UK motorists are invited to help develop a new driving app which could earn them a discount of up to 20 percent on their personal auto motor insurance. Aviva is using smartphone technology to create individual driver profiles, which will be used to calculate tailored pay-how-you-drive premiums.

The driver behavioural app, Aviva RateMyDrive, will monitor motorists taking part in the test for 200 miles, including acceleration, braking and cornering. The data is then turned into an individual “score” which helps determine the motorist's premium—with safer drivers earning up to 20 percent off their Aviva premium. The discounts are in addition to any other Aviva offers for which they are eligible.

“We believe this innovative use of smartphone technology will benefit all safe drivers, regardless of age or gender,” says Steve Treloar, Aviva's retail director. ““Unlike traditional 'black box' telematics solutions, Aviva RateMyDrive app only needs a small amount of data—typically 200 miles—to create an individual driver profile. And because the app is free to download and uses the customer's own smartphone, there is no need for motorists to have a black box installed in their car.”

While safer drivers could receive a discount up to 20 percent, Treloar explains the insurer won't penalise other drivers if their driving doesn't come up to the standard set by the app.

“They'll just receive the standard premium but won't get a discount,” he says.

So far the app has been used in testing with some Aviva staff for a number of months and now the insurer is looking to drivers who have android phones to help develop further the new app-based insurance. The app will be available to those with other types of smartphone at a later date.

“We need a wide range of motorists to test the proposition and help us develop the final product and customer experience before we bring it fully to market,” says Treloar. “We will ask those helping us to shape this new proposition to tell us what they think of the app and what improvements could be made to benefit the customer. “We believe that by using smartphone technology in this innovative way, Aviva will be able to tailor premiums further to individual drivers—basically the premium will be for you, not people like you.”

Special Reports /

Aviva Seeks Drivers to Test New Telematics Car Insurance

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