Telematics: DrivePlus Van launched to save drivers money

Direct Line for Business (DL4B) has officially launched DrivePlus Van, its new telematics App for van drivers that is free to download. Immediately available on both iPhone, iOS 6 and above, and Android 2.2 Froyo or later, the App enables van drivers to monitor driving behaviours, with the potential to save money on their insurance.

Van drivers (prospective and existing Direct Line customers) can save up to 15 per cent on their van insurance by tracking 300 miles of driving using DrivePlus Van. Once 300 miles are logged, users will be provided with a driving score out of 100 (with 100 being the safest) and a promotion code to redeem the discount via telephone or the DL4B website.

Telematics promotes responsible driving through directly linking driving behaviour, such as cornering and braking, to the cost of insurance. This is especially good news for van drivers and fleet owners who want a cost effective method of managing the risk of operating their vehicles. The DrivePlus Van App allows users to untag journeys that are not applicable (e.g. has been passenger in another car, on train, bus etc.), and records journey time, distance travelled and driving score which enables the user to effectively monitor their journey. It will also indicate what the journey events were that impacted the overall score.

Jasvinder Gakhal at Direct Line for Business said: “Telematics has been used for a number of years by Fleet managers in order to track their vehicles and optimise productivity. Here at Direct Line for Business we’re bringing that technology to owners of single vans in an easy to use app. With capital still stretched for many small businesses, owners of commercial vans are understandably concerned about the cost and risks of operating their vehicle. Telematics encourages responsible driving and through our App this can earn drivers a significant discount on their van insurance.”