For the past six months, I, like many curious drivers, decided to participate in Progressive’s Snapshot Discount program. It’s a program that hinges on a small device – a Progressive Obd2 Plug – that you connect to your car. This unassuming gadget promises potential savings by monitoring your driving habits. But does it live up to the hype? More importantly, is it the right choice for you? My experience, detailed in this review, might just surprise you and better inform your decision about joining this increasingly popular monitoring program.
When I first signed up, the intricacies of the program weren’t entirely clear. However, after a month of using the progressive OBD2 plug and experiencing the Snapshot program firsthand, I gleaned valuable insights that every insured driver considering such technology should be aware of.
UPDATE: For a more recent perspective, check out my follow-up thoughts on Progressive Snapshot, which builds upon this initial review.
Progressive Snapshot: Does the OBD2 Plug Really Save You Money?
“Save up to 30 percent!” The catchy slogan, often accompanied by Progressive’s ubiquitous character Flo, certainly grabs your attention. Intrigued by the potential discount offered by the Snapshot program and its progressive OBD2 plug, I decided to put it to the test. In the midst of quickly securing insurance for my new 2014 Mustang, the promise of savings was enticing enough to click that checkbox without fully delving into the details.
What’s the worst that could happen? Even a modest discount seemed worthwhile for simply plugging in a device and letting it monitor my driving. However, the underlying question quickly surfaced: what is the price of my privacy? Is a potential discount worth handing over driving data? As you’ll see, the answer isn’t as straightforward as it appears.
Within the first week of using the Snapshot device, my feelings were mixed. The idea of having concrete data on my driving habits was intriguing, yet the device itself sometimes felt intrusive. Once you commit to the program, completing the full term is crucial. Discontinuing early can actually lead to rate increases based on a limited and potentially skewed dataset. To help you understand how the Snapshot program, powered by its progressive OBD2 plug, truly operates, I’m sharing my own data and experiences.
Ask anyone participating in the Snapshot program about their biggest annoyance, and you’ll likely hear about the “BEEP-BEEP-BEEP” sound. This audible alert is the device’s way of signaling a “hard brake” – a gentle reminder that Progressive is keeping tabs on your deceleration.
Understanding the Progressive Snapshot Device: More Than Just an OBD2 Plug
The Snapshot device is a compact module, a progressive OBD2 plug, designed to connect to your car’s On-Board Diagnostics Type 2 (OBD-II) port. This port is standard in most modern vehicles and is primarily used by automotive technicians for diagnosing vehicle issues. The OBD-II system is a gateway to a wealth of information about your car’s operation, providing access to virtually every subsystem: engine, drivetrain, brakes, transmission, electronics – you name it, the data is accessible via OBD-II.
Don’t let its small 2” X 3” size fool you; the Snapshot device, this seemingly simple progressive OBD2 plug, is packed with sophisticated electronics. It contains a memory chip for data storage, a cellular radio for transmitting data, and a GPS radio for location tracking. For those technically inclined, you can examine the patent to delve into the device’s inner workings. While you drive, the Snapshot device continuously streams your vehicle’s data to Progressive’s servers. My device, for example, utilizes a quad-band GSM module (datasheet), which aligns with Progressive’s partnership with AT&T for data services.
Progressive states on their website that they monitor vehicle speed but not location data. It’s important to note that this is a deliberate choice, not a technological limitation. Functionally, it’s similar to a cellphone connected to the AT&T network – location tracking is technically possible. The exact vehicle data points tracked by Progressive remain somewhat opaque. Are they also monitoring RPMs and throttle position, for instance? While the specifics are undisclosed, it’s reasonable to assume that the progressive OBD2 plug and the system it connects to can, in principle, access and transmit a comprehensive range of vehicle data.
Since I initially enrolled, Progressive has refined its guidance on who benefits most from the Snapshot program. Interestingly, this detailed information is exclusively available to existing customers within their account portal – not to prospective customers. Their publicly accessible FAQs present a decidedly more optimistic view of the program.
Similarly, the complete terms and conditions of the Snapshot Discount program are not readily available until you agree to participate. To save you the effort of searching, here is a direct link to the Snapshot Terms & Conditions. It’s a document worth reviewing carefully before making a decision.
As part of the program agreement, there’s a clear warning against reverse-engineering, disassembling, or tampering with the device. While I respected this condition, it’s technically feasible to analyze the data transmitted by the progressive OBD2 plug. With specialized equipment, one could potentially intercept the cellular data. However, a less complex approach would be to monitor the data flow between the OBD-II port and the device itself – a classic man-in-the-middle attack.
How Progressive Snapshot and the OBD2 Plug Can Penalize Your Driving Score
The Snapshot device, through its progressive OBD2 plug connection, primarily focuses on two types of driving data that can lead to penalties. The first is rapid deceleration, or “hard braking,” which I’ll elaborate on. 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 in motion. (Once, while working on my car late at night, I started it briefly, and it registered as “driving” during a high-risk period.)
