One Texas driver's interstate trip turned into a barrage of alerts when the LoJack tracking system reportedly treated legal highway speeds as a problem, firing off more than 70 "speeding" notifications.
The complaint struck a nerve because it tapped into a broader frustration that many drivers say tracking technology can feel more intrusive than helpful.
Here's what to know
A driver posting on Reddit said LoJack repeatedly flagged them during a trip on Interstate 10 in Texas. "I received over 70 notifications from LoJack telling me that I was speeding," they wrote, with a screenshot of their phone's notification center inundated with LoJack pop-ups. "I'll be ran over if I drove any slower," the poster added.
According to the post, the problem occurred on the route between Katy and San Antonio, where that part of the highway has a 75 mph speed limit. The alerts were said to begin once the car went above 74 mph.
One commenter questioned: "Why do you get notifications on your phone about speeding while driving? When you are not even supposed to look at your phone."
Another Reddit user explained: "The program isn't telling you that you are speeding compared to the speed limit, it is telling you that you are going faster than the speed threshold set for the device.
"The program/device in the vehicle (guessing a company vehicle) is set for a speed threshold determined by your company fleet manager, or whoever deals with that in your company, and is usually set based on insurance, among other factors."
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"I will absolutely never ever in a million years consent to putting something like this in my car," one person shared.
More background
LoJack is a car system that uses GPS and cellular technology to recover stolen vehicles and record driving history.
The Reddit conversation soon widened beyond LoJack itself, with many replies criticizing insurance-linked monitored-driving apps as more annoying than useful.
In one person's description, the app marked "inattentive driving" for phone contact even during hands-free actions, and it sometimes kept tracking after the drive was over.
Another user questioned insurance companies' use of such apps. "All of these [notifications] will later potentially be used by your insurance company to show how you have poor driving habits and an excessive speed is a reason to deny your claim," they warned.
What can be done?
One commenter told the original poster: "Turn off those notifications."
Several commenters also said shoppers can push back when dealers try to bundle tracking products into a vehicle sale. Another Redditor wrote: "Dealer by me lost a new car sale because they wouldn't remove the LoJack. Went to another dealer and bought without. So stupid."
Others argued that the better move is to avoid optional driver-monitoring programs altogether if the discount is minimal or the tracking feels excessive.
"The day I opened my State Farm app and saw grades for cornering, braking, etc, I threw their tracker out the window and canceled the drive safe and save," another user added.
Where can I learn more?
The LoJack complaints aren't the only driving issue frustrating people right now.
• Utah is spending nearly $10 million on an unusual highway safety fix to protect wildlife.
• A passenger's highway vape toss turned into reckless littering outrage inside the car.
• A local highway became harder to navigate after a blinding billboard drew legal questions.
• Another driver said lifted truck headlights left them blinded on the road.
• Drivers also complained that rear high beams and taillights on lifted trucks crossed legal lines.
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