Insurance Companies' Driver Tracking Devices Admissible in Court

According to a 2009 Georgia Department of Transportation mileage report there are 54,746 statewide lane miles and almost 120 million daily vehicle miles traveled. Road congestion and deficiencies create hazards and danger to all auto travelers.

Consulting a Clayton County attorney after an auto accident enhances a victim's ability to receive a reasonable settlement. If you have been injured in an automobile accident you should discuss your case with an accident attorney at Shane Smith Law.

Some of the determining methods used by auto accident experts include physical evidence, charts, computer simulations and a black box data recorder or event data recorder (EDR). Similarly, insurance company tracking devices record driving data and can be admissible in court.

The insurance company "telematics" devices collect driver behavior data. Progressive Insurance offers the Snapshot device and similar devices are offered by State Farm and Allstate. The Snapshot device records the following:

  • ·        vehicle speed;
  • ·        time of day when the device is connected and disconnected from the vehicle;
  • ·        miles driven while connected;
  • ·        acceleration rate;
  • ·        braking rate.

The Snapshot device does not contain GPS technology and cannot indicate vehicle location or whether the recorded speed exceeded the posted speed limit. The device also cannot record who was driving a vehicle.

The State Farm device also records speeds in excess of 80 mph and turns (left and right turns), though it also does not have GPS capability.

Make sure you have access to all the available evidence after an automobile accident including insurance company telematics devices and potential black box information. After an accident, meet with an auto accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law. We can assist you in every stage of your case including obtaining the available evidence.