GM and OnStar will be partnering with an insurer allowing new car owners to opt into a service that will track driving habits during a 90-day span.
“We are looking beyond traditional expectations of car makers and insurance providers, toward helping people (become) smarter drivers,” Dave Pratt, general manager of usage-based insurance at Progressive, told Automotive News at this week’s 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Providing drivers with feedback benefits consumers by making them more aware of their driving behavior, saving them money and keeping the roads safer. This program makes it easier than ever for consumers to take advantage of the latest in-car technology and the leading usage-based insurance program.”
Following that 90-day evaluation period, the driver will receive some feedback about how they drive and how they can become a safer driver. Users can then send their driving habits to Progressive Insurance in order to potentially lower their insurance costs.
Progressive is the only insurer to partner with OnStar so far. The service will be offered this summer on all 2016 model year GM vehicles, most 2015 models and select 2013 and 2014 models.
The insurer currently offers a similar service through its Snapshot usage-based insurance service. By plugging in a device into your car, the company can track driving behaviours, potentially offering a lower insurance rate.
The new OnStar based service won’t require the Snapshot device, and users can choose not to send the information to Progressive following the 90 day evaluation period.
“The driver assessment is meant to help people better understand how they drive and give them feedback on how to be better, smarter drivers,” Greg Ross, director of Global Connected Consumer Experience, General Motors, told Automotive News. “This is the first time we can use actual driving behavior to deliver valuable important feedback to customers who want this information.”
