Connected car technology may seem like the next logical step in a world where our every move is followed by phones, computers and electronic devices - but how much of our personal data are they saving?
A new report from Parkers has revealed the extent of concerns, with three out of four drivers saying that they do not want any kind of monitoring device in their car - though many infotainment systems may already be recording your every move.
Much like the black-boxes which many young drivers are forced to slot into their vehicle to record their driving behaviour, many on-board computer systems are already recording similar data. In addition, your location, in-car internet access and phone connection may also be on a long list of data points being collected by your modern car. Despite this, only 10 per cent of car owners knew that their car had a data agreement in place, and that nine out of ten of the 550 people polled would not like their driving habit data shared with third parties.
Speaking to AM-Online, Keith Adams from Parkers said: “With three-quarters of drivers uncertain about the implication of their car’s data-logging capabilities, I see a great opportunity for dealers to take a hands-on approach to advising consumers over the intricacies of this.
“Taking time to explain why their cars are logging data and the possible benefits of this is another touch point that dealers can be involved in, and a massive advantage over online sales.”
While many brands claim not to use the in-vehicle data, an American company Otonomo, floated on the stock exchange earlier this year, with a valuation of $1.4bn, claiming to process 4 billion data points per day. Otonomo work with BMW.