Surprisingly, neither vehicle speed nor acceleration directly triggers penalties. In theory, quick acceleration wouldn’t negatively impact your score. However, rapid deceleration, or hard braking, will. This brings up the issue of false positives.
Consider situations involving wheelspin, common in areas with ice, unpaved roads, or even wet surfaces. When tires lose traction, they rotate at a speed disproportionate to the vehicle’s actual speed. Upon regaining traction, they decelerate rapidly. The Snapshot device, interpreting data from the progressive OBD2 plug, can misinterpret this as abrupt braking, even if the brake pedal wasn’t applied. This is because the vehicle speed sensor is often located in the transmission, meaning wheelspin translates to driveshaft rotation and a false speed reading. Your speedometer might indicate 40 MPH while the car is essentially stationary.
The Subjectivity of “Hard Braking” as Measured by the OBD2 Plug
Progressive defines a “hard brake” as any deceleration exceeding 7 MPH per second. This can be triggered even without actively braking – coasting uphill, for instance, could theoretically register as hard braking. While I can’t confirm specific speed thresholds, my experience suggests this 7 MPH/second metric is consistently applied across various speeds.
I argue that this fixed 7 MPH/second threshold is inherently flawed and doesn’t realistically account for diverse driving conditions and physics. It’s a rigid rule in a dynamic world. In urban driving environments, encountering situations that trigger “hard brakes” daily is almost unavoidable. Once I understood this threshold, I consciously tried to limit my deceleration to under 10 MPH per second, constantly monitoring my speedometer. This strategy proved effective in reducing hard brake events.
To illustrate why a 7 MPH per second (approximately 10.27 feet per second) threshold is arguably an inaccurate measure of driving “safety,” consider these common driving scenarios:
- Decelerating from 75MPH (110 feet per second) to 25MPH (36.67 feet per second) safely requires a minimum of 7.1 seconds.
- Bringing a vehicle from 75 MPH (110 feet per second) to a complete stop necessitates at least 11 seconds of deceleration.
- Even slowing from 45MPH (66 feet per second) to a complete stop, like when making a left turn, requires 6.4 seconds.
These examples highlight that safe deceleration time is heavily dependent on initial speed. The constant factor is the distance between your vehicle and potential hazards. Urban driving presents more frequent, less severe hazards, while highway driving involves less frequent but potentially more dangerous and unpredictable situations.
The counterargument is that maintaining adequate following distance allows for smoother deceleration, staying within the Snapshot’s parameters. However, in real-world traffic, adhering strictly to this might mean missing opportunities like making a turn to avoid triggering the system. Yet, there’s a point to be made: drivers who can consistently control their braking may exhibit greater overall awareness of changing road conditions.
This brings us to the idea of strategically navigating, or perhaps “gaming,” the Snapshot system.
How to Potentially “Beat” the Progressive Snapshot System and its OBD2 Plug
Knowing how the Snapshot device, via its progressive OBD2 plug, collects data and the challenges of avoiding penalties, you might be wondering how to optimize your participation. As the saying goes, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” or in this case, learn to play it effectively.
Progressive’s discount is influenced by hard braking frequency, nighttime driving, and total mileage. Mileage is the most easily controllable factor to potentially leverage the system. The ratio of hard brakes to miles driven is a key metric used to determine your discount.
Therefore, you have two primary approaches: refine your braking habits to minimize hard brakes, or increase your mileage to dilute the impact of any hard brakes that do occur.
The Potential Downside: Snapshot Data Used Against You
Enrolling in the Snapshot program also grants Progressive permission to utilize the collected driving data against you in the event of an insurance claim. While this might not be a concern for most drivers, it’s crucial to acknowledge that you’re providing your insurance company with data that could negatively impact claim outcomes or future premiums. Hypothetically, if an accident occurs while you were exceeding the speed limit, this data could be detrimental to your defense. Conversely, the data could also support your claim if you were driving safely.
The program’s intention is likely to reduce fraudulent claims and ensure fairer assignment of responsibility in accidents. However, if involved in an at-fault accident, one might instinctively remove the Snapshot device to prevent the other party from potentially subpoenaing the data. This data, in that scenario, becomes solely between you and your insurance provider.
However, the data isn’t always detrimental. It can be invaluable in proving innocence. A case in Cleveland demonstrates how Snapshot data exonerated a man wrongly accused of murder.
Snapshot as a Driving Behavior Modification Tool
After six months of using Snapshot and its progressive OBD2 plug, I concluded that its most significant impact is as a behavior modification tool. It effectively encourages drivers to become more conscious of their vehicle dynamics, road conditions, and the importance of smooth deceleration. It took me roughly two months to consciously adjust my driving habits.
After this period, avoiding “hard brakes” became second nature. While I might occasionally accelerate quickly for yellow lights when safe, the general tendency towards smoother, earlier deceleration became ingrained.
