potential hazards ahead. While city driving presents more frequent but less severe hazards, highway driving can involve more unpredictable and potentially more dangerous threats (e.g., sudden rush hour slowdowns).
The counter-argument is that maintaining ample following distance can allow drivers to adhere to the Snapshot thresholds while still driving effectively. However, in real-world scenarios, this might mean occasionally missing a turn or an exit to avoid triggering the hard braking penalty. Yet, there’s a valid point to be made that a driver’s ability to control their braking might reflect their overall awareness of changing road conditions.
This leads to the inevitable question – can you “game” the system?
Mastering the Snapshot System
Now that you understand what data Snapshot tracks and the challenge of driving penalty-free, you’re likely wondering how to play the game effectively. As the saying goes, “don’t hate the player; hate the game.” Or in this case, learn to play the game strategically.
The discount Progressive offers is linked to three primary factors: the frequency of hard brakes, the amount of nighttime driving, and total miles driven. Of these, mileage accumulation is the most easily controllable factor to influence your discount. The ratio of hard brakes to miles driven appears to be a key metric in determining your policy discount.
In essence, you have two main approaches: either modify your braking habits to minimize hard brakes, or increase your overall mileage to dilute the impact of any hard braking events, leveraging the law of averages.
The Potential Downsides of Snapshot Data
Enrolling in the Snapshot program also grants Progressive the right to use the collected driving data against you in the event of an insurance claim. For most drivers, this might not be a major concern, but it should raise a slight red flag that you’re essentially giving your insurance company comprehensive data that could negatively impact your claim outcome or future premiums. Consider this: if you were exceeding the speed limit at the time of an accident, how might that data affect your defense? However, this data transparency can also work in your favor, potentially supporting your claim if the data confirms you were driving safely.
The intended purpose likely revolves around reducing fraudulent claims and fairly assigning responsibility in accidents. Personally, if I were at fault in an accident, my immediate instinct would be to discreetly remove the Snapshot device, preventing the other party from seeing it and potentially subpoenaing the data. That data, in my view, is primarily between me and my insurance company.
However, the data isn’t always detrimental. It can be remarkably beneficial in situations where you’re wrongly accused. A case in Cleveland saw a man exonerated of a murder charge thanks to data from his Progressive Snapshot device, demonstrating its potential to prove innocence. innocent of murder
Snapshot: A Tool for Behavior Modification
After six months of using Snapshot, I concluded that its most significant impact is in enhancing driver awareness of their vehicle, driving conditions, and the importance of smooth deceleration. It took roughly two months to consciously adjust my driving habits.
And it worked. After those initial months, I no longer consciously worried about triggering the Snapshot beep for hard braking. Slowing down earlier became second nature. While I might occasionally accelerate through a yellow light when safe, the hesitation and indecision at such moments have largely disappeared.
The device’s audible beeps act as a constant reminder of braking penalties, effectively prompting behavioral change. The annoying beep serves as negative reinforcement, while the prospect of a discount acts as positive reinforcement. It’s a classic Pavlovian conditioning scenario.
Did I Actually Save Money with Snapshot? (Spoiler: Not Really)
During my first month, Snapshot categorized me as a “terrible” driver. This is significant because Progressive uses this initial 30-day “probationary” period to assess your driving and set your initial discount for the remaining five months.
My first month’s “discount”? A mere one percent. Yes, $5.46. That was the monetary value placed on my privacy in the initial assessment. After the full six-month period, my discount increased to 12 percent, roughly $96. However, mathematically inclined readers might notice that the discount percentages weren’t applied to a consistent base premium. This discrepancy prompted me to investigate further.
Did I genuinely “save” $96? Examining my Declarations pages revealed a different picture.
My rates actually increased. Whether this rate hike was a direct result of the data collected by Progressive Snapshot is unclear, but they subtly raised my base premiums while applying the “good driving” discount from Snapshot. While numerous factors can influence premium adjustments, the correlation is unsettling. One would expect premiums to decrease as a vehicle depreciates in value. Progressive’s data suggests otherwise. See for yourself:
Original Premiums with Progressive ($741)
Six-month Renewal Premiums with Progressive ($836)
As I discovered, Progressive increased my premiums by $95 – just a dollar less than my $96 discount. Clever accounting indeed. To be clear, I do receive other discounts, but these figures represent my base policy premiums. Those other discounts remained constant. Essentially, my privacy cost me one dollar over six months, or about 16 cents per month.
