Motor vehicle operating data collection and analysis
A method and apparatus for collecting and evaluating powered vehicle operation utilizing on-board diagnostic components and location determining components or systems. The invention creates one or more databases whereby identifiable behavior or evaluative characteristics can be analyzed or categorized. The evaluation can include predicting likely future events. The database can be correlated or evaluated with other databases for a wide variety of uses.
1. A method comprising:
recording, by a driving data recorder, vehicle speed data corresponding to a vehicle's movement at periodic intervals;
detecting, by the driving data recorder, excess speed events when the vehicle speed data passes over a predetermined speed limit;
determining, by the driving data recorder, that time of day is after-sunset;
determining, by the driving data recorder, that the excess speed event occurred during the after-sunset time of day;
responsive to the determining that the excess speed event occurred during the after-sunset time of day, negatively adjusting a safety rating associated with the vehicle of a driver; and
recording, by the driving data recorder, the adjusted safety rating.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting, by the driving data recorder, that the vehicle is accelerating;
determining, by the driving data recorder, that the excess speed event occurred during acceleration of the vehicle; and
responsive to the determining that the excess speed event occurred during the acceleration of the vehicle, further adjusting a safety rating associated with a vehicle of a driver based on a magnitude of the acceleration of the vehicle.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving data recorder is a data collection system comprising electronic memory storage and central processing unit and is configured to interface with an on-board diagnostic port of the vehicle.