We've had DSS for 4 years and are happy with it. Got "lucky" that we signed up right before covid so our mileage went to nothing and we got the big discounts pretty quickly.How does the DSS work?
There's something you stick to your vehicle and also an app you have to have running on your phone?
Do you always need the app running on your phone or can you close it occasionally?
If I go with SF, I'll likely sign up for this as well. I'm pretty good about keeping my phone put away while I drive. Hardest part will be not getting it out when I'm stopped at a traffic light.
Mostly worried the app will drain my battery. I have an older iPhone and the battery is crap
Yeah, there's a little puck that is attached to the car, such as on the back of the review mirror on on the windshield behind the mirror. It talks to an app on your phone via bluetooth. I haven't noticed any battery issues from it, though I also usually have my phone plugged-in (carplay) or in a charging holder, too.
Only hassle is if I'm driving, the sensor attaches to my wife's phone, and then she uses her phone while driving. If it bothers you, you can re-assign the driver for that trip so it doesn't ding her for phone usage while driving. Sometimes we do that, other times we don't bother to reassign.
We're sitting at $860/yr savings combined for the 2 cars.
I like that the app will show feedback for the trips, so you can see what/where you get dinged on your score. Overall I think it's improved my driving a bit to try and avoid getting dinged.
My only complaint is that the cornering sensor seems a bit sensitive at times, and the hard-braking sensor is easily tripped if you go for the brakes when a stoplight turns yellow. The sensors report on a spectrum, though, so it doesn't hit you too hard for a turn that was simply too-intense for grandma.
Using your phone at stoplights and such may ding you for phone usage (as it should, IMO). However, there's been several times I've picked up my phone immediately after parking at my destination and I wasn't dinged for phone usage, so I think it does a decent job of recognizing phone usage during movement vs stopped (no idea if it recognizes "end of trip" and that's why I didn't get flagged, or if it's simply "vehicle was stopped so it's fine"). Incidental phone use, such as poking the skip-ahead button on my podcast app from the lock screen is fine, and having some apps, such as Google/Apple Maps, open while driving is also ok.