Everyone would all love to save money on our insurance, and insurance companies often do try to create incentives for good drivers. In recent years, many insurance companies have introduced apps that monitor your driving. The purpose of this is to reward good drivers with discounts, but there is always a lot more going on.
Some of the most popular apps are Allstate’s Drivewise, USAA’s SafePilot, Progressive’s Snapshot, and State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save. There are also programs through American Family, Geico, Nationwide, and Travelers. We have some more information on the above mentioned apps and what they do.
Allstate Drivewise
Their purpose is to get you a more personalized auto insurance rate, especially if you are driving safely. They do state that if you drive at a higher-risk, then your rate could also increase. Your price will change with every policy period. They say you should “avoid behaviors like speeding, sudden braking, phone activity and late-night driving,” as these activities put you more at risk for an accident. They also have crash detection, which can see if you have been in an accident and will send notifications to offer you help.
USAA SafePilot
Getting 10% discount on enrollment, and then you get 30% based on your safe driving at your renewal period. They also have accident detection and emergency call assistance.
Progressive Snapshot
You get personalization based on your driving. They have “usage-based insurance” which means that you pay “based on how and how much you drive” instead of other factors. You might get an automatic discount just for signing up, but your rate can also increase if you are a high-risk driver. You can review your trips to see where you can improve, change trips where you were a passenger and not a driver, and also some driving tips.
State Farm Drive Safe & Save
By signing up for State Farm’s Drive Safe & Safe, you could qualify for a 30% discount. Your discount is based on mileage and driving characteristics.
Some programs are controlled through a mobile app, but some have a plug-in device. With all these programs, some only provide discounts, but others could increase your rate depending on your driving style. Before you decide if you want to enroll, you should do research into what your program will do.
Every company also varies on what factors they track, but most of the time they are pretty similar. Most apps track hard braking, speeding, phone usage, quick acceleration, time of day you’re driving, and mileage. These can help you stay a safe driver if you’re trying to follow the laws, but it also means that outlying factors can also affect your rates. For example, if you have to slam on your brakes because a car cuts you off, that can count as unsafe driving. Or, if you take a trip to the store during the night for medication, that is seen as risky driving. Even if you are a passenger, sometimes the app will track that as a trip and will log your phone usage or the driver’s habits as yours.
According to KSL.com, some of these apps and services sell your information. “Before you install the app, read the terms and conditions. If you don’t like what’s said about how your driving data is collected, used and shared, don’t use the app.”
Whether you want to use these apps or not, it is still important to make sure that you are following the rules of the road and driving safely.
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