Axa introduce black box scheme to enable you to have lower insurance premiums

delad · 30-08-2012 02:31PM #1

Axa have introduced a scheme where you can opt to have a black box fitted to your car for free which enables you to get 20% off your insurance premium. The box records whether you are driving within speed limits and various other aspects of your driveing such as anticipation, stopping force and cornering etc. If your driving is better than a performance target in their scoring system then you get an additional 10% of your insurance premium for the year.

This is great news for competent, safe drivers. We're finally getting closer to having insurance premiums based on your driving ability rather than based on your age and sex.

Unfortunately the scheme is ony initially available to 17-24 year olds but it will hopefully be rolled out to everyone soon enough.

http://www.thejournal.ie/axa-insurance-drivesave-578293-Aug2012/

Alanstrainor · 30-08-2012 02:35PM

Feck that for a game of cowboys! I'd rather not have some insurance company monitoring my every move thank you very much! And only 20%!?! What a joke!

djimi · 30-08-2012 02:35PM

Didnt someone else try something similar a few years ago? I seem to remember one of my friends having a tracker on his car when he was learning to drive. How did that work out for them?

Im also not convinced it will help to prove a lot; there are an awful lot of terrible drivers out there who dont drive above the speed limit or screech around corners...

delad · 30-08-2012 02:37PM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

And only 20%!?! What a joke!

you're complaining about getting free money?!!?!?! unbelievable

awec · 30-08-2012 02:38PM

This post has been deleted.

djimi · 30-08-2012 02:38PM

delad wrote: »

you're complaining about getting free money?!!?!?! unbelievable

Its not free money though is it? What happens if you stray above the speed limit once in a while of they percieve that you are driving in a manner which they do not approve of; does this mean they will start to load your premium?

Sesshoumaru · 30-08-2012 02:38PM

delad wrote: »

This is great news for competent, safe drivers. We're finally getting closer to having insurance premiums based on your driving ability rather than based on your age and sex.

Unfortunately the scheme is ony initially available to 17-24 year olds but it will hopefully be rolled out to everyone soon enough.

http://www.thejournal.ie/axa-insurance-drivesave-578293-Aug2012/

LOL!

Yes that's super! I'm sure you felt no small sense of amusement when you posted that

Why not just have one chip implanted in your brain? It could cover your driving and general behavior. Down in the pub for a few hours? That'll be a few extra euro on your health insurance premium!

Viper_JB · 30-08-2012 02:40PM

I'd love to see the contract that states what they can and can't do with the information they get off of it.

delad · 30-08-2012 02:42PM

awec wrote: »

He's not getting free money.

It's the insurance company taking less money off him.

Yes which is the same thing. If you are paying 500 euro for insurance but have the option of paying 400 euro simply for having a black box installed in your car, I would view that 100 euro as free money.

antodeco · 30-08-2012 02:43PM

Quinn Insurance had this before. I remember they asked would I get it installed, I told them to feck off!

Interestingly, you can drive 1 foot behind the car in front of you (assuming they are going the same speed limit) and you will still get your discount.

markc1184 · 30-08-2012 02:43PM

djimi wrote: »

Didnt someone else try something similar a few years ago? I seem to remember one of my friends having a tracker on his car when he was learning to drive. How did that work out for them?

Im also not convinced it will help to prove a lot; there are an awful lot of terrible drivers out there who dont drive above the speed limit or screech around corners...

It was AXA that had it. Didn't last too long. I had it in my car and they ended up taking it out after 4 months because it was constantly malfunctioning. I never heard anymore from them about it.

delad · 30-08-2012 02:46PM

djimi wrote: »

Its not free money though is it? What happens if you stray above the speed limit once in a while of they percieve that you are driving in a manner which they do not approve of; does this mean they will start to load your premium?

Its a points based system which you can view your score online, straying a few mph above the speed limit a few times won't have much of an effect but if you are doing it on a consistent basis or going well above the speed limit then you will be punished.

Sesshoumaru · 30-08-2012 03:05PM

delad wrote: »

Its a points based system which you can view your score online, straying a few mph above the speed limit a few times won't have much of an effect but if you are doing it on a consistent basis or going well above the speed limit then you will be punished.

