Joining the likes of Aviva and Direct Line, British insurer More Than has announced its own telematics packages aimed at younger and inexperienced drivers. To help iron out the risk associated with insuring young and new drivers, More Than’s telematics package will track the newly insured to make sure that they aren’t speeding or accelerating too swiftly. If they do, they could find themselves without insurance before long.
This oversight however means that More Than can offer insurance to these younger drivers, knowing that if they do take part in activity that is likely to make them a more risky proposition to insure, it can drop the coverage. However if the driver is encouraged to drive safely, then the chances of them crashing are drastically reduced, meaning that the cut price premium is a sound investment for everyone involved.
The new package being offered by More Than is called Smart Wheels and was created in cooperation with Trak Global, draing inspiration from the US usage based insurance premiums. When drivers first sign up to it, they have to estimate the number of miles they think they’ll drive in the first year. Every month from then on, miles are tracked and tallied up. If a driver keeps within the standards of acceptably safe driving, they can be rewarded with more miles or possibly a cash bonus given on a pre-paid VISA debit card.
Daniel Robinson, More Than’s director, said of this new system: “As one of the UK’s leading insurers, More Than wants to help its customers get insurance at a price they can afford.
“With advances in technology, we are now able to offer young and inexperienced drivers a telematics product that rewards them for safer driving and helps them lower their renewal costs.”
Of course More Than is far from the first company to introduce a system like this, with firms in the US championing the usage based system. Companies in the UK haven’t been so quick to adopt that however, instead opting for a strike system that threatens new drivers with big penalties to their premium or possibly even cancellation should they drive too quickly, or take part in anything that could be considered dangerous.
Another advantage of these systems not always talked about however, is parental peace of mind. Putting your child in their own car for the first time can be a nerve racking experience for any parent. However with a telematics system installed, they’re able to track where their kid is at any time while driving, how fast they’ve driving and depending on the sensitivity of the telematics device, whether they’ve loaded their new car up with friends.
The drivers themselves can also benefit by improving their fuel economy and reducing vehicle wear through better driving practices.
