5 Reasons why you Shouldn’t Install the Insurance Black Box in your Vehicle
If you’re not familiar, a black box is another term for Event data recorder (EDR). It’s a device that is installed in a car to record information about your speed, your direction, how fast you accelerate, and much more. The black box in your car is actually black and usually made of plastic so the GPS signal isn’t weakened.
Your black box is typically connected to the phone network of whoever manages the system, typically the insurance company, and they can access your data without needing to get to the actual box. While it’s a good safety feature to have, it also has some major reasons why we think you shouldn’t install the insurance-box provided by the insurance company.
5 Reasons you shouldn’t have the insurance box in your car:
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Assessment of driving style
The formula insurance companies use to determine your driving style is highly inaccurate and typically favors the insurance company. Since having a black box in your car tracks everything you do, so does your insurance company. They can use your data (black box data) against you, charge you more, or avoid paying you.
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Strict regulations set by the insurance company
The insurance company may set strict restrictions for drivers. This isn’t always the case, but they will likely do it to you. They can set curfews on your black box, and if you drive after that curfew, you get penalized. They can set a certain amount of mileage you can travel, and if you travel more than your set miles, you get penalized for that.
If you do decide to use the black box for insurance purposes, make sure you thoroughly read your contract to ensure you don’t have any of these strict restrictions set.
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Accelerometer
This is a component often included in the black box insurance. Its function is simple: measure force when you accelerate and brake. But, with the black box insurance the way they determine this is also inaccurate and untrustworthy. They don’t consider all vehicle components and they oftentimes favor the insurance company.
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Position in the vehicle and calibration
To produce the most accurate results, the black box should be installed in the middle of the vehicle. But, when you choose the black box insurance route, the person installing it oftentimes puts it in the wrong location – making the results inaccurate.
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Shock absorbers and gradient
Your car comes with shock absorbers that can affect the black box readings. The one that comes included in the black box insurance is not able to correctly assess different driving styles, so if you accelerate quickly and break quickly, it’ll pick up on that and affect your insurance rates.
While we don't recommend installing an insurance box in your car, we strongly advise installing a black box that you can control, especially if in your family there is a teen driver.
To learn more about why we don’t recommend the black box insurance, check out our founder e-book, or head to our website today!
My daughter has had hers cancelled due to Black Box picking up speeding. Having checked the ‘speeding’ instances they’re 99% 1 or 2 MPH above the speed limit (she did have the occasional 5mph above). I thought they were pretty harsh cancelling her insurance based on those alerts!
I have a black box insurance, it runs out next month. It really hasn’t been that bad tbh, black boxes are fine as long as you don’t drive like an rally racer.
I paid like £1500 for the first year on a 1.2 VW Polo (2017 model) and they refunded me £300 back for the first year and on the second year they reduced it even further down to £800
I’m personally not staying with the black box because I’m going to be working some night shifts soon. You can get best car insurance deals UK, if you are clever driver.
Young drivers these days unless your loaded or have very generous parents with big pockets, I think a black box insurance nigh be great option. It may not work for everyone.