# State Farm wants to know how many miles we drive. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842 "2014-10-19T20:16:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/21 "2014-10-20T02:49:59Z")
I’ve been asked this every time I have purchased or renewed insurance. List each vehicle, mileage, type of mileage/use. Blue car= 400/mo, work. Green car= 800/mo, school. Or whatever. I have GEICO. Maybe you don’t know how many miles you drive per month, but I would think everyone would have a general idea of at least the yearly- just by seeing the odometer move, changing the oil, etc. Taking into account regular activity and so many trips, I just estimate a ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/22 "2014-10-20T02:54:51Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Seriously? I have been doing it for the last \ thirty years, having picked up the habit from my father, who has been doing it for more than fifty. I actually have an [app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gas-cubby-free-fuel-economy/id347639491?mt=8) to keep track for me now, which indicates to me that a reasonable number of people want to keep track of this information. I am not generally an OCD person, but I like to know how my mileage has been. You aren’t the only person on Earth that does this but I think it is completely unnecessary records keeping. I am all about efficiency. I can’t think of any reason in the world where you would need to track your exact mileage at any regular interval unless you are being reimbursed for expenses. My vehicle tracks my average gas mileage over time on its own and even then, it is what it is. There is nothing I can do if it dips slightly below the average for a short interval. The oil change centers put an overly conservative sticker on my windshield telling me when I need to come back in for another one. I double that at least and then do it at my convenience. You aren’t causing any harm but you also aren’t getting any benefit out of that type of meticulous attention to unnecessary detail either. It is much more important to check fluid levels and tire tread regularly. Mileage numbers can’t tell you much about the health of a vehicle on their own. If you really want to know your miles driven in a year, it is a very simple division problem and doesn’t require near the level of detail that you are prescribing. Your father may have learned his system in the 50’s and 60’s when cars were very unreliable and every thousand miles really counted but that isn’t true today. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/23 "2014-10-20T03:29:31Z")
We have a local insurance company, Pemco. They asked, when we first got it how many miles round trip to work\*. They periodicly ask that same question when we renew, but, they’ve never asked for a milage reading or even an estimate of how far we’ve driven in a year. \*When I retired, our to/from work milage was nearly cut in half, and our rate did go down, but not by much, maybe $20/year. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/24 "2014-10-20T03:44:39Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Seriously? I have been doing it for the last \ thirty years, having picked up the habit from my father, who has been doing it for more than fifty. I actually have an [app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gas-cubby-free-fuel-economy/id347639491?mt=8) to keep track for me now, which indicates to me that a reasonable number of people want to keep track of this information. I am not generally an OCD person, but I like to know how my mileage has been. Your car already does this, you know. If your mileage falls outside a normal range, the onboard computer will signal you for service. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/25 "2014-10-20T03:48:29Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > ^ I can confidently state that you are the only human on earth who does that. Nope. My dad does this for each of his cars (currently numbering 5). It is useful, especially for older cars that can just gradually decline in performance. I’m another USAA member and they ask for this info every year and have for the 20 years I’ve been a member. I don’t worry about being too exact, but I also don’t try to cover anything up. I usually put about 15,000 miles on my car every year. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/26 "2014-10-20T03:50:06Z")
I told my SF agent a little while back that I work from home and drive like 6-8k miles a year and my insurance went down. My dad finally told his SF guy he only drives his one car like 2k a year and with the age of the car his insurance is rediculously low now. Lower than the same coverage at USAA. I got hooked up with that “black box” thing they put on your car and mine went down a bit more. There wasn’t far for it to go, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/27 "2014-10-20T04:39:08Z")
I’d tell them to put on their “Fuck Me” shoes and chase me with a pedometer. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/28 "2014-10-20T05:00:44Z")
I have State Farm, we qualify for reduced rates on one of our cars, because it was not used for commuting and was driven less than some threshold number of miles. I can’t really say I objected to that. In fact, as a retired couple, both of our cars qualified, but they reserved the right to inspect the odometer at their discretion. Our premium rates would have been higher on a car that is driven more than the limit. These things all vary by state, according to whether state insurance commissioners allow such practices. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/29 "2014-10-20T05:03:47Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > uh, yeah, “how many miles do you drive” per week/month/year is a pretty standard question insurers ask. not surprising since the more time you’re on the road makes it more likely you’ll be in an incident. Exactly. Every renewal, I’m asked how many kilometers (I’m in Canada) I drive annually, whether I drive daily to work, how far is that, and so on. It has to do with the risk that they are assuming, and they adjust the rates accordingly. Obviously, a 50-mile trip to work is a greater exposure to damage/liability than a 10-mile trip to work. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/30 "2014-10-20T06:34:31Z")
