Tower smart driver app

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Malingo

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Topic # 150221 15-Jul-2014 16:40

Just finished my first 250km of very careful driving using the app and got a score of 6.4/10. Has anyone actually qualified for any discounts this app and was there anything you did to get a good score? Also what score do we need to attain to get a discount 8/10?

Thanks

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2744 posts

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Reply # 1089434 15-Jul-2014 18:03

few tips, you cant break sharply, everything has to be smooth . From acceleration to stopping. Its almost impossible in heavy traffic to have a good score. Someone pulls out in front off you and you have to break, or you have to accelerate to merge really affects your score.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

itxtme

1639 posts

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Reply # 1089446 15-Jul-2014 18:41

Tape it to the bottom of a train seat, or an airplane - that would sort it out

PhantomNVD

2497 posts

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Reply # 1089459 15-Jul-2014 18:48

+1 to the train theory, but not sure if it'd actually work as it DOES do a plot of the roads used, so \0/ who knows...

I even tried using it on the school bus run, where my breaking and take-offs are VERY slow/smooth (for obvious reasons) and my max speed is 80 or 10-under-current limit... Still only 6.8 so think it's a trick myself !

Coil

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Reply # 1089481 15-Jul-2014 19:34

I got a very bad score. But i was trying for it. Acceleration and braking got red x's!

Malingo

186 posts

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Reply # 1089542 15-Jul-2014 20:45

Haha. Sounds like tower is rigging this. Maybe they are just looking to collect as much info on driving habits to assist with actuarial valuations or risk assessment ?

I just did a return trip to Hamilton today hardly any traffic and drive very carefully. Still only managed 6.4.

Be keen to hear if anyone else has done a long distance trip and got any better scores.

coffeebaron

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Reply # 1089613 15-Jul-2014 22:15

2 people support this post

vexxxboy: few tips, you cant break sharply, everything has to be smooth . From acceleration to stopping. Its almost impossible in heavy traffic to have a good score. Someone pulls out in front off you and you have to break, or you have to accelerate to merge really affects your score.

Well that's dumb. So if someone pulls out from a side road and you successfully brake hard and avoid an accident, you are a bad driver?

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PhantomNVD

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Reply # 1089618 15-Jul-2014 22:23

Malingo: Haha. Sounds like tower is rigging this. Maybe they are just looking to collect as much info on driving habits to assist with actuarial valuations or risk assessment ?

I just did a return trip to Hamilton today hardly any traffic and drive very carefully. Still only managed 6.4.

Be keen to hear if anyone else has done a long distance trip and got any better scores.

In rotarua off to rehopehu tomorrow, keen to test the theory out an drive uber safely...

Any bets on whether I can even make a 7 let alone an 8?
Even as a recently P endorsed driver=CURRENTLY skill assessed for safety (!)

vexxxboy

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Reply # 1089623 15-Jul-2014 22:49

coffeebaron:
vexxxboy: few tips, you cant break sharply, everything has to be smooth . From acceleration to stopping. Its almost impossible in heavy traffic to have a good score. Someone pulls out in front off you and you have to break, or you have to accelerate to merge really affects your score.

Well that's dumb. So if someone pulls out from a side road and you successfully brake hard and avoid an accident, you are a bad driver?

thats the problem with it, it doesnt take into account other idiots on the road, animals darting out onto the road and you taking action to miss them etc. It would work if you were the only driver on the road or in a small town with no traffic. I cant see how you could get a high score driving in a big city.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

Dratsab

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Reply # 1089625 15-Jul-2014 22:57

On top of which it's probably sending all these very average stats with your details back to base. You should expect to be put under the microscope if you're regularly getting low(ish) results and are involved in a crash.

Edit: fixed up what auto-incorrect stuffed up...

nathan

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Microsoft

Reply # 1089626 15-Jul-2014 22:58

One person supports this post

Sales tool gimmick?

Baalphegor

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1089754 16-Jul-2014 09:27

It is possible to score highly on the app. Yes, things that cause you to suddenly break or accelerate will affect your score (such as other idiots on the road) but so long as a majority of the driving is not avoiding trouble you should end up with a representation of your drive overall.
I have used the app in peak hour traffic in Wellington, up and down steep hills and highway driving from Wellington to Palmerston North and back. I don't drive around at 80% of the speed limit but I do try to anticipate what others might do on the road as there are a huge number of idiots around. Always assume each car will do the dumbest thing possible and be prepared for it!

kiwitrc

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Reply # 1089769 16-Jul-2014 09:45

Never mind trying to get a good score see if you can get 0/10 and start a facebook page, that should see it get pulled.

Mark

1388 posts

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Reply # 1089816 16-Jul-2014 11:01

Things that I can see affecting the stats :

Accelerometer accuracy of the phone
GPS accuracy of the phone
Suspension of the car
Tyres on the car
What type of car you have (a big floaty people carrier will score better than a Lotus when driven the same)
Road surface (good luck getting a good score on Northland roads at the moment)
Other drivers
Animate and inanimate objects on the road

Personally I think it's a stupid idea for a Tower customer to be using the app they are just harvesting statistics which might come back to bite you at your next insurance renewal (the computer will have all these nice stats about how risky a driver you are and quote accordingly)

Baalphegor

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1090448 17-Jul-2014 09:54

Good points you raise on the things that might affect the scoring. I drove a combination of my girl friends Mazda 2 and my HSV Clubsport (majority of driving). I during the times driving I only had two people that meant I had to brake hard and avoid silly driving. The other idiots I avoided through manouevering and was already slowing down as I guessed something dumb was about to happen.

floydbloke

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Reply # 1090544 17-Jul-2014 11:09

It'd be interesting if we had a provider-agnostic body representing drivers do some research and give constructive, unbiased commentary on this app, but I guess with the AA having their own insurance products they can't really criticise a competitor's initiatives.

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