American Family KnowYourDrive Review – Is It Worth It?
Last Updated on January 6, 2026
American Family’s KnowYourDrive® is a usage-based discount program that uses a smartphone app to track a few key driving behaviors and reward safer habits with savings. If you’re already insured with American Family, enrolling can be an easy way to lower your premium—especially if you’re a calm, distraction-free driver.
In this KnowYourDrive review, we’ll cover how it works, what it tracks, how much you can save, and when you might want to skip it. We’ll also point you to other ways to save, including American Family car insurance discounts and other common auto insurance discounts you can stack where available.
Our Rating of American Family KnowYourDrive
4.1
out of 5
★★★★☆
Summary
Bottom line: American Family KnowYourDrive is a flexible telematics program that can reward safe driving while offering multiple tracking options.
American Family KnowYourDrive is a usage-based insurance program that monitors driving behaviors such as braking, acceleration, speeding, and phone use through either a mobile app or a plug-in device, with results reflected at renewal. The program is generally easy to use and transparent about what is tracked, though savings depend heavily on individual driving habits and comfort with ongoing data collection.
Best for
- Drivers who prefer a choice between app-based or device-based tracking
- Policyholders with consistently safe driving habits
- Those interested in feedback on their driving behavior
Not ideal for
- Drivers uncomfortable with driving behavior monitoring
- Households with inconsistent or high-risk driving patterns
- Those concerned about sharing location and usage data
- Our Rating of American Family KnowYourDrive
- About American Family Insurance
- What Is American Family KnowYourDrive?
- How Does KnowYourDrive Work?
- KnowYourDrive vs. American Family’s Other Usage-Based Programs
- Pros and Cons of KnowYourDrive
- Tips to Get the Best KnowYourDrive Discount
- KnowYourDrive Competitors and Alternatives
- FAQs on American Family KnowYourDrive
- So, Is American Family KnowYourDrive Worth It?
About American Family Insurance
American Family Insurance sells auto policies through agents in 19 states and offers a broad lineup of car insurance coverage types, from state-minimum liability to comprehensive and collision, plus add-ons like roadside assistance, rideshare options, and gap coverage (availability varies by state). Like most insurers, pricing depends on your location, vehicle, driving record, claims history, and coverage choices—so the best way to know your real cost is to get a quote and compare.
If you’re shopping for more than just auto insurance, you can also look into bundling your car and home insurance—which is often one of the biggest “set it and forget it” savings opportunities.
What Is American Family KnowYourDrive?
KnowYourDrive is a free smartphone app that monitors your driving and applies a discount to eligible parts of your policy. American Family advertises a 10% introductory offer for enrolling, with a discount that can range from about 2% to 20% based on driving behavior (exact eligibility and discount details vary by state and policy).
Important: KnowYourDrive is designed as a discount program—your “score” affects how big your discount is. If your discount shrinks at renewal (or you stop participating), your premium can effectively go up because you’re no longer receiving the same savings.
How Does KnowYourDrive Work?
KnowYourDrive runs in the background on your iPhone or Android device. You’ll typically need to allow permissions like location and motion/activity so the app can detect trips and measure driving behaviors.
What the app tracks
- Hard braking / abrupt stops
- Speeding (time spent driving over the speed limit)
- Distracted driving / phone handling (like texting or other handheld activity while driving)
After trips are recorded, you can usually review them inside the app. If the app mislabels you as the driver (for example, you were a passenger), many telematics programs allow you to correct or remove trips—so it’s worth checking your trip log from time to time.
How savings work (and how long you need to use it)
American Family applies an introductory discount when you enroll, then adjusts your discount based on driving data. To keep the discount at renewals, you generally need to stay enrolled and keep recording trips.
If you want an app-based program with potentially bigger swings (including the possibility of a higher rate for high-risk driving), American Family also offers DriveMyWay. If you’re a low-mileage driver who prefers not to use an app, MilesMyWay may be another option in many states.
KnowYourDrive vs. American Family’s Other Usage-Based Programs
| Program | What it’s based on | Biggest takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| KnowYourDrive | Driving behavior tracked by app | Discount-focused; advertised up to ~20% savings (varies by state/policy) |
| DriveMyWay | Driving behavior tracked by app | Personalized-rate style program; some drivers can save more, but high-risk driving may increase costs |
| MilesMyWay | Miles driven (photo of odometer) | Good fit for low-mileage drivers who want savings without app tracking |
Pros and Cons of KnowYourDrive
Pros
- Easy discount for many safe drivers, with a quick enrollment process
- Helpful feedback on braking, speeding, and distraction patterns
- Works in the background (no device to plug into your car)
- Good “habit-builder” if you’re trying to cut phone use and aggressive driving
Cons
- Data/privacy tradeoff: you’re sharing driving behavior data for a discount
- Phone-dependent: dead battery, disabled permissions, or weak signal can affect trip recording
- Shared vehicles can be messy: passenger/driver mix-ups may require you to review trips
- Discount can shrink if your driving patterns look riskier over time
Tips to Get the Best KnowYourDrive Discount
- Brake early and smoothly: leave more following distance so you don’t need hard stops.
- Set a “no phone” rule: mount your phone, use audio for navigation, and avoid handling it at all while driving.
- Watch speed creep: even small amounts of speeding can add up over many trips.
- Check your trips weekly: correct passenger trips or obvious errors sooner rather than later.
- Keep permissions on: location/motion permissions and background refresh often matter for accurate trip detection.
If you’re already eligible for a good driver discount, KnowYourDrive can be a strong add-on—because safer habits tend to help your record (and your rates) in more ways than one.
KnowYourDrive Competitors and Alternatives
KnowYourDrive isn’t the only telematics-style discount program. Depending on where you live, you may see similar options from other insurers, including:
- Esurance DriveSense Mobile (review here)
- Liberty Mutual RightTrack (review here)
- Allstate Drivewise (review here)
- State Farm Drive Safe & Save (review here) — some setups can integrate with systems like OnStar
Even if you love KnowYourDrive, it’s still smart to compare quotes occasionally. Rates can vary widely by driver and ZIP code, so check pricing across top car insurance companies and see who’s the best fit for your situation—even if they aren’t the cheapest car insurance company for everyone.
FAQs on American Family KnowYourDrive
So, Is American Family KnowYourDrive Worth It?
For many American Family customers, KnowYourDrive is worth trying—especially if you already drive smoothly, keep phone use to a minimum, and want an “automatic” discount that doesn’t require much effort once it’s set up.
That said, you may want to skip KnowYourDrive (or be extra cautious) if you’re uncomfortable sharing driving data, you frequently drive in situations that trigger hard braking (dense city traffic), your phone is often low on battery, or you share vehicles and don’t want to spend time fixing trip assignments.
If you’re unsure, consider enrolling for a policy term, watching your discount and trip accuracy, and then deciding whether to keep it at renewal.
