What You Should Know

• American Family KnowYourDrive is a telematics program that monitors your driving habits through an app
• KnowYourDrive offers a 10% discount to customers just for signing up
• KnowYourDrive won't raise rates if you drive poorly

Our American Family KnowYourDrive review goes over everything you need to know about the program before signing up. KnowYourDrive is a telematics program provided by American Family Insurance that monitors your driving habits through an app. You can receive a car insurance discount of up to 20% based on your score.

The app is free, and American Family won’t raise your rates if you score poorly. However, battery life, data usage, and privacy can be issues.

Keep reading to learn more about the American Family KnowYourDrive app and how to get the most significant discount.

What is American Family KnowYourDrive?

American Family is one of the top car insurance companies in the country, with coverage offered in 19 states. American Family's rates are competitive, and it ranks high customer service and financial stability.

KnowYourDrive from American Family is a telematics program that monitors various driving habits and evaluates safe driving skills. Insurers know that drivers who avoid specific behaviors are less likely to be in an accident. So KnowYourDrive is a way to reward safe drivers.

As a bonus, drivers enrolled in KnowYourDrive receive the Travel Peace of Mind Package from American Family. The package includes roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, road trip accident accommodations, and accidental death benefits.

Although many top insurance companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and GEICO offer similar programs, each varies based on monitored habits, and the discount offered.

With American Family KnowYourDrive, the app is free to download, and your rates won’t go up if you score poorly. In addition, American Family reevaluates your discount every term so that you can improve your score each renewal.

However, there are some downsides to using KnowYourDrive.

First, the app runs continuously in the background on your phone. While American Family states that it doesn’t drain your battery, it does use more battery life during drives than when you’re not moving. So keep your phone plugged in while driving, especially on long road trips.

Next, the app uses your cellular data. Although the app also works on Wi-Fi, it can also use data to report the drive. Invest in a larger data plan through your carrier or keep a close eye on data usage.

Finally, privacy can be an issue. Because the app is always running in the background, it records a lot of information. If privacy is a concern, a telematics program might not suit you.

How does KnowYourDrive work?

KnowYourDrive is very simple to use. First, contact American Family, enroll in the program, and download the app. There is no cost to participate, and the app is free. In addition, you’ll get a 10% discount for enrolling.

The app scores your driving from zero to 100 based on how safe you drive. Although you’re guaranteed at least a 2% discount, you can save up to 20% if you score highly.

Read more: How to Get Cheap Car Insurance

While all drivers on your policy can participate, they don’t have to. The discount applies to your whole policy, regardless of who participates.

Once you download the app, you have 28 days to start driving. American Family removes you from the program if you don’t drive within that time.

The app shows the current estimated discount you’ll receive. It even shows how each participating driver is scoring. This is particularly helpful if certain drivers need to improve safe driving skills.

KnowYourDrive also shows each trip you take and where problems occurred during the drive. For example, if you were speeding or hit your brakes hard, the app records it. Then, it offers feedback on ways to improve safe driving habits.

The app records distracted driving as well. Distracted driving is any use of your phone while driving, including texting, hand-held calling, or interacting with your phone in other ways.

Distracted driving doesn't include hands-free calling, text dictation, listening to music, and using a navigation app.

The KnowYourDrive app is a great way to see if teen drivers are distracted while driving or committing other dangerous habits like speeding. Then, you can use the app to help your teen improve safe driving skills.

What driving behaviors are monitored by the KnowYourDrive app?

Since KnowYourDrive is concerned about how safely you drive, there are specific behaviors that it monitors to indicate if you’re likely to be in an accident. Therefore, your discount depends on how well you score on those specific behaviors.

The driving behaviors the KnowYourDrive app monitors include:

• Hours driven. Drivers who spend more time behind the wheel are more likely to be in accidents. Additionally, drivers who don’t drive much may qualify for a low-mileage discount.
• Speed. If you drive more than 10 miles per hour above the speed limit, your score decreases. The app also tracks your average speed for all trips.
• Hard braking. Numerous hard braking events indicate aggressive driving or lack of attention, both of which cause accidents. Leave plenty of room between other cars to allow time for smooth braking.
• Time of day. Late night and early morning driving are when more accidents occur. The app monitors driving between 6 p.m. and 4 a.m.
• Distracted driving. Any active phone use, such as playing games, texting, and making hand-held phone calls, counts as distracted driving. Listening to music or using a navigation app doesn’t count as long as you aren’t touching the phone. While KnowYourDrive tracks distracted driving, not all tracking devices do.

The app should differentiate between drivers and passengers, so riding with another driver shouldn’t count against you. However, if the app gets it wrong, you have five days to change the information in the app.

Your drive shows up on the app about five minutes later. Your updated score and the map of your drive with suggestions show up as well.

Is American Family KnowYourDrive worth it?

KnowYourDrive tracks driving behaviors, such as speed and distracted driving, and scores you on safe driving habits. The higher the score, the better the discount. Drivers can save up to 20% but will at least get a 2% discount if they don’t do well.

KnowYourDrive is a good fit for drivers who drive safely, don’t drive late at night, and don’t use their phones while driving. The program also helps drivers who want to improve their safe driving skills and offers immediate feedback.

American Family also won’t raise your rates if you have a low score. The app is free, and drivers get the Travel Peace of Mind Package free for participating.

The only downsides to using KnowYourDrive are battery and data usage and privacy concerns. While the app doesn’t use much battery or data while running in the background, both usages increase during drives. Long road trips can significantly use both your battery and data.

Since American Family only offers coverage in 19 states, KnowYourDrive might not be available where you live.

Many car insurance companies offer similar programs. So, if American Family isn’t in your area, compare multiple companies to see which program suits you best.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is American Family KnowYourDrive worth it?

Yes, it is worth signing up with the KnowYourDrive as it offers a 10% sign-up bonus and doesn't raise your rates.

How does KnowYourDrive app know you are driving?

The KnowYourDrive app knows you are driving through tracking movement and speed.

Does the KnowYourDrive app use data?

Yes, the KnowYourDrive app will use up some of the data on your phone.

Are safe driving apps worth it?

Yes, most safe driving apps are worth it as long as they don't raise your car insurance rates.

The image in this post is from American Family's KnowYourDrive page.

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