# 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:** 3
**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, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/41 "2014-10-20T16:41:38Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > …I don’t see what the OP is all huffy about. I guess I can see a general “get yer damned nosiness off my lawn” attitude, and if this was a gummint demand or marketing survey unconnected to the service, I’d probably agree. But it’s a reasonable question, asked in a reasonable way for a reasonable purpose directly connected to the service being contracted between the OP and his insurance company. You can’t get seven-figure life insurance without a physical, either. ---
**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, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/42 "2014-10-20T16:45:51Z")
The part of that survey that took the longest was getting the damn thing folded right so the address showed through the window on the return envelope. Why they would use a window envelope for a return envelope is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/43 "2014-10-20T17:25:00Z")
The survey didn’t bug me at all. I thought it a bit odd and intrusive. But, I didn’t lose a moments sleep. Like everybody else we filled it out and stuck it in the mailbox. State Farm can do with it what ever they want. My only concern is what happens if we get around to the the cross country trip we’ve been dreaming of for years. We could easily rack up three thousand miles. How are we supposed to explain that to the good folks at State Farm? \ If the opportunity presents itself we’ll take the trip. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Taking all the back roads, stopping at small country cafes, meeting local people, and seeing this big country. > [@JohnT](#): > > 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:** ![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, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/44 "2014-10-20T17:31:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My only concern is what happens if we get around to the the cross country trip we’ve been dreaming of for years. We could easily rack up three thousand miles. How are we supposed to explain that to the good folks at State Farm? You don’t have to, unless it’s a trip you make with regularity. It’s assumed that most drivers will take a long(ish) trip now and then, over and above their average number of miles. Really, they are just trying to assess whether you are a low-, normal- or high-mile per year driver, to very generally assess your risk category. It doesn’t break down by 2k mile increments. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/45 "2014-10-20T17:37:37Z")
Ok. I won’t give it another thought then. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a rate reduction since my commute is short. 🙂 Only had one ticket in over 30 years of driving. My parents got State Farm (home and auto) in the 70’s and I use the same agent. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/46 "2014-10-20T20:10:14Z")
My Erie insurance agent asked me how many miles I drive a year, my answer was about 24 miles a day. Normally I am a very private person but I figured that was a standard question. My agent suggested I could save money by listing my old truck as my daily driver, and my car as a “pleasure vehicle”, 2000 miles or less per year or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/47 "2014-10-20T20:31:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This was the first time we’ve been asked about driving distances. Really it’s none of their damn business. > > If I have to commute 80 miles a day to feed my family then I shouldn’t have my rates jacked up. What? It’s _exactly_ their damn business. That’s what being an actuary is all about. The probability of being in an accident is almost certainly related to the number of miles per year you put on your car (along with a host of other factors). ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/48 "2014-10-20T20:42:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > We recently Renewed our car insurance. State Farm wants an estimate of our miles per month/year. > > We actually don’t drive that much. I purchased a home only 3 miles from work in 1989. Most of our shopping and restaurants is within 10 miles of home. I average about 400 miles a month locally. _But_, even one round trip to Nashville is 650 miles, We go once or twice a year. Round trip to Memphis is 275 miles. Trips add up. Dallas is 300 miles round trip, but we definitely won’t be visiting that city. 😉 > > Anyone else getting car insurance surveys? What happens if we claim low mileage each month and then take a vacation trip? Will that jack up our rates? USAA asked for a ballpark figure as well, and assures us they don’t expect exact tracking, just a reasonable approximation. Dunno about State Farm, but USAA doesn’t ask for mileage reports or anything. 🙂 ---
**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, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/49 "2014-10-20T20:46:31Z")
No they don’t ask for mileage reports and this survey is a very rare occurrence and all they want is a ballpark figure. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/50 "2014-10-21T04:57:01Z")
