Should I Try One of Those Apps That Tracks My Driving?

WV & OH ONLY

"My insurance company wants me to put an app on my phone that tracks my driving. Is it worth it, and can my car report on me even without the app?"

Not everybody wants to be watched, and I understand being unsure about it.

A driving app can be worth trying if you drive carefully, don't mind being watched, and know the program's rules before you sign up. Some programs only give discounts, and others can cost you, so the details matter more than the ad. Separately, some newer cars can send driving data through the car's own connected services, so it's worth checking those settings too.

A good driver ought to get a great rate without any of this. We're after your best rate, with or without an app.

Every company runs these programs differently, and some don't have one at all. We quote with 13 companies, so we can compare your price with an app and without one before you agree to be tracked.

My motive's no secret. I want to quote you. Before you hand a company a year of your driving, let me find out whether you even need to.

WV & OH ONLY

More than speed. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says these programs can measure miles, time of day, where the car goes, sudden speed-ups, hard stops, sharp turns and phone use.

It can, depending on the program. The NAIC warns that tracking can lead to higher premiums, even though the ads talk about discounts.

West Virginia's Insurance Commissioner said in its 2024 auto insurance survey that policyholders were not being surcharged based on telematics at that time. That's a helpful data point, but it's from 2024 and programs change. Read the terms for the exact program you're offered, in your state, this year.

Generally, someone who:

• Doesn't drive much late at night
• Brakes early and doesn't ride on anybody's bumper
• Keeps the phone down
• Is the only one who uses that phone in that car, or knows how the app handles being a passenger

If you drive nights for work, an app may judge your schedule and not your skill. Ask how it treats that before you enroll.

Yes, it's possible. LexisNexis Risk Solutions says its Telematics OnDemand product gives insurers driving behavior data that comes from automakers, mobile apps and other participating services. It says insurers may access that product only in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

This part is about General Motors and its OnStar service.

In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission alleged that GM used a confusing enrollment process, collected precise location and driving behavior, and sold that data to third parties, including consumer reporting agencies, without proper consent. The final order, announced January 14, 2026, runs 20 years. It bars GM from disclosing that data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. It also lets any U.S. consumer ask GM for a copy of their data and ask for it to be deleted.

In October 2026, 36 attorneys general reached a $220 million settlement with GM. The money is paid to the states. Ohio is on the list. West Virginia isn't on the list I read. GM did not admit liability.

Those orders bind GM. They don't bind anyone else.

There's a federal lawsuit in Georgia in which drivers make claims against GM and against two data companies, LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk. On April 22, 2026, the judge ruled on motions to dismiss, granting them in part and denying them in part. Some claims can go forward, and some can't.

That ruling is early. It only decides whether the claims were adequately pleaded. What the drivers say are allegations. Nobody has proven them, and no court has found that LexisNexis broke the law in that case.

• Look through your car's connected services menu and the automaker's app
• Check what you agreed to when you bought the car
• Ask for your free LexisNexis report if you want to see what's on file. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lists driving behavior data among the things that company collects for auto insurance pricing.

If you're looking for other ways to cut your bill, these common insurance mistakes are a good place to start.

Offered an app at renewal? Call me before you say yes. Let's see what your price looks like both ways.

WV & OH ONLY

Next in the series: Part 24, What's the Difference Between a State Farm Agent and an Independent Agent?