Is State Farm drive safe and save worth it? Everything you NEED to know 

Thank You for such a clean, and honest description of what to expect. I verified, I liked, I subscribed. Nicely done.

Thank you for the video. I would honestly say that none of the information in this video was ever shared to me about the program and that concerns me. Especially because as a father of five I routinely give my children my phone when I'm in the car because a it's less of a distraction for me and be it's great when you have a toddler who wants to watch RU-vid. I guess I will be on the phone first thing Monday to discuss this with my agent because maybe it just isn't worth having. I suppose one alternative idea might be just to go buy a burner phone that stays plugged in and taped under the dash that connects to my main phone and put the app on that phone

Thank you so much for the information I've been holding off on putting it in my cars but now that you said that all that I'm not putting it in my car I don't need nobody to monitor me where I'm going and when I'm going and how long or what I think you and I am tossing it have a good day

New subscriber here good video, I literally just installed mines the other day. Not sure how the report card works and what do I need to do but it can't hurt, I hardly drive my dually cause I have a company work van that's driven daily. Take care buddy, keep up with the good videos. 👍

I had it for a year now and just got a new car, I need it for the discount. My stress is I sometimes forget my phone for small trips. Programming my new Beacon now. Good video & thanks.

About a month ago, someone turned across 3 lanes of traffic in front of me and 2 other cars to turn into a business. I had to brake hard to keep from broadsiding their car. It happened so fast, everything in my passenger seat went into the floor. I thought I handled the situation well. I think any driver app would have dinged me. Things like that happen more often nowadays.

Great information. This is something I am considering and you have helped me have a better understanding of their program.

Just finished my first year with this app driving 7900 miles averaging 95-97% during the 30 day period and saved $300 on the year. As a senior on SS every little bit helps. Great vid, thanks.

Great video, very informative.. now I'm more comfortable on installing it 👍😊

Thank you so much for this video sir! Very informative and to the point. Just bought a brand new tesla and was holding off on installing this. Now that I know I won't have to pay more for acceleration, It's a go for me haha.

Thank you. Just switched from Nationwide after 10 years because our rates skyrocketed! Not because of anything we did, but because of the “bad eggs” you spoke about that they haphazardly insured and frauded, so we were feeling the effects! Thank you again, good info after watching a couple other “horror story videos”. ☮️

Great explanation! I have 5 old vehicles with State Farm, and I don't drive 3 of them very much. (Two of them were less than 100 miles this year.) I do want them to be insured though so I think this will work for me.

great video. i just went back to state farm and am considering this. my cons are 1) bluetooth on all the time (will completely drain my phone), 2) tracking me does bother me a bit, and will really bother my spouse, 3) advertised initial savings not worth 1 and 2 (assuming this 10% is across the 6 month policy).

I've had DSS for 3 yrs. My agent told me today that your rate doesn't go up unless you drive 80 mph or more. That being said, I still see a reduced score (less than 100%) for speeding on my app even though it's not 80 mph. Also I just got $5 less discount (ie I''m paying $5 more) compared to last renewal because of either speeding or acceleration (they weren't specific). I'm still saving $260 per yr so happy with the savings! My rate for 250/500K coverage is only $30 mo. Can't beat that rate! I just wish I knew exactly how to get the full 50% off. For example, I'd like them to say if you get X% average on drives you will get the max discount.

My agent did not tell me I was going to have to do this to get the price that she quoted to me. I think that is wrong. A prospective customer should be made aware of this when they were trying to decide what company they're going to buy from

I just made 3 trips with perfect scores in every category and my score dropped 5 points. He's correct about the driving at night, which I hope eventually gets litigated in a class action, as penalizing people that work at night, or choose times for getting out based on lower traffic volume, is wrong. I spoke to their tech support about this and apparently the agents have a lot of influence on how the metrics are weighed or assessed. So, if you're happy, it probably means you either have a reasonable agent, or you don't do much at night. Conversely, if you're seeing bad scores, but good app feedback, find a new agent or a new insurance company if the problem is driving at night.

When they say they share your data its not just in-house they can share with retailers (companies) were a data share agreement exists... Example, if you go to Walmart, Aldis, Ross regularly it may categorize as a value consumer to other brands that target value-driven consumers. They in turn can use the data to target ads to you or find new market locations for new physical stores.

Thank you Mark. Loads of good info.

Thanks a lot for the video. Very informative!

