New Driver Within 4 Years? Money/Reward from ICBC (PILOT TEST)

[BIC_BAWS]

ICBC - Telematics Pilot
https://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/new-drivers/Pages/telematics-pilot.asp

How the Techpilot project works

ICBC has partnered with Octo, a company that specializes in telematics technology for insurers.

We're recruiting and rewarding up to 7,000 newer drivers across B.C. to see if telematics encourages safe driving behaviour and increases road safety. Participants will be eligible for a variety of rewards based on their driving behaviour and participation in the pilot.

For one year, starting fall 2019, approved participants will receive their telematics device in the mail, along with installation instructions. They'll install the device in the vehicle they drive, along with an app on their smartphone – together, they gather data on factors such as distances travelled, speeds and braking, and phone interactions, and provide a score and feedback to drivers based on this data.

Neither the app nor the device send notifications or require interaction during driving, meaning drivers will not be distracted.

Eligible participants

The Techpilot project is open to drivers who have:

• A smartphone with a data plan and Bluetooth capability (iOS 10 or higher, or Android 6.0 and higher) and
• Received their Class 7N driver's licence with the last four years or
• Less than four years of combined experience (7N and full licence)

All private passenger vehicles (such as cars, SUVs, and pick-up trucks) are eligible for the Techpilot project. Motorcyles, motorhomes and heavy commercial vehicles are not eligible.


Interested drivers are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. The project officially starts in fall 2019 and lasts for one year. Participation is voluntary and can be ended at any time by contacting techpilot@icbc.com.

About the Techpilot project’s research methods

ICBC is committed to research best practices. In order to ensure the data and findings are reliable, we’ll divide participants into two groups:

• One group will receive real-time feedback about their driving behaviour and can complete challenges to receive rewards
• One group will not receive driver feedback until the end of the pilot; however, the group will receive periodic rewards for their participation

The available rewards for both groups are the same dollar value.

[trollface]

Great, I can't wait to have more tracking in my life. "telematics" aka tracking device.

[BIC_BAWS]

I don't really care about my privacy/data, but I would want to know if you can turn it off. Ie. A track event would largely skew the data that they're tracking.

I feel like this program only works if you're 100% just a granny driver. But even if you are a granny driver, that doesn't make you a safe driver.

[trollface]

Originally Posted by BIC_BAWS

I don't really care about my privacy/data, but I would want to know if you can turn it off. Ie. A track event would largely skew the data that they're tracking.

I feel like this program only works if you're 100% just a granny driver. But even if you are a granny driver, that doesn't make you a safe driver.

If you can turn it off, what stops someone from turning it off during a midnight blast?

[underscore]

I thought it was determined ages ago that driving telemetry isn't an indication of actual driving safety. All it sees it that you braked hard, but it has no idea if that was because you were distracted or because a kid just ran into the road.

[320icar]

Whatever icbc can do to collect more data to charge all of us more

[JDMDreams]

Yea I think they are just trying to micro manage too f everyone over, yea your stats say you were speeding, ticket plus Jack up your rate, o you drive more than 15 km per day, you're now higher risk

[Nlkko]

Originally Posted by underscore

I thought it was determined ages ago that driving telemetry isn't an indication of actual driving safety. All it sees it that you braked hard, but it has no idea if that was because you were distracted or because a kid just ran into the road.

If people brake and accelerate hard all the time, they're probably driving like a cunt most of the time. ICBC is likely looking for patterns as with any analytics. Single events are meaningless to them.

I think this is great. Data will enable them to price discriminate the fn'ing assholes to oblivion and not fucking everybody over with a standard rate. This is a good thing.

[Traum]

Originally Posted by Nlkko

I think this is great. Data will enable them to price discriminate the fn'ing assholes to oblivion and not fucking everybody over with a standard rate. This is a good thing.

Except that those fxxking a$$hats won't be stupid enough to register themselves to get monitored by this. And if the provincial gov tries to mandate it into law and a required item, you can bet that the backlash will be so hard that there is no chance in hell the legislation can pass.

The only way it can work is if signing up is voluntary. And by "voluntary", I mean it is really voluntary. It'd make no sense if refusal to get monitored by this results in a super steep "penalty" cost that pretty much forces everyone to adopt it.

[teggy604]

You know what they should do with new drivers? Limit them from driving cars with excessive HP. Give them a beater car.

[twitchyzero]

a rusting 80hp tercel with bald tires and no ABS with some alcohol/drugs/speed will likely be just as deadly

[UnknownJinX]

Originally Posted by Traum

Except that those fxxking a$$hats won't be stupid enough to register themselves to get monitored by this. And if the provincial gov tries to mandate it into law and a required item, you can bet that the backlash will be so hard that there is no chance in hell the legislation can pass.

The only way it can work is if signing up is voluntary. And by "voluntary", I mean it is really voluntary. It'd make no sense if refusal to get monitored by this results in a super steep "penalty" cost that pretty much forces everyone to adopt it.

That's how some insurance companies do it in the States, you can sign up for a tracker like this, and if you do, you can receive discounts.

I know someone on the Accord forum who has something like this. She said if you brake hard occasionally, you can usually explain to the insurance company on what happened, and they will let it off as long as it's not a common occurrence.

I will not participate in something like this, though, since the speed limit in BC is very low. I can't go at 50 everywhere just to save a few dollars. If it only tracks how much(or rather, little) you use your phone, I welcome it. Nothing to hide on that front.