The device’s audible “beep” acts as a negative stimulus, while the potential discount serves as a positive reinforcement. In essence, it’s a form of Pavlovian conditioning applied to driving.
Did I Actually Save Money with the Snapshot Discount? The Reality Check
During my initial month, Snapshot categorized me as a “terrible” driver. This is significant because Progressive uses the first 30 days as a “probationary” period to assess your driving and determine your initial discount for the remaining five months.
My first month’s savings? A mere one percent, or $5.46. That was the initial monetary value assigned to my driving data. After the full six-month period, my discount increased to 12 percent, approximately $96. However, a closer look at the numbers revealed a more nuanced picture.
To understand the true savings, I examined my Declarations pages and uncovered a less advertised reality.
My base insurance rates actually increased. While I received a discount based on Snapshot data, my underlying premiums rose. Although premium increases can be attributed to various factors, the timing and near equivalence to the discount were concerning. One might expect premiums to decrease with vehicle depreciation, but Progressive’s data indicated otherwise.
Original Premiums with Progressive ($741)
Six-month Renewal Premiums with Progressive ($836)
As suspected, Progressive increased my premiums by $95 – almost exactly offsetting the $96 discount. While I received other discounts, this was my base policy premium adjustment. Effectively, the net financial benefit of participating in Snapshot, for me, was minimal – roughly one dollar over six months, or about 16 cents per month.
In conclusion, Snapshot might offer a seemingly attractive discount, but it could be counterbalanced by an increase in your base premium upon renewal.
Unpacking the Data Provided by the Progressive Snapshot Program
Progressive offers customers access to reports detailing the data collected through the Snapshot program. This information, not typically featured in their marketing materials, provides transparency into the program’s data tracking.
Discounts from the Snapshot Program:
Weekly Trip Averages Report: This report compares your current week’s driving data to your overall averages. (Note: Data for my last seven days is unavailable as I completed the program.)
Daily Trip Details Log: Provides granular data for each day, as seen in the examples from my first and last weeks of the program.
Trip Detail Report: Offers detailed data for individual trips, like my example trip from Tucson to Phoenix.
Key Insights Gleaned from the Snapshot Program Data
Progressive provides the raw data but limited interpretation. It’s up to the user and Progressive’s underwriters to discern its significance. I exported my data and performed some basic analysis in Excel, focusing on the six-month period from January to June.
Key findings:
- Driving behavior significantly improved after approximately 70 days of using Snapshot.
- Hard brakes could be mitigated by accumulating more miles.
- A shift from city to highway commuting reduced hard brake incidents.
- I achieved an 11% discount by the program’s conclusion.
Hard Brakes (Aggregated)
Mileage
Trips
Hard Brake to Mileage Ratio
The spike in hard brakes on February 4th? That was me experimenting with burnouts and figuring out how to disable traction control on my 2014 Mustang. 😉
Final Verdict: Progressive Snapshot and the OBD2 Plug – Is It Worth It?
The initial 30 days of using Snapshot are undeniably challenging, at least they were for me. Knowing the specific impact of each hard brake beforehand would have prompted even greater caution. Now, with a clearer understanding, adapting to driving monitoring devices becomes more manageable.
However, a significant concern remains. Currently, these programs are voluntary. Progressive and State Farm offer discounts as incentives. The true value of this collected driving data likely far exceeds the advertised discounts. The potential for mandatory adoption of such devices in the future, with penalties for opting out, is a legitimate worry.
For privacy advocates, this system raises red flags. Especially in light of NSA surveillance controversies, programs like Snapshot could provide law enforcement with another tool for tracking citizens. Armed with subpoenas, insurance companies and data providers could be compelled to monitor vehicle whereabouts. Beyond national agencies, local law enforcement utilizes technologies like Stingrays to monitor cellular traffic without user consent. (Remember, the Snapshot device, the progressive OBD2 plug, contains a cellular modem and SIM card. Review the patent for details!)
Overall, the Progressive Snapshot program, utilizing its OBD2 plug, achieved its stated goal: it encouraged me to become a safer driver. While I have reservations about certain aspects, particularly regarding privacy and the actual financial benefit, the program is still evolving.
Looking ahead, I’d like to see Progressive offer more comparative data, allowing users to benchmark their driving performance against others in their state or with similar vehicles, akin to Nest’s energy consumption comparisons. Transparency regarding the specific data collected, retained, and discarded is also crucial. Even technical details would be preferable to vague program summaries.
If you are a consistently smooth driver, avoid aggressive maneuvers, and primarily drive in favorable conditions, Snapshot might offer genuine savings. Otherwise, the seemingly tempting discount might not outweigh the privacy implications and potential premium adjustments.
UPDATE (2018): Read my recent reflections on Progressive Snapshot, a follow-up to this original review.
Photo credit: robertnelson
