Testing Out Progressive’s Snapshot Device For A Month

Have you seen Progressive’s TV advertisements for their Snapshot program? In a nutshell, the Snapshot is a little device that plugs into your car’s OBD2 port and monitors your driving habits. Using that information, you can earn up to 30% extra savings on your car insurance.

Now before you start screaming Big Brother, the device doesn’t have any GPS functions, it simply tracks basic car functions like speed and mileage.

The three main criteria Snapshot monitors are mileage (the total number of miles you drive each day), the time of day (driving between midnight and 4am is considered high risk), and hard brakes (defined as any decrease in speed over 7 miles per second).

Progressive collects the data on a constant basis by uploading it from your device via satellite, and aggregates it so you can easily see your totals, averages, as well as the details of every drive you take during your evaluation. The initial evaluation period is 30 days, after which a discount is immediately applied.

I only started using Snapshot this weekend, so it’s a little premature to say how well it’s working. I did have the device beep a few times when I hard braked, and while that’s a little annoying, it’s also a subtle reminder to ease up on the brakes.

I’ll be sure to post more updates in the coming weeks. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway, where one lucky reader will win some sweet Team Flo swag (Flo costumes, t-shirts, magnets, mints, and notebooks).

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Progressive.