I have it in 3 cars, and overall love it. I average 90- 95% score. If you use your phone for navigation, it considers distracted driving, so I got a cheap Garmin for the one car that doesn’t have navigation. I get $212 off the Tesla, $140 off a CRV,$130 off of my Odyssey

I just installed it today. I have speed bumps that I have to go over everyday to get out of my subdivision. I hope State Farm doesn't see that as frequent braking. Thanks for the information. ☺

I've had D&S for 1 month. I am finding 2 things very stressful 1) remembering you have it after you've pulled off and 2) agony of always thinking you've violated one of the rules. This device does give anybody who would need it confirmation of your whereabouts. I really don't like that at all! I understand the discount but not I'm not so sure if it's worth having a chaperone every time I leave in my car!🤦I'm finding out my privacy is more important than saving a FEW bucks!!!

I like you ,I worked for Hartford 33 years retired for 3 now, my renewal they screwedme huge!!! . Charged me almost 4000. When it was less than 1600 , a year. Hate them now

Well researched, thanks for the helpful info.

Thanks for the information. I switched to State Farm from my prior insurance company because after 26 years of no accidents or moving violations I was paying a 50% higher rate! So I am very curious as to how this system will work. Waiting for my beacon to start my Safe & Save driving 🚗

Thanks for this review. I think it probably wil make me more cognizant to drive in a safer mannner too. 🙂

VERY IMPORTANT: If you do make a low grade (and you will because you'll forget you have it the first few times you drive), it fails you really quick. To get back to an A grade will take seemingly forever. I believe that's how they manage your discount. I have SEVERAL good trips and my grade is barely improving. Too stressful

🤔 I am supposed to put my device in today and I really don’t know after watching this video 🤦‍♀️ Hmmm

Great video, but lots of questions… does interacting with phone via CarPlay count against you as a distracted driver? If someone else is driving my car and I’m a passenger, does their driving count as mine, and does my phone use during those times count against me as a distracted driver?

I really wish it could sense other traffic and take into account the size of your vehicle compared to other's along with the actions you have to take to avoid accidents and such, and include those in the percentage of your discount. Or is that too complex...

Very informative video. I am with State Farm but have not signed up to use this. I recently moved to a new city and I use GPS voice for almost all the trips I make because I know where nothing is located, LOL. And as far as I can tell, to be able to hear turn-by-turn instructions, I have to have my phone screen on. I don't actively look at it, just listen to the voice instructions. This, I guess, would be a deal-killer for me until I learn my way around because this State Farm app gigs me for having my phone screen on, correct?

Thank you for the information

I had this thing and i live in a area that i do not get a good cell signal , and i was charged an extra $100. At the end of the month . Because they track your signal and detect a lost signal and you using your phone while driving.

You were very helpful! Thank you!

If you are hesitating, I highly recommend getting the drive safe and save!! I am saving $600+ dollars on my 6-month policy as a relatively new driver, which is about 40% off my current policy. I've been on D&S for a year and a half now. My grade ranges from 80-90% and it also helps me drive smoother, making sure I brake softly and turn smoothly.

Thanks bro I needed this

Thank you for this information ❤️

Excellent information. Thank you.

Thank you for this info.. I've been a customer of theirs for a long time, they should know my driving record by now. Also, if it's tracking phone movement because I let kids use phone while on the car and I'm in an accident, I may get negatively impacted by it. And I truly do not like them sharing my data at all. Basically the discount is their way paying me for my data. Not for me. I think it's intrusive.

Since I use my phone for GPS and drive pretty often (we travel a good bit for misc reasons), do you think I should do the app on an old phone that's wifi only? That way I can still use my GPS on my active phone and still allow my children to use my phone as needed. I really don't like that it will mark you as distracted or whatever if my kid uses my phone while I'm driving. My son usually responds to texts for me since I'm very strict on no texting and driving.

My problem with it is that I am in Texas and there is a nearby road I use with an 80 and 85 mph speed limit. I get dinged by DS&S every time I go on the road.

Grading you for driving in heavy traffic? What do they expect people to do when they have work to commute to. Also the hard braking, sometimes its often impossible to not hard break during rush hour with so many bad drivers out there.

Thank you for this video.

When I am on a road trip I keep my phone on the dash. I use my phone for navigation. I start navigation while stopped. I also start navigation by telling google to "navigate to".. My agent actually told me to turn it off on a road trip out of town. Why? Speeding? On the freeway in my state the speed limit is 65. However if you are driving slower than 80, everyone is on your tail. It is safer, IMO to have plenty of space between cars than driving bumper to bumper. Does it count against you driving on the freeway?

