Smart Driving Apps Can Also Be Smarter Marketing

The cost of living in the UK continues to rise and one way insurance brands can help cash-strapped drivers is by offering apps that save them money. For the insurance brand the upside is you gather data on locations and driving styles of those using the vehicle, which is helpful in understanding risk. For the car owner, they benefit from better mpg as they smooth their driving out, plus save a bit on some types of PAYG cover – it’s win-win.

Here’s the word from DriveScore;

With DriveScore, good drivers could get cheaper car insurance and it is a fairer way to buy, as quotes are based on driving behaviour. The app tracks driving and generates a driving score for users, which they can share with insurance providers on DriveScore’s marketplace to get discounts on car insurance.

A brand-new proposition for the market, DriveScore uses cutting-edge, app-based telematics to transform the car insurance landscape, to benefit both consumers and insurers. DriveScore puts consumers in control of the data collected as they drive, sharing insights and tips with motorists on how to make safer driving choices. The app has already amassed 350k downloads in the UK in less than a year.

Ciaran Astin, managing director of DriveScore, comments: “DriveScore is making car insurance fairer by focussing on a key element that isn’t factored into traditional policies, namely how a person actually drives. One of the reasons we have managed to attract so many users already is because we give drivers control over their data – which they can choose to either share with insurers or keep to themselves.

NO BLACK BOX, NO CURFEWS

“There are no strings attached with DriveScore and we’re very different to Black Box insurance. We’re independent and we don’t provide our own insurance policies. Instead, we’re a free app that helps users understand how insurers would rate their driving, and then gives motorists a way to use their driving data to potentially save money when buying insurance.”

Available on iOS and Android, drivers can simply download the free app, sign up with email and start driving to build their score. The app automatically detects a car journey and, after a minimum of 150 miles, DriveScore will have enough data to give users / drivers a score out of 1,000. The score is built on multiple factors, including acceleration, breaking, cornering and mobile phone distraction. Users can also easily understand how they can improve their driving, with the added advantage that good driving promotes fuel efficiency.

DriveScore has so far partnered with big insurance names such as Admiral and Hastings, and is regularly adding new insurers to the panel. Drivers with a score over 750 can qualify for enhanced car insurance offers. About 70 per cent of DriveScore users get a score above 750, enabling them to save.

Behind the scenes, the DriveScore app leverages the expertise and experience of a leading global provider of app-based telematics solutions. DriveScore is therefore powered by advanced driver behaviour monitoring technology honed through billions of miles of drive-recording experience.