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

a rusting 80hp tercel with bald tires and no ABS with some alcohol/drugs/speed will likely be just as deadly

Doesn't have to be this extreme... Something like a 2.4/1.5T Accord or heck, if you are rich, a C300 will be safer to drive than a Lambo for a new driver.

[BIC_BAWS]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

a rusting 80hp tercel with bald tires and no ABS

Plus, even in that condition, you won't get a VI!

[underscore]

Originally Posted by Nlkko

If people brake and accelerate hard all the time, they're probably driving like a cunt most of the time. ICBC is likely looking for patterns as with any analytics. Single events are meaningless to them.

I've been in the vehicle with people that would show fine telemetry but are terrible drivers. Maybe they figure someone like that is likely to get caught out by an at fault accident eventually anyways or something, or the telemetry would somehow pick up on other clues, but it seems unlikely.

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

If it only tracks how much(or rather, little) you use your phone, I welcome it.

I don't use my phone while driving but I'm not super jazzed about allowing them to install software on my phone. Maybe it seems a little tinfoil hat but I could see the supplier of the software (since ICBC wouldn't make it themselves) selling off your data.

[dahonga]

Most private insurance companies in Canada and the US already offer this where you have to download an app for about three months. It tracks if you use your phone while you drive and how you drive such as how hard you brake/accelerate, how fast you drive, what time of day you drive and how far you drive. After that, it gives you a discount of up to 25% and they say it doesn't "hurt" to do it even if you get 1% off. I guess this research study in BC is to see if it actually makes people more careful/attentive drivers before implementing it or not.

[shabusen]

Does this include stairs?

[twitchyzero]

i got a further 12% discount after letting belair track my driving for 3 mos

[Nlkko]

Originally Posted by underscore

I've been in the vehicle with people that would show fine telemetry but are terrible drivers. Maybe they figure someone like that is likely to get caught out by an at fault accident eventually anyways or something, or the telemetry would somehow pick up on other clues, but it seems unlikely.

This is not how statistical evidence work. Not to mention, "terrible drivers" is your anecdotal opinion at best: On a large enough sample, data will help these insurance companies make better decision on premium. This is actually how statistic work: large sample size to determine trend and disregard minor outliers. This is a GOOD thing that these companies are starting using technology to aid price discrimination. It will not be correct for everyone but it will be correct for most people.

It's ironic people here actually posting videos about "shitty drivers" and how said drivers fuck them over on insurance but when there's a tool that can help rectify some of the issue, y'all are bitching and moaning". This kind of NIMBY attitude is shitty. Yes, very likely a crown corp is going to sell your data without your consent to make tiny amount of money and risk the political and PR shitstorm that will come down on them when people find out about it.

[320icar]

The issue I have with this kind of tech is that it doesn’t tell the whole story, but people will act like it does.

I will use myself as an example. I own a 2017 focus RS. A nice, powerful AWD car that off the shelf is one of the best handling vehicles a normal person would own. Ask my wife, I’m a pretty boring driver. I obey the speed limit (in a flow of traffic sort of way, not to the letter of the law). I don’t run red lights, I don’t abuse HOV or merge lanes, I even use my turn signals at 3am on an empty highway to change lanes.

And yet I will launch WOT on an empty farm road 4 way stop to the speed limit. I will slam on my brakes to warm them up (track pads in right now). You damn well know I’ll do a few cheeky donuts in a gravel parking lot. And we all have tested our new alignment specs on off-ramps.

Although I am a skilled, knowledgeable, defensive driver that anyone who would sit in with me would attest to, a simple OBD plug in would flag me real fast as a dangerous driver. Tools like this really only show one side of the d20.

Why not put this effort into more testing! I’d be in full support of bi-annual driving tests to get the awful people off the road. Hell, my friend yesterday couldn’t even parallel park outside of my house! And she’s been driving for a decade

[underscore]

^ I'm curious how it would work for anyone who does a track day or drives offroad. If you looked at telemetry from when I was trying to pull out a guys truck I'd look like an absolute nutcase if you thought I was on the road at the time. Even if it uses GPS I sure as heck wouldn't pull anyone out of the ditch again.

Originally Posted by Nlkko

This is not how statistical evidence work. Not to mention, "terrible drivers" is your anecdotal opinion at best: On a large enough sample, data will help these insurance companies make better decision on premium. This is actually how statistic work: large sample size to determine trend and disregard minor outliers. This is a GOOD thing that these companies are starting using technology to aid price discrimination. It will not be correct for everyone but it will be correct for most people.

That's how statistics work if the data fed into them is useful. From what I remember in past threads about this the data it can get simply isn't good enough but if you've got a source that shows this actually working somewhere I'd love to read it.

Originally Posted by Nlkko

Yes, very likely a crown corp is going to sell your data without your consent to make tiny amount of money and risk the political and PR shitstorm that will come down on them when people find out about it.

Read what I wrote again, I'm not worried about ICBC. But ICBC isn't going to design their own device and software from scratch, so they're going to have to get it from some private company. That company I'm going to have doubts about the quality and security of what they supply.

[twitchyzero]

if it's app-based it'll ask you to confirm if you were driving etc.

i dont know how breatherlizer-like devices hardwired to your car will work, because they'll have to be live and logging every time the ignition is on

i would simply opt out if you're gonna track/autocross/hoon etc.