Quick question I just switched out from State Farm to Progressive and I'm using progressives new version of what State Farm has do I return the physical State Farm Safe & Save

Hi, I just received my beacon, but have not installed it yet. I drive DoorDash and Uber part time, I have the Rideshare insurance add on. I have my screen on all the time for orders or pickups. When I drive in the mornings to my day job, I always use Google maps, to check for the best route, because of traffic jams. So do you think it's worth it to every hook it up and use it?

Do you have to do perfect to get the 30% discount or is there another way how you can end up getting a 30% discount

so you phones needs to be with you and on everywhere you drive? can the device track info by itself and then upload the data the next time you have your phone in the car? Can you just turn off bluetooth on the phone to stop tracking?

Thank you for the information ❤

So if I'm planning to drive fast on my challenger turn the phone off ? Got it 👍

Nice informative video. I'm a little concerned about the annual mileage I drive. Visit family in Houston 2 or 3 times a year with an average of 1600 per trip in addition to my local driving meaning my total annual driving is 12k to13k a year.

Great info!

I have to work some nights after stores close so that we can remodel them and I lost my discount because I drive between 10 pm and 6 am. If my wife is in the car it records my driving on her app unless she shuts off her Bluetooth. If she doesn't turn off her Bluetooth and as a passenger she is on Facebook or using her phone it marks her off for phone distraction during the entire trip. Many times the posted speed is different then what Drive Safe thinks it is so you get points off for speeding. You must always have your Bluetooth on otherwise it sends you constant reminders to turn it on. You cannot use power save mode on your phone otherwise the app bothers you about turning off power save. Yesterday I drove 60 highway miles to my destination. My battery died before I got back into the car to start driving home because I had to leave Bluetooth on and I could not use powersave mode. So I plugged into the charger in my car but the phone would not turn on because it needed to charge so the app never recorded my trip home. I couldn't turn on my phone as I was driving otherwise I would be marked off for distracted driving. My discount originally was $100 and went down to $5 in the second 6 months. My score is always in the low 90's. They have alot of bugs and improvements that need to be made. Also I do drive within the speed limit or slightly over but I am constantly being passed and cutoff by drivers exceeding the speed limits by 15 or more mph because they do not have Drive Safe and Save.

What are the red lines in the trips you look at them

question if you drive to much can your rate go up?

Does it matter about sharing data, your phone apps, including Apple are already doing it and they share it for profit.

Thank You for sharing

Very sensitive on the breaking and if you use your phone on a trip and you pull over in a parking lot or in a gas station to use your phone it will ding you.

How long will it track ? You mentioned 2 weeks. Someone else said one year

It bothered me that my agent didn't tell me about this but so far it has not hurt me.The main thing to me is what if you are going 70 in a 65 mph speed zone and you get in a accident.... will they deny the claim ?

You save at first now I get very little savings. Driving hasn't changed since I first got it.

Fine print says the app will monitor for accidents and contact a tow truck and ambulance in the event an accident is detected. Includes a disclaimer that the app can initiate this in error when there wasn't an accident, and that the driver is responsible for any charges from the tow truck or ambulance as a result of the app failure. You can opt-out, though it really should be an opt-in to begin with given the unreliability of the feature.

I do have insurance with State Farm and all they offered me was $10.00 each month for using it, I didn't like the idea of having the insurance to know were I go all the time.

I tried this and have mixed feelings about it. It does save money and doesn’t raise your rates but seems to ding you for things you can’t avoid like someone slowing abruptly in front of you (dinged as a hard brake). I was dinged for speeding 5 times on my first drive because I was at the airport dropoff area where the limit is presumably 15 but everyone drives fast. The tracker is obviously not in touch with real world or city driving conditions. Also…it requires to allow the app to always track and also requires bluetooth to be on all the time. It’s definitely a big power suck on your phone. I may be returning this as from these comments it seems like State Farm can use your data against you. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Please respond if you have the tracking device stick on to the windshield and you take it off will it trigger anything will it let you know if someone has removed it ?

If you have a smart phone that was not purchased in the USA, it is not even possible to download and install the app. This is programing error. We are in a global world and lots of people living and driving here have phones they purchased while visiting/working overseas.

thank you for doing this!!

