Telematics Data Divulges Driving Habits

The introduction of telematic technologies will help improve overall road safety, new data from U.K.-based The Co-operative Insurance shows.

Launched earlier this year, the company’s usage-based insurance offering, Smartbox, is aimed at drivers between 17 and 25. After a smartbox is installed in a vehicle, it collects driving data and measures driving behaviors in four ways: speed, braking and accelerating, cornering, and night time driving. The Co-operative scores these data points from one (poor) to five (excellent) and rewards discounts on insurance premiums to those drivers who score consistently well.

“Our data shows that the vast majority of our customers are responding to our 'carrot' rather than 'stick' approach and are improving their driving skills because they are rewarded for doing so,” David Neave, director of General Insurance for The Co-operative, said in a statement.

Indeed, intelligence recently gathered over a week from Smartbox-enabled vehicles shows that more than a third of drivers 35 percent are consistently showing 'excellent' driving while less than 5 percent demonstrate 'poor' driving habits. Nonetheless, the numbers also revealed a gender discrepancy, with a greater percentage of female drivers attaining the top score in all four categories. What’s more, twice as many men as women received the lowest score in the speed category and three times as many men achieved the lowest score for braking and accelerating.

“An interesting picture is emerging of the driving behavior of both sexes, and while they demonstrate good driving overall, women are more consistent in their approach,” Neave added. “Overall, although young drivers show that they can stick to speed limits, which is vital in improving road safety, there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to allowing correct braking distances and accelerating properly.”