In conclusion, with Snapshot, you might receive a superficial discount on your insurance, but it could come at the cost of a potentially increased premium upon renewal.
Snapshot Program Data Insights
Let’s take a brief look at the Snapshot reports accessible to customers on the Progressive website. This information isn’t featured in their marketing materials, so this gives you a preview of what to expect from the Snapshot program data.
Discounts from the Snapshot Program:
Weekly Trip Averages Report (Comparing this week to your overall average): Note: Data for my last seven days is unavailable as I’ve completed the Snapshot program.
Daily Trip Details Log (Final week of Snapshot)
Daily Trip Details Log (First Week of Snapshot)
Trip Detail Report (Example: Driving from Tucson to Phoenix)
Key Insights from My Snapshot Data
Progressive provides limited explanation of the data’s significance or relevance, leaving interpretation largely to you and their underwriters. So, I took the initiative to export my data (a somewhat cumbersome process) and conduct some basic analysis in Excel. All data covers the six-month period from January to June.
Key findings:
- I noticeably improved my driving behavior after approximately 70 days.
- Hard brake occurrences can be counterbalanced by accumulating “good” miles.
- A shift in my commute from city streets to highways significantly reduced hard braking incidents.
- I achieved an 11% discount by the end of the six-month term.
Hard Brakes (Aggregated)
Mileage
Trips
Hard Brake to Mileage Ratio
What about that peak on February 4th in the hard brakes graph? That was me experimenting with brake stands (burnouts) while trying to figure out how to disable Traction Control on my 2014 Mustang. Eventually, I succeeded. 😉
Final Reflections
It’s clear that the initial 30 days of using Snapshot can be challenging, at least they were for me. Knowing the real implications of each hard brake earlier would have made me even more proactive in avoiding them. Now, both you and I are better informed, making it easier to adapt to these driving monitoring devices.
My primary concern moving forward is the current voluntary nature of these devices. Progressive and State Farm offer potential discounts to incentivize participation. I suspect the value of this driving data far exceeds the discounts offered by insurance companies. I worry that in the near future, these devices might become mandatory, with drivers penalized for opting out of constant monitoring.
For privacy advocates, this system is concerning. Especially in light of NSA controversies involving surreptitious monitoring of American citizens, this adds another tool for law enforcement to track citizens. Equipped with rubber-stamped subpoenas from secret FISA courts, Progressive and AT&T would likely be obligated to comply with requests to monitor vehicle location data. And it’s not just federal agencies – local law enforcement also has access to technologies like Stingrays, capable of monitoring cellular traffic without user consent. (Remember, the Snapshot device contains a cellular modem and a SIM card to identify each device. Review the patent here!)
Overall, the Snapshot program achieved its stated objective for me – it did encourage safer driving habits. While I have reservations about certain aspects of the program, considering it’s still relatively new, I believe the company is actively refining it to better serve their needs and potentially, customer benefits.
What improvements would I like to see from Progressive in the future? I’d appreciate a feature comparing my driving performance against other drivers in my state with similar vehicles. Nest offers this type of comparative data, allowing users to benchmark their energy consumption against peers. Such insights tap into human psychology, encouraging positive behavior through peer comparison and rewards. Progressive possesses the data; they simply need to leverage it to further educate and motivate customers. Transparency regarding the specific types of data collected, retained, and discarded would also be a welcome improvement. Even if technical, such detail would be preferable to vague program summaries.
If you are a driver who generally drives cautiously, avoids hard braking, doesn’t do burnouts, and primarily drives in rural areas or takes longer trips, then Snapshot could be beneficial. Otherwise, you might want to reconsider the tempting offer to trade your privacy for a potentially illusory discount.
UPDATE (2018): Read my recent thoughts on Progressive Snapshot, a follow-up to this review, for continued insights.
Photo credit: robertnelson