I had State Farm for an extremely short period of time years ago because it was renewal day and it was on one of holidays where not all business's close but my insurance company was and I didn't know it until I got there. There was a State Farm office down the street that was open so I stopped in for a quote and it was about the same as who I had been with so I went for it. About half way thru the policy State Farm notified me they were raising my rate twenty dollars beginning the next month. I had a clean driving record so I couldn't understand the increase so I went to the office and inquired as to why the rate increase. The agent said it was because my car had cost more to insure. The funny part was that he didn't even look up my policy, he just pulled that lie off the top of his head. Needless to say when renewal time came I went somewhere else. When dealing with insurance companies you have to stay two or three steps ahead of them or they will screw you over every chance they get.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THE BEACON IS CONNECTED I'VE BEEN DRIVING A COUPLE DAY'S AFTER THINKING I CONNECTED THE BEACON I DON'T SEE ANY FEEDBACK

I switched from Allstate Milewise to State Farm drive safe and save. I did this because every 6 months my Allstate insurance would go up $30. With drive safe and save its tuff, I used to drive with the flow of traffic now I drive the speed limit or the allowable overage, so if the speed limit is 45, I drive 50. No one drives the speed limit unless they are really old, everyone is speeding, if the speed limit is 45, they are going 60 or more. I now have people tailgating me, getting upset at me and flipping me off, they come right up to my rear bumper then jump in the left lane, fly around me, look at me then jump in front of me and fly. What I do now is set my speed control everywhere I go so that I do not accidently go over the speed limit too much. With Allstate they would only ding you if you went over 80 miles per hour. I'm a good driver, it's the people around me who affect my drive safe and save score by braking hard in front of me, do something to cause me to accelerate harder than normal or a light turning red just before you are about to get to the light, you have a split second to think, can I make it or put on the brakes a little harder than normal before you run the light.

I'm not going to set-up my app. My phone sits in a mount that has slight movement. I use two GPS devices, my car and my phone. Even though I'm not staring at my screen it's charging and on. Completely hands free while driving.

I don't want to be punished for driving outside my usual routes. IDK what the future holds, but I live in a rural area, and It wouldn't be fair to me to be charged more; because the things I need either aren't available within my city limits, or simply aren't able to be delivered to me. Plus, I don't want some company to know my living routine. I'm usually a creature of habit; but sometimes those habits are way less than what may be considered normal. So the lack of constant routine would also be a detriment in the future.

Thank you for the info. I took it off my insurance. 😊

I just used it and after 6 months, it saved me 14.7 % on my insurance bill for my 3 cars, so it is worth it. That is driving as normal. $300 saved per 6 months.

ive never had a wreck or ticket, but my insurance goes up 5.00 every month. been looking around for other insurance

I have a Tello phone data plan that gives me only 1 GIG of fast data a month. The only Wi-Fi I get is free when I'm at a merchant offering it. Can I still use this app and save money? I was hoping I could compile the information stored on my SD card and later when I'm near a free Wi-Fi connection I could retrieve it. Battery drain is not so much a concern even though I know the app is always running in the background. I use Spectrum and I guess I could upgrade to their Wi-Fi which I really don't need or is that my only option other than upgrading my data plan with Tello? I really only use my smart phone for phone calls and text messages.

I was told they didn't give discounts based on lower than 7500 miles per year. They gave me a discount for being old. It was $3.00. Then it went down another dollar I think that came after I received the little thing to put in my car. If that is the discount I'm not going to use it. It's not worth it. I live off a dangerous highway and it requires a fast start to get on or risk car and/or life. There is a very difficult back way that requires a lot of twists and turns. Refuse to do that. It would take forever to get to the grocery store. I wonder if State farm reads these.

2 questions. does loud music affect anything? and also if you turn off Bluetooth or take out the Bluetooth device does it void the discount?

I just found your channel two days ago and been watching lot of your videos. I switched from Geico to Statefarm after 12 plus years before I saw your review. I drive less than 4000 miles a year since 2020 but Geico been raising my premium despite having a stellar record and driving only once a week. I am wondering whether the beacon records if I don't have my phone while driving? Thank you 😊

Thanks for the vid

I have been doing the drive safe and save program for abou 2 or 3 years now with average driving score of 95% and a savings of $330.00 every 6 months so for me it's worth it.

Here's the thing folks. I think people are looking at it a bit wrong maybe? You likely have State Farm because of a family connection. Or the coverage. Or the customer service and coverage balanced with the cost. In short, if you used this fob as a basis for insuring through State Farm, I'd be surprised. So taking that a step further, in spite of agent claims or even SF claims on discount percentages, I doubt if this will have major impact on the average motorists' rates. It will offer enough to feel like they are covering their interests, not yours. Remember they are an insurcance company that balances risk. Savings to you versus payouts to them. Where I see it helping me is with the two college kids' cars that spend most of the week parked. My fun car that spends most days in the garage, as well as half the year when I put it away for winter. Otherwise I'll take what I get. And if the discount is just modest enough, I will toss it as my privacy and the desire not to provide evidence against myself from a court-admissible fob I installed has a value to me as well.

does this app track your location? Is it viewable if you log in to your acct?

