It seems just about everyone thinks they’re an above-average driver.
One insurance company is asking confident drivers to put their money where their mouth is, offering a smartphone app that tracks driver behaviour in exchange for a discount on its optional insurance rates.
Belairdirect, a private insurer that offers optional coverage, has released an app that tracks hard braking, excessive speeding, and late-night driving.
“They want to tell us they’re better drivers than the average and by having this application they can show us,” Henry Blumenthal, Belair Direct sales vice-president, said.
Discounts on optional coverage start at five per cent upon sign-up and can go as high as 25 per cent after a six-month evaluation.
Blumenthal notes that the app can also help drivers develop better habits.
“Overall, British Columbians using telematics will become better drivers and hopefully have additional savings,” Blumenthal said.
The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) says it is focusing on tech that curbs distracted driving but is not ruling out a future pilot project with user-based insurance.
“Whatever we do, we’re going to do it right, we’re going to do it carefully and we’re going to do it based on customer feedback,” Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC insurance strategy vice-president said.
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