Help: Smart Driver 

Help: Smart Driver 

What is Smart Driver?

Smart Driver provides members with information about their driving behavior to help maximize their vehicles’ overall performance, reduce vehicle wear and tear, enhance fuel efficiency, and help members become better drivers. Enrolled members will receive ongoing feedback with results on events such as hard braking, hard acceleration and high-speed driving occurrences, as well as tips to enhance their driving skills.

In what countries is Smart Driver available?

Smart Driver is currently available for OnStar Members in the United States. 

Do I need a paid OnStar service plan in order to participate in Smart Driver?

Members do not need to be in a paid service plan to enroll in Smart Driver. Smart Driver is included for up to 10 years with Connected Access. 

What does it cost to participate in Smart Driver?

There is no charge for Members to enroll in Smart Driver.  However, Members must have an active Connected Access Plan to use Smart Driver. 

Who may enroll in Smart Driver?

All OnStar Members with a capable vehicle and active Connected Access may enroll in Smart Driver. 

What vehicles are compatible with Smart Driver?

Smart Driver is available on most newer GM vehicles. Check here for vehicle capability

How do Members enroll in Smart Driver?

Eligible Members can enroll in Smart Driver in their vehicle mobile app. 

Why do Members have to enroll separately in Smart Driver from their basic OnStar services?

We do not collect driving behavior data on our Members unless they consent to us doing so. 

What information does Smart Driver capture?

Upon the Member’s consent and enrollment in Smart Driver, depending on vehicle capability, the vehicle will collect specific driving behavior data, including hard braking events, hard acceleration events, time spent idle, speeds over 80 miles per hour, when a trip occurs and the number of miles driven. 

How often is data collected from the vehicle?

Smart Driver data is collected by OnStar from the vehicle upon every ignition cycle. 

How does OnStar protect Members’ personally identifiable information from being shared?

OnStar takes the security of its Members’ data very seriously. We use technical, administrative and physical safeguards designed to help protect Members’ information from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, destruction or theft. OnStar doesn’t share personally identifiable information with an insurance company without your express consent. 

Will other OnStar Members be able to see Members’ information?

No. Members’ Smart Driver information will not be visible to other OnStar members. Members will be able to see how they compare against an anonymous aggregate of participating OnStar Members. 

How soon after a trip will a Member be able to view the data?

Generally, trip data will be available within a few minutes, but it could take up to 24 hours, depending on the length of the trip, traffic on the network and other factors. 

What are the factors that go into drivers’ scores?

The most important factors in your score are the number of hard brakes per mile, the severity of those hard brakes and the time of day and day of the week of your trips, among other factors. 

How are my scores calculated?

After your trip is complete, we look at the factors above and apply a proprietary scoring algorithm used to assess driving behavior. The scores by trip can vary widely. For example, a longer trip with one mild hard brake would score much better than a very short trip with a more abrupt hard brake. Daily, weekly and monthly scores use the same factors, but use somewhat different scoring algorithms. Daily scores consider things that trip scores don’t, like how many trips the driver took and miles he or she drove over the entire day. Trip scores may vary. Monthly scores are the most reliable indicators of how drivers are doing on their driving behaviors.