So you can't have Maps running while you drive? I use Maps all the time. You said there's a link to the User Agreement in the video description but there isn't. I can't find it online to save to my computer.

Is it going to be a problem for me when my insurance going to be renew if I turn off my location when I know Imma drive over the speed limit

Just switched to State Farm. I had Hartford insurance for 36 years. I was an employee, bust screwed me huge on my auto renewal. Ended yo the raised my rated Double. Took out od AARP plan. So called AARP, explained the problem. Ya da da.. I worked rating 33 years! Qrong person to screw with. They number on charged me as a NB quote ever having a policy 36 years prior. My premium was double and so were payments. Thats why I here

OK, being a professional driver, nighttime driving to me, is actually safer than daytime driving in Austin. That is when things slow down and there are far fewer folks on the highways except for truck traffic. I actually much prefer driving at night because it is not the infamous 5 PM traffic. ARG! It is not the INFAMOUS 7 - 9 AM horrible Austin, TX traffic. That is when our main roads like I-35, 183, and Mopac become what we drivers call "The parking lot!". I actually AVOID those times if I can! It's also one of THE biggest reasons I retired and got out of the transportation industry and started working from home. To avoid traffic period! However, late at night on into the early AM when it is dark and away from the major cities is when I can really make good ground and travel at my best because there was always less traffic on the roads. Plus, I am a night owl and LOVE nighttime driving. I MUCH prefer it as it is a lot safer than the dreaded Austin, Texas "TRAFFIC" during daytime hours. Where in THE world did State Farm get that driving late at night was more dangerous? I was a long hauler and would drive 8 hours at a time! From Austin, TX to Loredo was a very LONG stretch and I was an overnight delivery guy. At 2 AM, getting South of San Antonio on I-35 there is NOTHING out there and it is so peaceful and SAFE driving-wise. A LOT safer than during the days. So I agree to disagree with State Farm because I AM a night-time professional driver. I would RATHER drive at night as I did it for YEARS without 1 single accident! YEARS! OK. Night time is THE best time to drive because the crazy drivers seem to not be out at 2 AM and 3 AM while I was getting down the road with deliveries to vehicle dealerships and parts stores as well as tool fabricators I delivered products to overnight. That time frame between 11 PM and 5 AM was WAY better in terms of overall safety and a lot less traffic on the roads to even have to deal with. I got spoiled to it for sure. I delivered parts so that the parts departments of these dealerships had everything they needed when they opened in the mornings. That was a way of life for me. So when you say night time is less safe, I do not get what you mean because I drove professionally, over night "10 PM -8 AM" most nights and even sometimes 10 AM returning from a trip and I found that highway driving during those hours to be MUCH better than being in those blasted traffic jams during rush hour traffic that I HATE! I would RATHER drive at night thank you. I don't mean to be argumentative but, I learned very early on that I loved driving at night because hey! I can get down the road better with less traffic out there. After a while, I just simply got used to driving at night. To me it became like breathing. No problem. Maybe the only problem I have now is I like the sleep during daytime hours and I am up nights which My wife hates. Hehe. So, maybe I am an exception to the rule because the hours I used to work when I wasn't retired were overnight hours from 10 PM to 10 AM working sometimes 12 hours total. I just go used to that lifestyle and i NEVER had a problem really. The very few accidents I ever had in my life time were always during day time hours. Now of course I live in this tiny small town away from the big city where there is a LOT less traffic! Easier on my nerves and makes for much more peaceful living for me and my family.

I hope i do that well. Thank you.

So, State Farm would ding you if you use a phone GPS app like Waze, but have phone on a hands-free holder?

50% discount??? I was told we would get 10%. If you are in an accident, can these trackers be used against you in paying insurance for accident? Or used against you in a court of law?

Do u have to keep the tracker in the car? What if ur uncomfortable with the the tracker being in the car?

I have to wait and see what they mean by hard braking. My brakes just grab and when you drive a high mileage vehicle things aren't perfect.

I use maps a lot for directions.... does anyone know if they consider this as "distracted"?

I stream music from Pandora over a bluetooth radio will I get a ding on the app for that?

If I have my screen on using a navigation app will I get penalized for being distracted?

If I have RU-vid open (I use it for school lectures when I drive) will it affect me? And does the pod have to be on the windshield or can it be anywhere in the car?

Good information .

It is VERY helpful if you have a teen driver.

Is it possible to only track trips you want? I don't want this thing tracking every trip. (Help)

So if I use Google Maps while I'm driving I get dinged for it? That's less distracting than looking around to figure out where I'm going lol