Good driver? AA Drivescore app can prove it
AA Insurance has launched ‘AA Drivescore': a free ‘try before you buy' app that allows drivers to prove just how safe and responsible they are behind the wheel.
Although it has only been available since the beginning of January, already it is attracting over 12,000 downloads per week. It is available for i-Pad while an Android version will follow soon.
The app is based on the AA's Drivesafe telematic or ‘pay how you drive' insurance system.
It uses similar data scoring to indicate the premium discounts they might expect, if they buy an AA Drivesafe policy.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, points out: "Car insurance premiums for young drivers are higher than ever - especially for young women who have seen a sudden hike in premiums thanks to the European Court of Justice Gender ruling, which came into effect on 21 December.
"AA Drivescore will establish a user's driving style after just 200 miles, providing them with hard data that would indicate the discounts they could expect if they go on to buy an AA Drivesafe telematic policy."
Drivers scoring well with an AA Drivesafe ‘pay how you drive' policy are getting around £450 back after just three months.
The average quoted premium for 17-22 year olds using conventional comprehensive insurance is £1,651, reflecting the much higher likelihood, particularly amongst young men, of being involved in a costly crash. It means that the majority who drive well subsidise those who don't, until they have built up a no-claim bonus to demonstrate that they represent a good risk to insurers.
"Young drivers buying their first car insurance policy are usually horrified by the high initial premium they are expected to pay. The majority believe they drive well, but they can't prove it.
"AA Drivescore will give them evidence of their driving style. What's more, it is fun to use. You simply open the app at the beginning of a journey and press ‘start'. At the end of the trip press ‘stop' and the system crunches the data gathered."
The app tracks speed, braking, cornering and time of day that the user is driving. Positive points are scored by staying within speed limits, anticipating the road ahead and avoiding sharp braking and cornering manoeuvres as well as avoiding driving late at night, which is when most car crashes involving young drivers happen.
Similarly, poor driving will reduce the score. Mr Douglas points out that most car crashes involve losing control due to one or a combination of speed, cornering and braking, while young drivers are ten times more likely to crash if they are behind the wheel late at night.
How AA Drivescore works
AA Drivescore presents information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand way.
Using GPS technology, it provides specific scores for speed, anticipation, following the landscape (cornering) and time of day, as well as a host of other information such as the types of roads driven on, daily and cumulative mileages.
The score is set at 50 points out of 100 (‘average') from the start, providing scope for losing as well as gaining points. After 200 miles of driving the system presents an overall driving score which the AA can use to indicate what this might be worth as a discount on an AA Drivesafe insurance policy.
Says Mr Douglas: "Insurers are looking for ways to identify those drivers who present the lowest risk and reward them with lower premiums. Devices such as this are extraordinarily accurate and I believe many companies are following such developments with interest.
"Telematic systems such as AA Drivesafe, demonstrate that most users think about how they are driving and take care to stick to the rules of the road. As a bonus they find driving is less stressful, saves costly fuel and reduces wear and tear on components such as brakes and tyres.
"In short, it makes them safer drivers."
Users of telematic insurance are more than 30% less likely to make a claim than those who are insured conventionally.
The app may also help to settle once and for all the age-old dispute about who drives best - men or women. Users can challenge their friends of either gender to see how well they score.
The app can be downloaded from the itunes app store.
