Volvo’s Safety Coach app will come with option for insurance discounts
Volvo plans to launch a new Safety Coach app that provides drivers with real-time driving insights on driver behavior in daily traffic, such as braking, acceleration, and cornering.
The automaker plans to launch the app first in Sweden and Norway. Drivers there also will soon be able to receive a special usage-based offer from the insurance company Volvia if they choose to share their driving data through the app.
A rollout in the United States and European markets is expected soon after Sweden and Norway, a press release for the optional app says. It adds that insurance-related offers are also planned in these markets.
“Imagine being empowered to drive more safely while lowering your car insurance premium at the same time,” the release says.
Safety Coach will provide its tips through vehicles’ infotainment screens and the Volvo Cars mobile app. The tips are guided by findings from Volvo Cars’ real-world safety knowledge and data collected over decades, the release says.
Each driver will receive their own personal Safety Coach score, the release says.
“Our research shows that many accidents involve some form of surprise,” said Mikael Ljung Aust, Volvo Cars driver behavior expert, in the release. “What helps prevent that is predictability. “Staying within expected speed ranges and avoiding abrupt manoeuvres makes your driving easier for others to anticipate and reduces the risk of a collision. Supporting safe driver behaviours is a key piece of the puzzle we need to solve to reach zero collisions, and tools like Safety Coach can help turn these insights into safer everyday habits.”
Swedish and Norwegian consumers will be able to download the app in cars model year 2020 and newer. However, the release notes that timing and availability may vary depending on car model and market.
The app is a result of a collaboration between Volvo Cars and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).
“Insights from CMT’s safe driving programs show that when people engage in safe driving programs like Safety Coach, the frequency of speeding events and hard braking typically are significantly reduced,” said William V. Powers, CMT co-founder and CEO. “This is the kind of behaviour change Volvo customers can use to build safer habits over time, and be rewarded with personalised insurance benefits.”
Volvo says the app is designed with privacy and transparency and adds that drivers can manage their own data.
“Drivers can first choose to opt in to use Safety Coach and can subsequently choose to opt in again to have their data shared with affiliated insurance companies in return for usage-based insurance premiums,” the release says.
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New Safety Coach app from Volvo/Volvo