Annual kilometres driven is a fairly basic rating factor for car insurance pricing. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/31 "2014-10-20T11:53:39Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You aren’t causing any harm but you also aren’t getting any benefit out of that type of meticulous attention to unnecessary detail either. It is much more important to check fluid levels and tire tread regularly. Mileage numbers can’t tell you much about the health of a vehicle on their own. I’ve actually gotten quite a lot of benefit out of keeping records like that. I know when all the fluids in my car have been changed, the date and the mileage. I know when I’ve rotated the tires. I can even tell you how much gas costs on the day I bought it, though that doesn’t help for much. What has happened though is that when someone tells me I need this fluid changed I can tell them, “No that was just done x,xxx miles ago”, usually it’s because the service tech has just looked at the routine maintenance and not what has been done with the car. I don’t normally see what my gas mileage is after I fill up, but I can notice trends long before they show up. No, a couple of mile drop in one or two tanks of gas isn’t anything, but 3-4 miles after 5-6 tanks and I haven’t changed my driving habits much, and I can check to see if something else is wrong. I changed my fuel filter 6 months ago and noticed a 3-4 mile per gallon increase, something I couldn’t see or prove otherwise. The extra 10 seconds per fill up is nothing. As for the OP, yes, I have State Farm and they ask me every so often how far I drive to work, how many miles I do in a year. I don’t think I have to answer it, but I do. Then again I’ve been with my State Farm agent for 20 years and like them. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/32 "2014-10-20T12:20:25Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > ^ I can confidently state that you are the only human on earth who does that. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/33 "2014-10-20T13:11:18Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I have, since the very first time I got car insurance, been asked by my insurance company approximately how many miles I drove per year, and how much of that was personal or commuting or business. I’m astonished that this is the first time the OP has been asked that. Yep. Me too. I’ve had lots of cars and changed my coverage many times and have been asked every time. I think the folks in this thread claiming they’ve never been asked this question probably just don’t remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/34 "2014-10-20T13:58:02Z")
To repeat what others have said: if you don’t drive a lot (like less than roughly 7,500 miles a year), and you haven’t told your insurance company that, you are paying for coverage that is totally unnecessary. If you’d like to pay more money to preserve some sense of privacy on how much you drive, that’s your right, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/35 "2014-10-20T14:11:08Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I think the folks in this thread claiming they’ve never been asked this question probably just don’t remember it. I had CSAA/AAA for well over 25 years in California, and the question evolved. I was asked the approximate annual mileage for all cars on the policy whenever one was added or changed. Then my rep would call every year to verify the info, and ask estimated mileage for the forthcoming year. Then it became a required renewal question to write down the odometer reading of each car. So it’s possible that some people are under policies that don’t ask… probably because they’re paying for a default amount of 15-25k miles a year, which may be good or bad. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/36 "2014-10-20T16:14:25Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Yeah, I wonder what State Farm is up to. I don’t recall them making any promises to reduce rates. > > umm, that’s 300 miles each way. 600 round trip. We used to take the kids to Six Flags a couple times a year. Glad we won’t be going anytime soon. I get this because my rate (probably yours too) is partially calculated on how much you’re on the road. Presumably someone who drives 5k per year pays less than someone who drives 50k per year. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/37 "2014-10-20T16:19:11Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I get this because my rate (probably yours too) is partially calculated on how much you’re on the road. Presumably someone who drives 5k per year pays less than someone who drives 50k per year. I have a car insured under a separate, “specialty” (aka collector or hobbyist) policy that lets me keep full liability (on a high-performance vehicle) and full replacement value at a very reasonable rate… predicated on no more than 3k miles per year. (I drive it about 1100 miles a year or so.) To insure it for something like commuting would quickly approach the DUI-insurance cost levels. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/38 "2014-10-20T16:27:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This was the first time we’ve been asked about driving distances. Really it’s none of their damn business. But why is it _our_ business? You’re OK putting this info out there on a public message board for strangers to see… but not your insurance company, who partially bases their rates by how many miles you drive? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/39 "2014-10-20T16:30:07Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > ^ I can confidently state that you are the only human on earth who does that. Not the only one; I believe my MIL has a book of car stuff like that. She’s one of those super-organized record-keeping people who has a file cabinet with folders for operating manuals for things like the toaster and blender filed away under “Appliance Manuals”. I had a buddy who kept a little log like that for a while, but he was trying to determine whether or not his pickup was losing gas economy over time, not just to be an anal-retentive weirdo. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/40 "2014-10-20T16:30:14Z")
I also have State Farm and, if this is the same survey I got, it was stupid simple and would take less than a minute to fill out. It only had two questions, for crying out loud. The questions were (paraphrased): ‘What is the current odometer reading?’ and ‘How many miles per year do you plan on driving this car?’ Unfortunately for them (?) they asked about my Buick which I bought as a fixer-upper/show car/nostalgia project and not a daily driver. I’ve only driven it a little over 1,300 miles since April but I put 3,000 miles for the second question just to make them feel good. I only carry liability on it anyway so the rates probably won’t change much. They send this survey out every once in awhile but not very often, so I don’t see what the OP is all huffy about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842.md?page=3)