Welcome to the future, private companies helping to enforce laws - woohoo! Maybe we could employ some Omnicorp ED-209's in the Traffic Corps

BronsonTB · 30-08-2012 03:06PM

delad wrote: »

Its a points based system which you can view your score online, straying a few mph above the speed limit a few times won't have much of an effect but if you are doing it on a consistent basis or going well above the speed limit then you will be punished.

Do please let us know how you get on with it delad & how much effect it has on your renewal premium the following year...That'll really be the test with a real life senario. Theory is one thing but practice can be completely different. I can see it being taken up by some drivers if it actually makes a real difference in the pocket without effecting how they drive.

Heroditas · 30-08-2012 03:07PM

delad wrote: »

and various other aspects of your driveing such as anticipation, stopping force and cornering etc. If your driving is better than a performance target in their scoring system then you get an additional 10% of your insurance premium for the year.

This is the bit I have trouble with - it's far too vague and open to interpretation.

30-08-2012 03:12PM

One of my mates had it before and as mentioned it was with axa, called traksure iirc. I think the offer at the time was your premiums were fixed price over say 3 years and after the 3 years they have you a 5year NCB providing you weren't setting off alarm bells drifting in tesco carparks.

30-08-2012 03:16PM

I would rather pay the full whack that put up with this.

http://www.kulfoto.com/pic/0001/0025/b/JQ43q24432.jpg

wonski · 30-08-2012 03:32PM

As it is only available to young drivers, some of them can go for it, as 20% for them can be as much as 400E. Nothing to complain about really.

galwaytt · 30-08-2012 03:40PM

djimi wrote: »

Didnt someone else try something similar a few years ago? I seem to remember one of my friends having a tracker on his car when he was learning to drive. How did that work out for them?
...

...plus, we now have t'internet...........and apps, etc etc.

Look at VAG com etc, now everywhere, hacked and all. How long for some enterprising s/w student, with one, to figure out how to hack it ? If a Cork 15 yr old hacked Apple's iPod, then...........

And, does it use a SIM card/GSM to send info to AXA ? If so.......

1. Data Protection Act.....
2. See George's stolen S4 thread.........and the jammer's............

Either way, there'll be a workaround for it eventually. It's just human nature.

monkeypants · 30-08-2012 03:52PM

delad wrote: »

awec wrote: »

He's not getting free money.

It's the insurance company taking less money off him.

Yes which is the same thing. If you are paying 500 euro for insurance but have the option of paying 400 euro simply for having a black box installed in your car, I would view that 100 euro as free money.

AXA are a private enterprise and are only interested in making profit. They may reduce costs, but their costs, not yours. Somewhere in the not too distant future, they see this scheme increasing their profit, which will have to be done at someone's expense. May not be yours, but it will happen.

murphym7 · 30-08-2012 04:29PM

My main concern with this is the accuracy of the GPS system within it. Many times I ahve just updated my GPS to find it was displaying a lower speed limit than the road I was driving on actually was - anyone else experience this? If something like this did occur, what is the recourse. A lenghty process of prvvoing you were not actually speeding?

They woudl want to be giving me my insurance for free before I would consider this spy kids tool.

Popoutman · 30-08-2012 07:07PM

No way in hell would I submit to this, and 20% is nowhere near enough for me to sell my every move, my daily patterns etc to my insurance company who certainly do not have my welfare at heart.

Unfortunately it's the next logical step to cash in on people the fail to see the problems with putting their every move up on FB, especially when not getting paid for it.

If it were forced, it would get installed, and I'd fo an locate it in the car and then I'd isolate it with a faraday cage around it so it does not see GPS signals, and cannot phone home. Couple that with the odd trip through a microwave to ensure that the onboard memory can't be used..

I'd really like to see the contract that they would put in place and what penalties the insurance company would allow, to cover the driver when the driver's logs are leaked/sold/cracked and available on the net. Imagine the danger with retrospective logging possibilities, either with private individuals or agents of the State..

keithclancy · 30-08-2012 07:15PM

Popoutman wrote: »

No way in hell would I submit to this, and 20% is nowhere near enough for me to sell my every move, my daily patterns etc to my insurance company who certainly do not have my welfare at heart.

Unfortunately it's the next logical step to cash in on people the fail to see the problems with putting their every move up on FB, especially when not getting paid for it.

