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KnowYourDrive® Smartphone App FAQs
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KnowYourDrive puts American Family Insurance customers in the driver's seat when it comes to safety and savings by rewarding their driving habits with car insurance discounts.
Sign up for the program when purchasing an auto insurance policy and download the KnowYourDrive app to start participating. You’ll receive a 5% (2% in UT) introductory discount just for signing up. Depending on your driving behavior, you can earn up to a 20% program discount* on your car insurance. KnowYourDrive puts you in control by helping you save extra money while becoming a safer driver.
The KnowYourDrive program discount is in addition to discounts you may already be receiving. By allowing us more insight into your driving behavior, we can provide even more value for your commitment to American Family.
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Simply put, distracted driving is doing anything that takes your attention away from driving. Specifically, the KnowYourDrive app considers handheld phone calls and active phone use when the vehicle is in motion to be distracted driving. Here’s the breakdown:
What counts as a distraction while driving?
- Picking up your phone when the screen is unlocked
- Touching the screen, including swiping and typing
- Making a call while holding your phone
- A passenger using your phone (the app can’t tell who is using the phone)
What doesn’t count as a distraction while driving?
- Listening to things like music or podcasts
- Using a navigation app without touching the screen
- Stopping your car, then taking a call while holding your phone
- Sending a text or making a call using voice commands
- Using your vehicle’s touchscreen
- Charging your phone or having an audio cable plugged in
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The KnowYourDrive app considers the following activities to be distractions:
- Picking up your phone when the screen is unlocked
- Touching the screen, including swiping and typing
- Making a call while holding your phone
- A passenger using your phone (the app can’t tell who’s using the phone)
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- Listening to music or podcasts
- Using a navigation app without touching the screen
- Stopping your car, then taking a call while holding your phone
- Sending a text/call using voice commands
- Using your vehicle’s touchscreen
- Charging your phone or having an audio cable plugged in
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Most smartphones with an iOS (Apple) or Android operation system should work. If the phone is too old to be updated to the most current version of the operating system it will be at risk of being incompatible with the KnowYourDrive app. The phone must have proper sensors, which may include a gyroscope and accelerometer. On average, the app uses 60-70 megabytes of data per month, though this varies depending on the actual driving time.
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Like all apps that use your location, KnowYourDrive uses a small amount of battery when you're not driving, and slightly more while you're taking a trip. Most people won't notice a significant battery difference after installing KnowYourDrive, but if you have a particularly long commute or an older phone, you may want to plug-in while driving.
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Just by participating in the program you will get a 5% (2% for UT) introductory discount on your auto policy until a program discount has been calculated and applied after evaluation.
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You’ll need to download the KnowYourDrive app, follow the instructions provided in the app and start driving within 28 days of signing up for the program. If you don't do that, you will be removed from the program and you'll potentially impact your discount — and we wouldn't want that to happen! Next, during the evaluation period, you'll need to drive a minimum of 10 hours and 90 days since first enrollment. Your app will update you on your projected discount, and will let you know when your program discount will kick in.
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You’ll want to ensure you have your permission settings correctly in order for the KnowYourDrive app to work and get you a great discount. To stay active in the program, be sure to check the following:
- The KnowYourDrive app is installed on your phone, you are logged in and connected to the internet
- Your permissions are set correctly — view how to set up your permissions here
If something goes wrong — like you get logged out of the app on accident — we’ll send you a friendly reminder to get logged in. After all, we want to make sure you keep that discount you’ve worked so hard to earn!
If you’re experiencing any issues or need additional help, contact the KnowYourDrive Support Center at 1-800-692-6326 ext. 79510 or KnowYourDrive@amfam.com.
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Your program discount of up to 20% will be calculated 40 days before your upcoming renewal, and will be applied when your policy renews, as long as you've met the program requirements. (In Wisconsin, it will be calculated 65 days prior to renewal.) You'll receive updates via your app and via email, too.
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The evaluation period for the program discount is based on the last 12 months of driving. So, you'll need to continue driving with the KnowYourDrive app installed and activated on your phone to remain enrolled in the program and keep your discount. That way, KnowYourDrive can continually help you improve your driving habits so you can keep working on boosting your program discount in the future!
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To keep track of your driving habits and determine the discount on your car insurance, the KnowYourDrive app is able to determine when you’re driving. That way you don’t have to manually log in every time you drive.
