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Ever notice your mechanic plugging into that little port under your car’s dashboard? That port is part of the on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, and it is playing a major role in minimizing pollution caused by cars. Devices plugged into the OBD port are also providing important insights and optimizing the driving experience. If you missed our first blog about the history of the OBD port, here’s a quick rundown of why it exists and all of the innovative ways it is being used today.

The OBD system was first introduced in the 60’s as a way to measure a vehicle’s emissions. Decades later, a more robust version known as the OBD-II was introduced, also able to monitor parts of the chassis and body. In 1996, amendments to the Clean Air Act required the OBD-II to be built into all light-duty vehicles (aka all cars available to consumers) as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempts to reduce toxic emissions. If something in your engine malfunctions, your car might run just fine, but you could ultimately face expensive repair costs or unknowingly release toxins into the air like Benzene and Formaldehyde (potential human carcinogens). Because of this regulation, all cars will display a “check engine light” when something is wrong, and mechanics can plug into the OBD-II port to diagnose the problem. So just how bad could things get if we didn’t regulate emissions and monitor engine health? The photo below is not from a horror movie – it’s of LA in the 90’s before OBD ports were standard in all cars and it was hard to detect if an engine was dangerously inefficient.

Fast forward 20 years and the OBD system is proving to be an important factor in reducing the damaging effects of car emissions on our environment. Since the introduction of the Clean Air Act and the OBD requirement, toxic emissions have steadily decreased. Companies are also developing devices to use in tandem with the OBD-II port in all sorts of new and inventive ways. For example, our per-mile insurance customers plug the Metromile Pulse device into the OBD-II port to measure exact mileage. This enables us to provide low-mileage drivers with a more fair insurance pricing model, since their monthly bill is based on the miles they drive, not just on a rough estimate (which other insurance companies sometimes offer a small discount for). …

Now that the long summer days are slowly dissipating, it’s is a great time to focus and get back on track. Fall often signifies the start of new beginnings, even if you aren’t heading back to school. Whether it’s a promotion at work, moving to a new city or buying your first car, we think the increasingly crisp air is excellent motivation to turn over a new leaf (pun intended). Many experts even suggest that September is one of the best time to purchase a car because it’s when next year’s models start rolling into the dealerships. So to help make the purchasing experience as smooth as possible, we are launching a blog series about buying a new car, covering everything from the features to look for to understanding the costs involved. First up? The most important things you should know before heading to the dealership.

What’s the best car for me?
You are the best judge of the type of car that will suit your needs. Do you head up to the mountains to ski every weekend in the winter? Or maybe you only use your car for weekend grocery runs? Make sure the vehicles you consider have the right features, fuel economy and cargo volume to fit your lifestyle. While a car’s appearance is definitely a factor in the decision-making process, the actual specifications are equally if not more important. Once you have an idea of the type of car, check out sites like Edmunds or Car and Driver to identify the best models before you head to the dealership.

Should I buy new or used?
It’s always exciting to have a shiny new car, but sometimes buying used can prove to be a better option. Weigh the pros and the cons before you decide: are there enticing incentives being offered with the new car? Could you really save some cash if you went the used route? Our friends at The Zebra have a great article highlighting the best cars to buy used, so check it out while doing your research.

Is the price right?
Once you have identified the car model(s) that you are interested in, identify the car’s invoice price which is how much the dealer is actually purchasing the car for. Unless you are buying a very popular model, you should be able to negotiate a price closer to the invoice versus the “sticker price” or MSRP. You can also use sites like TrueCar to see what other consumers are paying. If you have this information ready when you walk into the dealership, the dealer will know you mean business. …

If you would like to dig a little bit deeper, you can check out our original report or the Brookings Institution’s report about pay-per-mile car insurance.

Labor Day is upon us, which signifies the unofficial end of the summer and start of the school year. Even if this is your second (or third) time setting out to get a new degree, you still might experience the first-day-jitters, especially if you are moving to a new city. You also might be watching your wallet more closely – will you need to swap your cold-pressed juice for ramen? There are pros and cons to bringing your car to school with you, and while it provides a convenient way get around, it could also become quite costly. Follow these cost-saving car tips to maximize your savings during the school year.

Get situated.
Before you start scheming ways to save money, you should get the logistics squared away. Let your car insurance company know that you have changed cities and head to the DMV to update your license and registration (only if needed). Drive around so you get a feel for the area and evaluate your parking situation near home and school. The last thing you need is a parking ticket! Waze is a great way to identify the best routes and understand the worst times to drive. You’ll be driving like a local in no time.

Scope out the transit situation.
Once you have a feel for your new city, you should check out the public transportation options. If you aren’t living near campus, your school will likely have a resource to help identify the best transportation methods in the area, whether it be a train or your school’s dedicated shuttle bus. Google Maps (and soon Apple Maps) will be your new best friend, showing you the best way to get from Point A to Point B via public transit. You should also see if there are student rates or if your school offers any public transportation discounts. Biking or walking to class are always great options as well!