If it were forced, it would get installed, and I'd fo an locate it in the car and then I'd isolate it with a faraday cage around it so it does not see GPS signals, and cannot phone home. Couple that with the odd trip through a microwave to ensure that the onboard memory can't be used..

I'd really like to see the contract that they would put in place and what penalties the insurance company would allow, to cover the driver when the driver's logs are leaked/sold/cracked and available on the net. Imagine the danger with retrospective logging possibilities, either with private individuals or agents of the State..

Don't need to hack it, just get a GPS jammer, they're all the rage over here.

http://gadget.brando.com/car-cigarette-anti-gps-system_p00963c024d001.html

Leave it in the rear cigarette lighter socket and the problem is solved.

Your not modifying anything either so they have no way of proving its your fault.

Any GPS device within 5-10 meters just can't get a lock

By faraday cage, I believe you meant cover it in tinfoil

Popoutman · 30-08-2012 07:25PM

Though I'd like to be able to use my satnav

As far as I'm aware, the use of GPS jammers is a big no-no from the regulatory point of view, and both the supplier and the user can have hefty fines levies by the relevant Govt. dept, but I'm not sure which one would cover it. There are also implications for air traffic control.

Faraday cage - stainless steel mesh, attached to a ground point on the car. Tinfoil might not be good enough and a ferrous metal would be a better choice.

30-08-2012 07:28PM

not a chance in hell lads
I havent got any accidents, let that be enough

delad · 30-08-2012 07:29PM

BronsonTB wrote: »

Do please let us know how you get on with it delad & how much effect it has on your renewal premium the following year...That'll really be the test with a real life senario. Theory is one thing but practice can be completely different. I can see it being taken up by some drivers if it actually makes a real difference in the pocket without effecting how they drive.

I'm outside the age range and don't even drive at the moment, planning to buy a second hand nissan leaf in 2014 though. So hopefully by then this scheme will be available to everyone.

ShadowHearth · 30-08-2012 07:34PM

So let me get this right:

A kid jumps out in front of your car. Kids does not see you and keeps running!
You have two options:

A) slap the brake pedal, which will save child's life and get a phone call 5 mins later from AXA with something like this: " omg!!! We just so you stoping very aggressively!!! You maniac!!!! That's it!!! Premiums go +1000%"!!!!!

I am not ****ing loosing that 20%!!!!!

delad · 30-08-2012 07:39PM

monkeypants wrote: »

AXA are a private enterprise and are only interested in making profit. They may reduce costs, but their costs, not yours. Somewhere in the not too distant future, they see this scheme increasing their profit, which will have to be done at someone's expense. May not be yours, but it will happen.

Yeah they see this scheme increasing their profits because more people will use them as opposed to their competitors, while at the same time poor drivers who are more likely to be involved in an accident are less likely to go with them, so its win win for axa. They increase their revenue while at the same time get rid of drivers who are statistically more likely to be involved in a crash, so they're net profit margin increases as well.

delad · 30-08-2012 07:43PM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

So let me get this right:

A kid jumps out in front of your car. Kids does not see you and keeps running!
You have two options:

A) slap the brake pedal, which will save child's life and get a phone call 5 mins later from AXA with something like this: " omg!!! We just so you stoping very aggressively!!! You maniac!!!! That's it!!! Premiums go +1000%"!!!!!
I am not ****ing loosing that 20%!!!!!

no once off hard braking will not affect your premiums, it will be clear it was an emergency brake

eth0 · 30-08-2012 07:46PM

100e for your privacy and having Big brother raise your premium if you havnt been driving like a gobsh1te like they want you to

delad · 30-08-2012 07:57PM

eth0 wrote: »

100e for your privacy and having Big brother raise your premium if you havnt been driving like a gobsh1te like they want you to

No not 100e, I just used the 500 euro as an example. Its 20% off your premium immediately and then a further 10% off your premium if you meet the performance target.

The tin foil hate brigade is out in force in this thread. Honestly no one cares that you drove to the cinema at 7pm on tuesday night, I hate to break it to some of you but you're not that important. If you's want to worry about how the government is tracking your movements maaaan, then you should realise that all your movements can already be tracked by you carrying a phone, not to mention the amount of info that could be gotten from your text messages sent and your use of the internet.

Axa introduce black box scheme to enable you to have lower insurance premiums

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