GM (and certainly every other manufacturer) is sharing driving data with insurance companies.

I’ve heard lots of complaints from people about shocking insurance rate increases. Mine hasn’t moved, but maybe that’s because I have an older car and don’t subscribe to anything that collects data on me.

At any rate, we’re far past the point where the law needs to require a company to seek explicit, clear permission to collect and use the data we provide without even thinking about it.

The article is a must read, and you should check to see if this is happening to you.

A Cadillac driver in Palm Beach County, Fla., who asked not to be named because he is considering a lawsuit against G.M., said he was denied auto insurance by seven companies in December. When he asked an agent why, she advised him to pull his LexisNexis report. He discovered six months of his driving activity, including many instances of hard braking and hard accelerating, as well as some speeding.

“I don’t know the definition of hard brake. My passenger’s head isn’t hitting the dash,” he said. “Same with acceleration. I’m not peeling out. I’m not sure how the car defines that. I don’t feel I’m driving aggressively or dangerously.”

When he finally obtained car insurance, through a private broker, it was double what he had previously been paying.

The article has a lot more, and it’s ridiculous.