Translate fuel efficiency into lower insurance rates

[SteveMak]

I live in Ontario, Canada. My auto insurance company is Desjardins Insurance. The last time I talked with them, they told me of how I could save "up to 25%" on my car insurance. Here's their scheme.

You download an app to your smartphone (iPhone with recent iOS or Android). The app tracks your driving patterns, specifically:

• Distance traveled
• Time of day traveled (e.g., rush hour, after-bar time, off-peak time)
• Gentle acceleration
• Gentle braking
• Speed variances
• Speeding (over the speed limit. Some grace allowed)
• Gentle corners
• Distracted driving (I suspect it tracks if you touch your phone while driving)

They track you for 100 days (and? or?) 1000 km. The system evaluates each trip and gives you a score per trip (with details of why), as well as:

• Over-all score (expressed as a percent)
• Number of days tracked
• Distance tracked
• Your savings (e.g., 0% to 25%)

For each trip, it sends data to the server for analysis and returns the results. At the end of the tracking period, your score is sent to the server, and your saving automatically applied to your insurance premiums starting next month, going forward.

As you might guess, if you're a hypermiler, or even someone who has driving habits optimized for fuel economy, this translates into potential insurance savings. So far, I'm on day 22 with 859 km driven. My score is 93, which translates into 23% savings off my car insurance.

After you get your final rating, you can delete the app, as it no longer contributes to additional savings. The company alleges your score will not increase your insurance rates. It can only potentially lower them.

Desjardins calls their system Ajusto. Consider asking your insurance company if they have something similar.

Disclosure: I am in no way associated with the Adjusto program, Desjardins insurance (other than being a customer), or the insurance industry. I'm just a customer.

[Draigflag]

Aviva do a similar thing here "drive challenge" they call it, except it only tracks your driving over 200 miles. My insurance is surprisingly cheap as is so never found a reason to consider such a concept, but might give it a go just for fun.

https://www.aviva.co.uk/car-insurance/drive/

[LDB]

Progressive and I think one other company have devices that plug into the OBDII port to track various things and determine possible discounts here in the U.S.

[trollbait]

I am currently doing this for the Camry with Liberty Mutual, called Right Track. It is for 90 days, and I've done it with previous vehicles. It used a OBD II device back then, but with a smart phone you get a little tracker that sticks to the window shield and an ap that lets you know how you are doing.

You get a small discount for just doing the program.
It doesn't track as much as the OP's does.
Distance
Braking rate
Acceleration rate
Amount of night time driving

If you are a dedicated pulse and coaster, the acceleration rate might be too high. I did not do as well the first the car I used it on as I am now.

[SteveMak]

Update on my "Adjusto" app:

• Requires the greater of 100 days and 1,000 km driving
  .
• So far, I'm 54 days in, and over 1,000 km. My score is 95%, equating to a 24% reduction in insurance rates. Cool!

[trollbait]

Going to be saving $12 a month.

[SteveMak]

For me, the savings will be an estimated CAD$337/year. I'd rather put that towards "free" fuel, than leave it in someone else's pocket.

[Draigflag]

Originally Posted by SteveMak

For me, the savings will be an estimated CAD$337/year. I'd rather put that towards "free" fuel, than leave it in someone else's pocket.

That sounds a lot, is car insurance especially expensive over there?

[SteveMak]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

That sounds a lot, is car insurance especially expensive over there?

Yeah. Years ago the Ontario government made insurance mandatory, and guess what? All the rates went up in short order.

If the law says you have to buy something, then there's no incentive for suppliers to have competitive rates. You're gonna have to buy somewhere. I'm paying CAD$1,350/year for a 2015 Audi Q5 diesel. Not exactly a sports car. 58-years-old. Driving since 17. Clean record.

FYI, Ontario Canada also has:

• The most expensive toll road in the world. The 407. Go to www.407etr.com and check out the rates. I used to pay over $400 a month in toll fees. It's private. The province sold it off, rates skyrocketed.
  .
• The most expensive airport in the world: Toronto's Lester B. Pearson international airport. Ground handling fees for a Boeing 747 are around $200,000... per use. That gets passed onto passengers.
  .
• Stupid HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) laws. In virtually any other place, a motorcycle can use HOV lanes. Here, only if you're riding 2 up.

At least our dino fuel is cheaper than in European countries.

[Draigflag]

The UK was one of the first to make insurance mandatory, in 1930. But still, companies need to be competitive. Your's sounds expensive, but then prices here vary based on where you live, my friend lives less than 100 miles away but his insurance is almost tripple what mine is on a far less powerful, valuable car just because he lives in a busy city with a higher crime rate.