TomTom introduces telematics-based car insurance
If you have no objections to having your driving behaviour constantly monitored, then prepare to be rewarded with a potentially lower insurance premium. Satnav company Tomtom has entered the insurance market through a partnership with insurance broker Motaquote and is providing the technology behind a new insurance product, Fair Play Insurance, which bases premiums on driving behaviour.
“Our entry into the insurance market with our proven fleet management technology puts us at the forefront of a move that could help to revolutionise the motor insurance industry,” said Thomas Schmidt, managing director TomTom Business Solutions. “We offer a unique combination of navigation, traffic information and telematics which opens up great opportunities for insurance companies to promote greener, safer driving and create a ground breaking portfolio of new insurance products. We are delighted Motaquote have recognised this potential in the launch of such an innovative product.”
According to TomTom, Fair Pay Insurance gives drivers control over their own policy by using driving ability and behaviour to allocate premiums, rather than so-called risk factors such as postcode, gender, age and vehicle type. “We’ve dispensed with generalisations and said to our customers, if you believe you’re a good driver, we’ll believe you and we’ll even give you the benefit up front,” said Nigel Lombard, managing director of Fair Pay Insurance. “This is unlike some other telematics-based schemes where you may have to prove your ability over a number of months. So if you think of your insurance as your car’s MPG – the better you drive, the longer your fuel will last. It’s the same with Fair Pay Insurance, good drivers get more for their money and in that sense they will pay ultimately less.”
Drivers who sign up for Fair Pay receive a specially-developed TomTom PRO 3100 navigation device, which includes Active Driver Feedback and LIVE Services. This means policy-holders can be alerted to driving events, such as harsh cornering and sharp breaking, and benefit from accurate traffic information updated every two minutes. They will also have a LINK tracking unit fitted in their vehicles, allowing driver behaviour and habits to be monitored. This information can then be viewed by the policy-holder in their driver dashboard, an online tool that details journey and driver behaviour data, and in regular email bulletins.
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