Insurance Black Box - Users, thoughts, Opinions, savings

[Davit2005]

Does it save you money, bearing in mind the sort of commute do you do i.e. Busy roads, Peak Times, Town driving, motorway etc.

 

I have been known to have a heavy right foot at times but in my later years this has become a lot smoother but still known to have the odd moment where touch the wrong side of 70mph, very occasionally (always only where traffic, road conditions, weather and confidence allow). I'ts not busy driving i.e. accelerate hard > brake hard etc... but just relaxed steady driving.

 

I'm wondering based on the sort of commute whether the black box will save me money or cost me.

 

Read a bit about them on internet but looking for some actual feedback...

[Steve21]

I wouldn't touch it if I'm honest, one of my mates had one before and was refused a claim as was slightly over the limit, thus making it into his fault too. (Even though someone smashed him )

 

A lot say they won't "usually" use that to refuse a claim, but the odd small amount it saves doesn't normally add up. You also have to pay for installation (unless it's changed of late)

 

Also remember "safe driving" is only based on the results they see. Hard breaking to stop hitting an idiot who ran in front of your car = unsafe etc

 

Steve

[CAM]

Better off shopping around instead of having a box fitted.

[Davit2005]

 

Also remember "safe driving" is only based on the results they see. Hard breaking to stop hitting an idiot who ran in front of your car = unsafe etc

 

Steve

 

Very true.

 

It makes me mad because I gave a car five years ago after my insurance increased 30% because in the insurers word's 'uninsured claims' .

[elsiegee40]

I have a black box in my Fiesta. It came with the Co-op young driver policy we got when the kids passed their driving tests. It reduced the cost of insuring the car by around £700 at the time!

 

Personally, I hate the thing. It definitely makes you drive more carefully, and I have even had premium refunded due to my careful driving, but I would rather be without it.

 

Until I change the car, or the kids get old enough not to hike the insurance cost so much, it stays though.

[sippo]

The black box is good in theory, but doesn't eliminate other stupid drivers on the road.

 

For example, if a vehicle slams their brakes on in front of you for no apparent reason, you hit them, it's your fault despite being unable to do anything to avoid the accident.

[dry]

Had a black box for my first year of driving through the Co-Op young driver's insurance. Wasn't an issue. Although I never 'forgot' about it, I did start to relax about my score after a month or so.

 

It got me in good habits and I rarely speed these days (honest, guv!). The frustrating thing is when you're overtaking another vehicle, you're doing 70 (to keep a good driving score) but the person behind has other ideas and you get flashed/barged out of the way just so that they can go on and break the speed limit infront of you.

 

Pro tip- don't pay the £50 removal fee at the end of the policy. You can remove it yourself (if you're paranoid about them still collecting data). Mine was simply velcro'd to the top of the glove box. 2 minute job to remove, and as a bonus I re-used the power and ground feed for my dashcam!

[sted]

I believe these will be mandatory in new cars from 2017/18 so get used to them lol. Ideally I wouldn't have one but if it dropped my insurance enough and worked as a tracker as well I might be persuaded depends exactly what it logs and who/when has access

[pcstru]

The black box is good in theory, but doesn't eliminate other stupid drivers on the road.

 

For example, if a vehicle slams their brakes on in front of you for no apparent reason, you hit them, it's your fault despite being unable to do anything to avoid the accident.

Nothing ... apart from leaving enough distance to stop in time?

[Tesla]

Nothing ... apart from leaving enough distance to stop in time?

 

Arguing for the sake of arguing.... my crash last year a car drove across our lane of traffic and i t-boned it, wasn't my fault, but all the black box would of seen was me suddenly decreasing speed....which is @sippo 's point

[sippo]

Nothing ... apart from leaving enough distance to stop in time?

 

The point is, the black box doesn't take into account the road surroundings, the weather, other road users.

 

Yes you can leave a 2 second gap, but sometimes that's not enough.

[pcstru]

Arguing for the sake of arguing.... my crash last year a car drove across our lane of traffic and i t-boned it, wasn't my fault, but all the black box would of seen was me suddenly decreasing speed....which is @sippo 's point

It was poorly expressed then - the situation he described seemed to be one of driving too close. Yes, there are a few situations where an accident can occur that is not preventable. However, the majority of accidents are preventable - they aren't down to single mistakes but cascades of minor errors and inattentions. It's possible for drivers to avoid other peoples mistakes if they have good road craft. If that wasn't true, I wouldn't get on a motorbike (not that I think I'm infallible, but I do think that how _I_ ride is the biggest single factor in avoiding involvement in someone else's accident).

[Davit2005]

Nothing ... apart from leaving enough distance to stop in time?

 

Not always the case, for instance if you look on motorway and it is clear, you get nearer end of slip road you start checking mirror to make sure you can enter motorway then the car in front brakes without reason. BANG for CASH, you were not expecting the car in front to stop all of a sudden while you were checking mirrors to see if it was safe to proceed onto motorway.

 

I wouldn't of done before but I am seriously thinking about a camera now to cover my own back.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Davit2005

[pcstru]

Not always the case, for instance if you look on motorway and it is clear, you get nearer end of slip road you start checking mirror to make sure you can enter motorway then the car in front brakes without reason. BANG for CASH

I wouldn't of done before but I am seriously thinking about a camera now to cover my own back.

If that happened, then I very much doubt a camera will help you since it seems very obvious that you were driving too close to the vehicle in front.

 

I'll leave it at that because this subject tends to escalate quickly.

[Davit2005]

I get the general feeling about the black box, noted the good points made and yes completely agree that a simple black box can not take into account all scenario's. A bit more different than a black box in aviation where so many other factors can be taken into account.

 

I think my mind is made up, however if it had the extra advantage of being used as a tracking device it may appeal especially if the insurance was a good bit cheaper not just 15% to 18% in my case. Criminals break into houses to steal keys because of the security devices fitted to modern cars compared to cars of the 80's back in the Thatcham era .

Edited November 27, 2015 by Davit2005

[Edu-IT]

I've got one and I'm not convinced on the metrics the app uses to rate driving....

[Davit2005]

Good Point, to be honest it is not a deal breaker for me, it only saves me about 80-100 quid off the premium so prob not worth