Start re-filling the bank account.
If you realize that you are primarily using your car for monthly grocery runs and family visits, consider renting your car out using a peer-to-peer car rental service like Getaround or RelayRides. Getaround touts that car owners can earn $10,000 per year by renting out their car – that’s a good chunk of change to put towards student loans! And don’t worry about this interfering with your busy schedule. Getaround will take care all of the logistics, from scheduling rental times to providing a secure way for the renter to access your car. …

The wait is over. Per-mile insurance is now available in Pennsylvania! We are rewriting the rules of the road by introducing a totally new type of car insurance where the monthly bill is based on miles driven.

Over 60% of drivers in Pennsylvania are considered low-mileage (drive less than 200 miles per week), and large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh already have great public transportation and bike-friendly commute options. In fact, Philadelphia has more bike commuters per capita than any of the other ten biggest cities in the U.S. It is likely that Pennsylvanians who rarely drive are overpaying for car insurance, so we anticipate that pay-per-mile car insurance will be much-needed solution!

We also plan to help Pennsylvanians become smarter drivers with our smart driving app. Insurance customers will receive the Metromile Pulse, a device that plugs into the car’s OBD-II port to deliver useful driving data and smart services.

Pennsylvania is the second state on the East Coast where we offer per-mile insurance, and we have more planned on our roadmap. Sign up for our waitlist if you would like to be notified when we arrive in your state!

If you’ve never gotten a flat tire – lucky you! And if you have, maybe you wish you had been a little more prepared to deal with this all-too-common yet extremely frustrating situation. While most cars typically come equipped with a spare, there’s more to fixing a flat than simply calling a tow truck or learning how to change your tire. Follow these tips to ensure that you don’t lose steam the next time your tire loses air.

Take preemptive measures.
Underinflated tires are one of the most common causes of flats because they create more friction, potentially leading to excessive heating. Overinflated tires are concerning as well because they can cause uneven wear on the treads and blowout if they get too hot. To avoid both of these scenarios, use a tire gauge to ensure your tires are inflated to the recommended PSI level, which you can find in your car owner’s manual or door jamb. And since you never know when you will encounter a bump in the road (both hypothetically and realistically speaking), make sure your spare tire is properly inflated as well.

You should also keep an eye on your tires to check for anything that looks off. While it’s pretty difficult to eyeball the ideal PSI level, you’ll be able to notice if your tire pressure seems super low or if there are any weird bulges. It’s also important to keep an eye on your tire treads to see if they start to look worn out. Try this quick trick: stick a penny in the treads with Lincoln’s head upside down, and if you can see all of his head, it’s time to replace your tires. Head to your local mechanic to check things out before it’s too late (cue the scary music).

You’ve got a flat – now what?
Where there’s smoke, there’s sometimes fire… or a flat tire. When your tire is so flat that the rim is grinding against the road, the friction will cause smoke. As if we needed to tell you this, smoke coming from your car is a strong indicator that you should pull over as soon as possible. Ideally, you should get off the highway, but if that isn’t an option you should stop where the shoulder is wide enough. Mechanic Matt has some good roadside safety tips, including the importance of setting out flares even in broad daylight. Once you are safely pulled over, go ahead and put on your spare if you know how to change your tire. If you don’t, just call a local towing company. If you are far from home, Yelp is a great way to find the most reliable services in the area. …

The following is a post from Jim Levinsohn, Director, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University, and George Mohler, Director of Data Science, Metromile

If you’re like most drivers, the answer seems to be “yes.”

We analyzed 191,699 trips made by Metromile customers who started out on a free test drive program and later switched to pay-per-mile insurance. (Each switcher had at least 30 days of driving before and after the switch). On average these individuals drove 16.4 miles per day before purchasing per-mile insurance. After switching, they drove on average 15.5 miles per day—a reduction of 6%.[1]

What’s going on here? It turns out that economics predicts exactly this outcome. When you buy traditional car insurance, you pay a fixed premium. That means that when you’re deciding whether or not to make a given trip, insurance cost doesn’t enter the calculation since that cost is invariant to whether or not you make the trip. You might consider the cost of gasoline and your time, because those costs increase if you make an extra trip, but not insurance costs. One consequence of traditional car insurance is that drivers with below average mileage in effect subsidize the premiums of drivers with higher mileage (an individual’s risk of an accident in a year increases with miles driven).

