• Majority of car users (74 percent) are happy for vehicle-specific data to be shared where it relates to maintenance and use of internal technology  

  • Many car users feel deeply uncomfortable with sharing more personal data that compromised their identity (55 percent), location (45 percent), smartphone data (50 percent) and driving skills (44 percent) 

Assurant, a leading global provider of lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect and connect major consumer purchases, has launched new data which reveals car users across the UK are happy and increasingly willing to share vehicle data, as long as their data anonymity is maintained.  

According to data from Assurant’s Connected Decade report, a survey of consumer attitudes towards their connected lives, the majority of UK car users were happy for vehicle-specific data to be shared where it related to maintenance, use of internal technology and external road conditions – all of which could lead to improved services for car users overall.  

Among the respondents, 74 percent were comfortable with the technical status and operating health of their vehicles being shared, alongside three quarters of car users also responding positively to the sharing of data around external traffic, weather and road conditions.  

Nevertheless, Assurant’s research also uncovered that car users were, however, deeply uncomfortable with the sharing of more vehicle-related personal data, as a result of the potentially higher risk of individual car users becoming identifiable through the data.  

Risk caused as a result of location data was identified as a key area of concern, with nearly all (91 percent) of respondents at least somewhat concerned about their car being hacked, and over half (55 percent) uncomfortable with sharing their location in general. Respondents also acknowledged feeling uncomfortable with sharing data around their driving ability, including usage of connected safety and convenience features, such as automatic parking assist and emergency braking. This applied to about a third (31 percent) of respondents surveyed.  

Furthermore, when it came to the issue of data consent, an overwhelming majority (91 percent) of respondents were at least somewhat concerned about their data being shared without their explicit consent. 

Sean Kent, UK Client Director, Automotive, at Assurant, said: “As vehicles grow ever more complex in a data-connected ecosystem, consumers want a greater degree of protection and reassurance that their data and privacy are maintained. It is clear that enabling consumers to better understand the benefits of a connected lifestyle, alongside protecting data and making support more readily accessible, will help to increase trust overall.  

“At Assurant, we place the customer at the heart of what we do, constantly monitoring and identifying what they need. We are focused on delivering technical support and protection products and services that help consumers to adopt and embrace a connected lifestyle. As drivers continue to interact with vehicles in new and data-driven ways, we will continue to create products that meet the evolving needs of consumers and the wider auto industry.” 

Assurant’s research surveyed more than 1,400 UK consumers.