State Farm app can monitor your driving performance
Like your tattletale little sister in the passenger seat, State Farm is there.
The auto/home/life insurance giant has recently started advertising the new Driver Feedback app for iPhone. The free app uses the iPhone's sensors to measure your acceleration, cornering and braking habits, then calculates a score based on how you've done. If you're famed in the family for your jackrabbit starts, high-speed two-wheel turns and jamming on the brakes, chances are good that your score will be low. Drivers who take the Family Truckster out for a more sedate spin get a higher score.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your score) the company doesn't offer discounts or raise your rates based on your driving habits. The app also doesn't send information to State Farm. It's just a good way to see if you could improve your driving skills and perhaps keep yourself from potentially dangerous situations. A video about the app, featuring a father and teenaged daughter who had similar scores, follows on the next page.
