I worked for a large insurance company as a Marketing Consultant at a local agency during my college years. Up until recently, I didn’t have the best opinion of Progressive. But, after a cross-country move, they gave me the lowest quote for my auto insurance. So… I gave them a try.
One way to lower my auto insurance rate was to sign up for their Snapshot program. When you do this, Progressive mails you a small device that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port, which is usually under your steering wheel. Their snapshot device monitors your driving for approximately six months (typically your first auto policy period with Progressive).
At first, this may sound creepy (I mean, it really is…) but it is quite cool at the same time. Progressive’s Snapshot device made me a better driver.
What does Snapshot measure?
Snapshot measures three different aspects of your driving. These aspects are:
- Hard Breaks – A hard break is essentially just that… when you slam (hard) on your breaks. Progressive counts a hard break when your vehicle decelerates faster than 7 MPH per second. Be careful while you’re driving; it’s quite easy to rack up hard breaks.
- Miles Driven – The more you drive, the more likely you’re going to be in a car accident. It’s simple math. Progressive measures the average number of miles you drive each week when using the Snapshot device.
- High-Risk Driving Time – High-risk driving time is anytime between midnight and 4AM. Progressive doesn’t like to see you driving during this time. This can be a bummer for people who work the night shift, but the truth is, there’s more reckless driving at this time (ie. bar close), which means it’s more risky to drive in the early morning hours.
Final Snapshot results
Over the course of six months, I did quite well (I think). I averaged 1.06 hard breaks per week, drove 119.16 miles per week, and drove an average of 28 minutes and 45 seconds during “high-risk” hours. Throughout my time using Snapshot, I maintained an “A” status with Progressive. At the end of my evaluation period, I earned a $74 discount on my auto insurance. Not bad!
Are you considering Allstate, too? Check out our Allstate Drivewise review if you’re considering switching insurance companies. Our team has had a great experience with them.
5 Comments
You maintained an A with an avg 1 hard brake a week? I’m at B+ with an avg 0.52 breaks per week. Driven anywhere from 60-120 miles a week. No late night driving. Yet I maintain a B+… no fast accelerations either…
Don’t waist time on Progresive Snapshot
This is totally BS And SCAM
Car 1 B+ 0.15 Hard Breaks per week , 0 late night ,0 fast acceleration … problem form 10/1/2020 to 1/16/2021 Total Miles 1765.55 average per week 96.55
Car 2. A+ 0.49 Hard Breaks per week 0 late night, 0 fast acceleration … 10/1/2020 to 1/16/2021 Total Miles 1205.11 average per week 65.9
Waiting for final results ( This is Big BS and I will get Discount of 1 to 10 % ) maximum $30 to $40 because Car 1. B+
Just to Sumerize / Snapshot is SCAM & BS
and BTW Progressive can sell Data to 3th party you need to call number to put restriction on yours data …
car 1 total mileage per year 6k
car 2 total mileage per year 5.5k
TOTALY NOT RECOMMENDED / SKIP this Social Experiment
I had A+ through two check ins, Come spring brake, drove to the mall, fast food chain, store, doctor appointment all on Monday. Went to the park with kids onTuesday. Wednesday morning it dropped to B+ no hard brakes. Total scam. Cannot unplugged it more than 45 days in.
Posting my results so others have another reference point.
Not too thrilled with how much each event dings your grade. Not to mention that it’s totally reasonable (and more safe than not in some situations) to have a semi-hard break every once in a while.
I’m about two months in with a B+ status:
Fast Accelerations: 0.14/wk (I’ve had one event, in total)
Hard Breaks: 0.14/wk (again, only one event)
Miles Driven: 103mi/wk
Duration: 5hr 8min /wk (time will be clocked if your car is idling while parked)
Late Weekend Drives: 5min 36sec /wk (from a single midnight trip)
In summary: 1 fast acceleration event + 1 hard breaking event + 1 late night drive event = B+
Snapshot is THE worst! I recommend you do not go with any insurance company who uses them. Basically, their client is the insurance company and they don’t care at all about you. I’ve had to speak with them twice regarding a faulty device and they were nothing but snobby and rude. They don’t treat you like a customer – it appears that they’re not concerned with customer service and put all the onus for keeping track of their ridiculous devices yourself. Also, the devices are EXTREMELY sensitive and normal breaks are considered ‘hard breaks.’ Unless you stop a mile before hand and come to a VERY gradual stop, the device will beep…super annoying.