Using the sensors in your phone and external data from where you are driving, KnowYourDrive can correctly predict what type of vehicle you are traveling in and whether you are the driver over 93% of the time.
If it’s determined you’re not in a car — like if you’re riding a bike or on a city bus — that trip won’t count towards your discount. Likewise, if you are marked as a passenger and not the driver, that trip won’t count either.
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Listed below are the key driving variables we use to calculate your KnowYourDrive discount. Research has shown that these driving behaviors may increase the chance of having an accident. By adjusting your driving habits based on the feedback you receive from the app, you may improve your safe driving behavior and increase your discount. KnowYourDrive gives you an advantage by helping you learn safer driving habits while empowering you to save on your car insurance.
Key driving variables:
- Hours driven: Measures how much the vehicle is driven.
- Hard braking: Measures those times when the vehicle stops or slows down very abruptly.
- Evening driving: Measures the total driving time that occurs between the hours of 6 PM and 12 AM
- Late night driving: Measures the total driving time that occurs between the hours of 12 AM and 4 AM
- High speed: Measures when a person is driving 10 mph or more above the posted speed limit.
- Distraction: Measures when a person is actively using their phone (using GPS, minimizing screens, texting, etc.) or making a handheld call.
- Average speed: Measures the average speed over the course of trips taken.
- Short trips (less than five minutes): Measures the number of short trips taken.
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Did the KnowYourDrive app record that you were driving, but you weren’t actually driving? Don’t worry — you can change the vehicle or driver assignment for any trip you made within the last five days. Just follow these steps:
- When you open the app, find the Trips card and tap the Recent Trips button.
- A list of the trips you’ve taken in the last five days will appear. The assignment for that trip — Driver, Passenger or Not a Car — appears in the top left of each trip card. Tap the trip you’d like to change.
- Tap the Edit or Remove this Trip link at the bottom of the page.
- Tap the correct trip assignment. Choices are I was the driver, I was a passenger and This was not a car trip.
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The KnowYourDrive discount is a policy level discount that will apply based on an average of your entire household’s driving behaviors. The discount is not applied on a per vehicle basis.
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If you do not download and use the KnowYourDrive app for 28 consecutive days, you will be removed from the program and you will potentially impact your discount.
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You should be able to tell if your phone is transmitting trip data because the app will display your recent trips. Simply open the KnowYourDrive app to verify that your trips are updating. If they aren't, make sure proper permissions are set up for location, motion, and Wi-Fi. Here's a closer look at how to make sure your phone is transmitting trip data.
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As long as you have the KnowYourDrive app installed on your smartphone, and are logged in, you will remain in the program.
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We're sorry that happened! You may be removed from KnowYourDrive if the app is not on your phone or if you are not logged on for more than 28 days. If you have been removed and would like to re-enroll, please contact your agent or log in to your My Account
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You can voluntarily opt out of the program by choosing the “Opt Out” option in My Account or by contacting your agent.
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The app cannot differentiate between trips for pleasure and trips for work. If you regularly drive something other than your personal vehicle for work and would prefer that those trips aren’t counted toward your score, that’s OK.
When you drive a work vehicle, we recommend that you simply log out of the app during your shift. Note you will need to remember to log back in when you switch back to driving your personal vehicle!
If you forget to log out, you also have the option to remove the trip. Simply select the trip from your list and tap the “Edit or Remove this Trip” option.
If these options will not work for you, the KnowYourDrive program may not be the right fit. Please reach out to your agent to learn about savings opportunities that may be a better fit for your needs.
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Re-enrolling is easy. Just contact your American Family agent or log in to your My Account.
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If you already enrolled in KnowYourDrive, this most commonly occurs when your current policy term is not effective yet. If you are a new customer, you will need to wait until your new policy begins. If you are a current customer, you will need to wait until your renewal is effective to log into the app.
If you have not enrolled in KnowYourDrive, please contact your local agent or enroll through your MyAccount.
For more help contact the KnowYourDrive Support Center at 1-800-692-6326 ext. 79510 or KnowYourDrive@amfam.com
Subject to state availability or approval.
+Eligibility and approval standards for the Travel Peace of Mind Package apply for each vehicle.
*Discounts will vary based on driving behavior. The KnowYourDrive discount applies only to these coverages, which are typical for most auto policies: bodily injury liability, property damage liability, collision and comprehensive, medical expense, underinsured and uninsured and personal injury protection. Additionally, the discount does not apply to fixed fees that are part of your policy.