Salt Lake City – About a year ago, KSL investigators took a look under the hood of some “connected” smart cars to see what information they were collecting about us. University of Utah professor Sean Lawson tells us consumers are sacrificing privacy for convenience.
“There’s definitely a lot of risk involved in terms of the data being collected,” Lawson told us.
Now, one of those risks is coming into focus. A new report from The New York Times shows that it could cost you, too. The paper found that some connected vehicles are sharing our driving habits with our insurance companies.
This news comes in addition to the other reasons we’ve reported for soaring insurance rates. Trisha Madsen of St. George said she couldn’t believe it when she opened her latest invoice from her car insurance company and discovered her premium had nearly doubled.
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“That’s why I reached out… I don’t want this to happen to a lot of people,” Madsen said.
it yes This is happening to a lot of people, and the average insurance rate has increased by more than 20%. There are many factors at play, including cars being more expensive, repairs taking longer, and more drivers on the road post-pandemic. But knowing that smart cars are telling insurance companies about driving habits could also be a factor.
If you think you are a good driver, you can buy some products designed to monitor you, but will require your knowledge. You plug them in and they report it to the insurance company, who say they use the information to potentially lower your rates. But if you drive a connected car, you may be sharing your habits without even knowing it.