Your driving data
Can your insurance company see your driving data?
Updated September 2026
Plenty of drivers found out the hard way: their insurance rate went up because of hard-braking and speeding data their own car had been reporting. Here's how that data gets to insurers, how to see what they have, and how to shut it off.
Short answer
Yes, it can happen. Some automakers have shared driving data (speed, hard braking, late-night trips, mileage) with data brokers like LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which sell driving reports to insurers. You can request the report LexisNexis holds on you for free, opt out in your car’s app, and disable the car’s cellular modem so it stops reporting.
The two ways insurers get driving data
1. You signed up for it
Usage-based insurance programs, like the ones you join with an insurer’s phone app or a device you plug into the OBD-II port, track your driving with your consent, usually in exchange for a discount. If you’re not sure, check your policy documents and your phone for an insurer’s driving app.
2. Your car reported it, and you didn’t know
This is the one that caught people off guard. Most newer vehicles have a built-in cellular modem that sends data back to the manufacturer. Some manufacturers passed driving-behavior data to data brokers, who packaged it into reports for insurance companies.
What happened with GM
In March 2024, the New York Times reported that GM had been sending driving data from its OnStar Smart Driver program to LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk. Drivers who never knowingly opted in saw their premiums rise. GM ended the program and cut ties with both brokers in 2024.
- January 2026: the FTC finalized a 20-year order. GM must get opt-in consent before collecting connected-vehicle data, let owners see and delete it, and may not share driving or location data with consumer reporting agencies for five years.
- May 2026: California’s Attorney General and state privacy agency reached a $12.75 million settlement with GM over the same data sales.
GM wasn’t the only source. A 2024 letter from U.S. Senators Wyden and Markey reported that Honda and Hyundai had also shared driving data with Verisk, which has since shut down that product. LexisNexis still runs a driving-data exchange for insurers.
How to see what insurers see
- Request your LexisNexis consumer disclosure report. It’s free under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Search for “LexisNexis consumer disclosure report” and use the official request form. The report shows driving data, insurance claims, and more.
- Dispute anything that’s wrong. The same law gives you the right to dispute inaccurate information.
- Ask your automaker for your data. GM, Ford, and Stellantis all have privacy request pages where you can ask what they’ve collected and request deletion.
How to stop it going forward
- Opt out in your car’s app or account. Look for data sharing or connected services settings in myChevrolet / myGMC, FordPass, or the Uconnect / Jeep / Ram app. Our What They Track page covers each automaker.
- Check for insurance driving programs on your policy and phone, and leave any you didn’t mean to join.
- Disable the car’s modem. An opt-out depends on the automaker honoring it. Disabling the telematics module means the car can’t send anything, no matter what the policy says.
What you give up
Turning off the modem also turns off automatic crash calling, SOS, and remote start and locate from the phone app. Radio, Bluetooth, CarPlay/Android Auto, and every safety system keep working. See our FAQ for the full list.
Stop your car from reporting in the first place
An account opt-out stops what the automaker chooses to share. Disabling the modem stops the car from sending anything at all. Our $35 guides show how, reversibly, for GM, Ram/Jeep/Dodge, and Ford.
Common questions
+Can my car insurance company track my driving?
Only if the data reaches them. That happens when you enroll in a usage-based program (an app or plug-in device), or when your car's maker shares driving data with a data broker that sells reports to insurers. GM did this until 2024.
+How do I see the driving data insurers get about me?
Request your consumer disclosure report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. It's free, and it lists the driving-behavior data and claims history it holds on you. Many GM owners first learned about Smart Driver data this way.
+Does GM still sell driving data to insurers?
GM ended the Smart Driver program in April 2024. A final FTC order from January 2026 bans GM from sharing driving and location data with consumer reporting agencies for five years and requires opt-in consent before collecting it.
+Will disabling my car's modem stop insurers from getting data?
It stops the car itself from sending anything. It doesn't erase data already collected, and it doesn't affect a usage-based app or plug-in device you signed up for through your insurer.