After reading this thread I realized I hadn’t answered these types of questions from my company (GEICO) in a long while, and my driving habits have totally changed over the last year since I had kids. So, found my maintenance records with my oil change mileage from a year ago, called GEICO with almost my exact mileage and new driving habits, and my rate went down about $40 a month (two cars, including my wife who went from working to stay at home mom, and I started working 12 miles from my house). Yea, that money on a charter membership here is still worth it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tc1uscg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/258eb7/32.png) [@tc1uscg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tc1uscg)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/51 "2017-01-09T22:57:56Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > OP: I’ve had the same insurance company for 30 years now. USAA. They ask every year for mileage for each vehicle. And have for 30 years. > > Nothing exciting here. I imagine your carrier asked once when you first signed up and are now getting around to updating the info in case it’s changed. And yes, your rates may slightly change if your estimated mileage is way big or way small versus the norm. Just like living in a good or bad zip code or good or bad state. Though this is old, I’m starting to get information requests from State Farm. I get a phone call every year from USAA and frankly, I find them annoying and intrusive. They NEVER use to do that but I now question them on it and when I do, they don’t give me a strait answer. The big question they don’t want to answer is, whats the high and low number for higher rates or lower rates based on the levels of miles. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/52 "2017-01-10T02:08:57Z")
> [@tc1uscg](#): > > Though this is old, I’m starting to get information requests from State Farm. I get a phone call every year from USAA and frankly, I find them annoying and intrusive. They NEVER use to do that but I now question them on it and when I do, they don’t give me a strait answer. The big question they don’t want to answer is, whats the high and low number for higher rates or lower rates based on the levels of miles. :dubious: This is the first time I’ve ever seen a newbie acknowledge he was cracking open a zombie. Nice work! mmm ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/53 "2017-01-10T06:27:25Z")
I’ve had State Farm all my life, my dad was one of their top agents in the 1950s. I’m friends with the succession of agents who have replaced my father at his agency. I remember asking about this when I retired. State Farm had found that people who drive over X miles to work each day had a higher accident rate. This was strictly for work commuting miles and it was quite low, something like 5 miles each way. I assume under that figure earns you the lowest rate. Your total mileage is another factor. Check your policy. Mine states right on it under “How Is Car Used”: “To work, school or pleasure, over 7500 miles per year”. So that is another point where the rates change, I guess. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/54 "2017-01-10T13:09:52Z")
I got an ‘email’ this morning; the subject line was “hi Spidey”. The first part of the sender’s address was my neighbor but what was after the @ sign made it appear to be from some school district in Wisconsin. The body text said, “Salutations, **Spidey** ” with a link below it. I forwarded to the address that _I_ have for her; congratulating her on her new position & asked if she was going to commute or if they’re moving. :rolleyes: Do people really fall for these just because of a name that they know in the header? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/55 "2017-01-10T15:30:54Z")
My insurance company has never asked for average yearly mileage. All they wanted to know is how far from our home is my workplace. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/56 "2017-01-10T15:56:05Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I got an ‘email’ this morning; the subject line was “hi Spidey”. The first part of the sender’s address was my neighbor but what was after the @ sign made it appear to be from some school district in Wisconsin. The body text said, “Salutations, **Spidey** ” with a link below it. > > I forwarded to the address that _I_ have for her; congratulating her on her new position & asked if she was going to commute or if they’re moving. :rolleyes: > Do people really fall for these just because of a name that they know in the header? While you were at it, did you tell them your car’s current odometer reading and an estimate of next years’ expected total mileage? Or was this just posted to the wrong thread? Because nothing you’ve said seems to have anything to do with the topic (insurance companies asking about insured cars’ annual mileage). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/57 "2017-01-10T16:02:25Z")
My insurance company always asks, but at least they’re polite enough not to question my 3,000 miles/yr figure. It’s accurate, but I’m sure they roll their eyes. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/58 "2017-01-10T16:05:50Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > ^ I can confidently state that you are the only human on earth who does that. I kept a notebook in every new (and “new”) car and recorded fillup mileage and basic services, usually for a year or two until I had a handle on long-term mileage and so forth. I don’t think it’s all that uncommon. Maybe in cars with mileage trackers and so forth it might be. I’ve never had car insurance where I wasn’t asked for estimated driving mileage. It’s a reasonable question; it’s directly tied to your overall risk. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/59 "2017-01-11T02:09:04Z")
I allowed my insurance company to put a tracker on my car for six months. They tracked km driven (it was under a 1000 because it was during the winter), hard stops (1), hard starts (0), and distance driven between midnight and 6 AM. The result was a 14% rebate and presumably a continued discount. And of course it is their business. It is literally the business they are in, managing risk. ---
**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842/60 "2017-01-11T03:25:34Z")
I’m moving and looking into insurance where we’re heading, and they have this as a question online, and I’m like…how the bleeding hells am I supposed to know? I don’t even know exactly where I’m gonna be living since I need to look at places and such still, I won’t have the slightest idea of what my average driving miles is until I’ve lived there for a while. Not real sure what I’m going to tell them once I do have an address and go through the formal process of changing the insurance to my new place (or getting a new insurer, since I’m definitely shopping around to make sure I’m getting a good deal). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-farm-wants-to-know-how-many-miles-we-drive/701842.md?page=4)