Slamming on the brakes⢠Doing 100 mph on the highway⢠Maybe you won't -- if your car insurance company is watching you.
Allstate Corp. launched a voluntary program that uses a device installed in a car to reward safe and low-mileage Illinois drivers with savings of up to 30 percent.
The Northbrook, Ill.,-based auto insurer plans to expand the program, called Drive Wise, to other states in 2011.
Participants get a small, wireless gadget -- about the size of a pack of cigarettes -- that plugs into the vehicle, usually under the dashboard.
The device tracks only factors used to calculate a driving score, including mileage, hard or extreme braking, and maximum speed. Speeds of more than 80 mph hurt the score.
Policyholders get an immediate 10 percent discount for enrolling. Later policy periods use a performance rating, in which driving behavior and total mileage determine the discount.
Other insurers, including Progressive and State Farm, have also begun using gizmos to help track driving.
