Our GPS-free telematics solution
Monitoring driving behaviour without infringing on the driver’s privacy
Location data? Not required.
We often emphasise that our solution does not use GPS. Nor do we store any location data, or share it with others. Yet the app sometimes asks for permission to access location data. How does this work exactly?
From a technical point of view, the term ‘location data’ goes far beyond just GPS. A smartphone can determine your location in many different ways. For example, via the nearest mobile phone mast, or the Wi-Fi network you are connected to. A Bluetooth connection and, of course, your GPS location also play a part. Each of these methods of determining your location involves a different chip in your phone. The GPS chip is, in fact, only activated when your location needs to be determined with a high degree of accuracy, using GPS satellites.
Not using GPS has two huge advantages: it does not infringe on the privacy of individual drivers, whilst at the same time significantly reducing the smartphone’s battery consumption. This is because the GPS components in a smartphone consume a relatively large amount of energy.
Two exceptions where we do ask permission to share location data
Exception one: the accelerometer
To determine whether you are driving or stationary, we use the accelerometer in the pod. This is a sensitive sensor, so in some cases this method does not work properly. For example, if the engine causes a lot of vibration whilst stationary. In such cases, you can specify in the app that you want to use the GPS speed to determine whether you are driving. If you enable this feature, the GPS sensor will measure whether you are travelling at more than 10 km/h. We do not store this speed anywhere, nor do we store your location whilst you are travelling. The GPS data is used solely to determine whether you are travelling or not.
Exception two: location at the time of a crash
SafeDriveResponse is the exception for which we explicitly activate your phone’s GPS chip and even share your location data. The only time this happens is immediately after a car accident. If SafeDriveResponse detects a collision, we send out an emergency signal including your GPS coordinates so that we can help you as quickly as possible. Where exactly that emergency signal is sent depends on the arrangements made with your employer, leasing company or insurance company.
Finally, a legal point. The strict European privacy regulations are very clear about what you can and cannot do with customer data. Firstly, you must specify in great detail exactly what data you collect and what you do with it. Secondly, you must adhere strictly to what you promise your customer. In our case, this is set out in the privacy statement which you can read when you first use our app. If we fail to honour our commitments, we are in breach of the regulations. It is therefore in both your and our interests that we handle your data with care.
Up to iOS 26.1, we had to use a built-in Apple feature to automatically launch the app when you start driving. This is known as a ‘significant change’. In the background, your phone determines your approximate location using mobile phone masts. This is a very imprecise method, with a margin of error of up to 500 metres. If you suddenly change your position significantly, this triggers a ‘significant change’. This ensures that our app launches automatically and all our features work again whilst you are driving. We only use this location data to launch the app and do not store any data. Since 26 January, this is no longer necessary, so we no longer ask for your consent.
As Bluetooth is also, indirectly, a form of location tracking, Android 11 and earlier versions request permission to share location data. From Android 12 onwards, permission is requested directly for the specific use of Bluetooth. You will therefore no longer receive a request for location data.