But when your car insurance is on a per-mile basis, the equation changes. Drivers with below average mileage start to save money, whereas drivers with above average mileage pay more. The less you drive, the lower your premium, so there’s a clear incentive to reduce your miles driven. In order to achieve the same incentive for reducing mileage, the tax on gasoline would need to be on the order of $0.74 per gallon! This is larger than the state gasoline tax in even the highest tax states. Simply changing the way insurance is priced has significant environmental advantages. …

Your driving routine likely goes something like this: jump in the car, turn up the music, and get to your destination as quickly and safely possible. But when you are tuned into your favorite radio (or Pandora/Songza/Spotify) station, you might be oblivious to the sounds your car is making. Whether it’s a squeak or a clunk, some noises may lead to larger repairs if they are not dealt with accordingly. Here are a few examples of common noises and the systems that could be affected by them.

Does your car squeak when you apply the brakes?

Most vehicles are fitted with disk brakes, which use brake pads that squeeze against the brake rotors when you apply the brakes. There is a small metal warning tab affixed to the brake pad that is designed to squeak when the brake pads are getting low. The noise is very high-pitched and hard to miss. When you hear squeaking, the brakes will need to be inspected and possibly changed. No need to panic and call a tow truck, but head to your mechanic as soon as you can.

Does your car clunk or make a crunching noise when you go over bumps?

These noises indicate that something in your suspension needs attention. Suspension components are typically made out of metal and need to pivot so that the vehicle can go over bumps. The pivot point, or bushing, is typically made out of rubber and can dry out, crack, or tear over time. Once this happens, there will be a crunching noise when the suspension component articulates. Worn out suspension components will affect alignment, causing your car to feel unstable and tires to wear prematurely.

Does your car make a groaning sound that gets louder the faster you drive?

Anything that spins in a circular motion will have a bearing that makes it turn. Bearings require lubrication and are often factory-sealed and not serviceable. Over time, these bearings can dry out and fail, causing all sorts of problems. Typically, a worn bearing will start making a groaning noise around 15 mph and get progressively louder and higher-pitched as the vehicle moves faster. The noise may come and go as the vehicle is turned from left to right because the load is being transferred on and off of the failing bearing. If you hear this noise, it’s time to see your mechanic ASAP as a failing bearing can cause all sorts of other components to be damaged. …

Just because you own a car doesn’t mean you are regularly taking it out for a spin. Perhaps you only use it when you are heading on a road trip, grabbing groceries from the store, or rushing to work when you “didn’t hear your alarm”. When you realize you’ve only clocked 5,000 miles in the past year, you might feel pressed to justify such a large investment. But it’s your car, it’s your way of driving your friends to the beach this weekend. We get it, which is why we compiled some easy ways to keep your car running smoothly and maybe even leverage it to earn some extra cash.

Know the basics: There’s no need to spend a lot of time and money on car maintenance when you aren’t driving much, but there are a few tips to remember in order to avoid costly repairs. Know how to deal with a flat tire and keep your tires properly inflated. It’s also important to change your oil on a regular basis as it keeps your car running smoothly and extends the life of the vehicle. Lastly, fix your brakes if they are squeaky because that likely means the brake lining is starting to wear thin. There’s no need to stop your car on the side of the road, but you should get them serviced soon after you hear the noise. If you are hungry for more car maintenance advice, we had one of our customer experience advocates share her favorite tips.

Be smart about car storage: If you are leaving your car idle for a long time, the ideal place to store it is in a garage because it prevents theft and also protects against the elements like that blazing summer sun. Garage parking can be expensive, especially in the city, so if you don’t need frequent access to your car you should shop around for the cheapest garage space instead of paying a premium to park in the closest garage. If the most viable option is keeping it outside, consider purchasing waterproof car cover to keep it clean to save on long term costs of wear and tear. Read more in our recent blog post about car storage tips.
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Many of us are all too familiar with the sinking feeling you get when you find that dreaded ticket on your dash because you parked in a street sweeping zone. Here at Metromile, we’re on a mission to make car ownership as easy as possible, which is why we are excited to announce that our street sweeping alerts are now available in San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area!

We’ve already issued more than 28,000 alerts in San Francisco and Chicago and saved customers an average of $1.8 million in parking tickets. Now, customers in San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area can avoid those pricey tickets as well. In the past year, there have been nearly 650,000 street sweeping citations issued in the city of Los Angeles, 70,000 in Santa Monica, and 25,000 in West Hollywood. At $63-$73 per ticket, that means that residents in the greater Los Angeles area have spent more than $53 million in street sweeping ticket fines. We’re here to do something about that- your money can definitely be put to better use! Trying out that new restaurant or going to a concert with your friends is much better than paying for a pesky parking ticket.

Metromile customers in select cities can take advantage of the alerts. We use city data and internal information to determine if your car is parked in a street-sweeping zone, and, if so, you will receive a push notification 12 hours before the scheduled street cleaning. If you miss the first alert, there will be a second alert with one hour to spare.

LA and SD are the first of many stops on our roadmap as we expand coverage for our sweeping alerts and other smart services. Learn more about our free smart driving app, and if you are also interested in saving money with per-mile insurance you can get started here. Here’s to the last of those street sweeping tickets!