You know, this exchange has got me thinking about "What is the purpose of this DAM?"
Yes, I can see some potential good if it let's you know that your driving attention may be fading and it's time to take a break. But, it seems the best way to know this is to use the human brain (and maybe watch the clock). I follow the 2-hour rule - if more than 2 hours go by, I figure it's time to stop at the next rest area.
That's a good rule, but not all drivers use their brains
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So, I'd like to know, does the DAM provide data that gets saved back to the AcuraLink about your driving habits? And if you get into an accident, is this something your insurance company or police may get access to, to determine if you were at fault?
Probably. With Data sharing enabled, Acura/Honda will certainly be getting that data. The Data Sharing setting pops up every time you start the car, and page 332 of the manual shows this:
You acknowledge and agree that any collection, use, sharing of data generated by your VEHICLE or your use of your VEHICLE, and your use of the HONDA SERVICES shall be subject to this AGREEMENT and any additional HONDA TERMS that may be specifically applicable to such HONDA SERVICES or data generation
So they don't say what they use it for, but if you have data sharing enabled to use AcuraLink, I'd expect Honda will have all the data about DAM, driving speeds, acceleration, speed limits, when the safety features activate, etc. They might not volunteer it to your insurance company, but I would expect if Honda gets sued over a crash they will absolutely use this to say you were speeding or driving unsafe or inattentive.
There's also a note on page 2 about EDR (Event Data Recorders) and law enforcement implications. That seems to be more about crashes - 30 seconds of data before a crash can be extracted. It sounds like it's there out of some consumer protection law, particularly this clause:
The data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner
Keep in mind, that's just about the EDR data and they're probably telling you that because they have to. It doesn't say anything about what Honda collects over the air under the "Data Sharing" option.
If it is saving data (and I have to believe it is), then where does it go and how do I get access to it? It seems to me that this should be something that I as owner of the vehicle should control.
Curious what others may think about this. 😀
That's a great question. I'd read page 338 about information collection and storage. You'd probably have to write an email or otherwise make some official request to delete your info.
Personally I turned Data Sharing and AcuraLink off. It's "free" for a reason (they collect and mine your data). I don't find it very useful, so I choose not to share the data.
