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Telematics programs that use mobile apps or devices installed in cars to monitor driving in real time are becoming increasingly popular with insurance companies. Giving your insurance company access to your driving habits will save you money with premiums. It’s not a bad idea at all, but there are a few catches to know about with these programs. Geico’s DriveEasy is one of the most well-known, and in this review, we will help Bankrate’s insurance team consider the pros and cons of the program to determine whether it’s worth participating or if it could cost money instead.
What is Geico DriveEasy?
DriveEasy is a safe driving telematics discount program designed to use GPS technology to track driving safety factors in real time. For drivers who avoid unsafe habits such as hard brakes and phone use, DriveEasy offers discounted rates for car insurance. This app is telematics-based. In other words, real-time driving information is sent to GEICO via smartphone. The program is currently available in 39 states and Washington, DC
Sign up for Geico DriveEasy and save money on your premiums if your telematics data proves you are a safe driver. Once you download the app and log in, you don’t need to reopen it when you get in the car. Instead, as long as you continue to log in, you will automatically record your trip data while driving. The app can be distinguished if you are a driver or passenger or use public transport, but some users report that incorrectly labeled trips need to be corrected.
What is a DriveEasy truck?
DriveEasty cannot monitor any driving factors, but it can analyze simple driving habits, such as hard braking, fast acceleration, speeding, cornering, and more, showing how safe driving is. The safer you drive, the higher your drive score, and the maximum 100 points. The app can also log your trips, giving you a sense of miles you travel and where you can improve your driving.
Factors that influence the drive score
Factors that influence drive scores vary from state to state. GEICO includes several factors commonly used in telematics programs from other major insurance companies, including:
- Hard braking or high speed acceleration: DriveEasy lets you know how quickly you slow down when you press the brake. Hard stops should be avoided unless necessary to avoid accidents. If DriveEasty decides to use a hard brake, predictive crash detection, called crash assist, will take note of your location and ask if you are in an accident. Similarly, be careful when apps accelerate quickly.
- Distance traveled: By using location data from your mobile phone, Geico DriveEasy can check the daily miles you travel and adjust your insurance based on the amount of time you spend behind the wheel.
- time: Depending on the time of your driving, it may be considered a safer or more risky driver. Driven monitor driving habits can have a negative impact on your score if you spend more time on the road after dark rather than during the day. This can be negatively affected by those who commute late at night.
- Distracting driving: The DriveEady app monitors distracting driving by tracking usage on active phones, including phones you have and any type of typing and scrolling. If passengers are using their mobile phone while driving, they should report this to the app to avoid distracted driving reports.
- cornering: Sharpturn indicates the risk of losing control of the vehicle. If the corners are too fast, driveeasy may recognize this and can have a negative impact on your driving score.
- Smoothness: To get a high smoothness score, you need to keep your cruising speed consistent.
- Routing regularity: Note that DriveEasy generally has the same route every day.
Pros and Cons of Geico DriveEasy
Many telematics programs are similar across businesses, but each may have slightly different policies. Comparing each carrier’s telematics programme may be a valuable aspect of the insurance shopping process. Consider these pros and cons to determine if Geico DriveEasy is right for you.
How do I register for Geico DriveEasy?
Eligible state GEICO policyholders can start a driven, usage-based program by downloading the GEICO mobile app on their smartphone. Next, follow these steps to register with the program:
- Once downloaded, enter your mobile number and the verification code you sent the text message.
- The app then sets privacy and location permissions to use the drive feature.
- Once done, the app will ask all drivers in the policy for their mobile number. You can download the app and start logging your trips, as it provides text with a link to send to each driver.
How much discount can I get from DriveEasy?
Sign up for Geico’s DriveEasy program and you may receive a private discount as a sign-up incentive. Following that, driving habits determine additional discounts, which can reach up to 25%. The exact discount you receive will vary based on your driving behavior, as tracked by your program. Safe driving patterns can lead to significant savings on insurance premiums, but high-risk behaviors can limit or deny potential discounts.
Ultimately, GEICO has not disclosed the exact discount amount. The only way to know how much discount you get from DriveEasy is to use the program.
Is Geico DriveEasy perfect for me?
Today, most insurers have telematics programs such as Progressive’s snapshots and State Farm’s Drive’s safety and savings. Each program has unique features, but everything monitors driving habits and rewards safe practices. If you’re not sure if Geico DriveEasty is worth it, compare it with similar programs to see which program is best for you.
Telematics programs like Geico DriveEasy may help you become a better driver by highlighting risky behaviors and encouraging safer habits. If you have younger drivers in your policy, registering them may promote safe driving practices. However, it is important to understand how habits affect premiums, as repeated risky driving can lead to higher GEICO premiums in some states. Even if you cancel the program, remember that if it has already been adjusted based on your driving behavior, the rates may not change immediately.
Conclusion: DriveEasy may share the data they need with GEICO to help safe drivers willing to get cheaper car insurance. However, factors such as working night shifts, living in urban areas with dense traffic patterns, and owning old vehicles can add to the challenge of receiving discounts through DriveEasy. Additionally, some customers may not be satisfied with their data sharing requirements.
What a real customer says about DriveEasy
To get a closer look at how Real Drive Easy users found their experience, we turned to the Reddit forum, including R/GEICO. I’ve found that mostly people complain about the difficulties they encounter when using the app. For example, travelling mistakenly marked as a driver or accidentally detected hard brakes caused by placing a cell phone in your seat on behalf of a safe phone owner.
You might want to take a picture of these comments with a single grain of salt. They may be useful criticisms that reveal the weaknesses of Drive Easy, but they may not represent the experience of all users.
*The quotes and quotes contained on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the date of posting. Outlinked Content may contain opinions or opinions that do not reflect the views or opinions of the Bank.
