SmartDriver app pits family and friends head-to-head

New version of TOWER’S SmartDriver app pits family and friends head-to-head
Auto Trip Capture added to SmartDriver

(Auckland – NZ) TOWER Insurance is encouraging family, friends, couples and co-workers to compete for the title of ‘safest driver’ with the latest release of its SmartDriver app to cap off Road Safety Week.

The SmartDriver smartphone app – launched by TOWER last year – monitors and assesses an individual’s driving behaviour and offers lower insurance premiums based on the user’s driving performance.

Now the company is taking its innovative app one step further, allowing users to create public and private group leaderboards to boost participation.

The app now also features ‘Auto Trip Capture’, which automatically detects when users are on the move and logs their trips so they don’t have to remember to hit ‘start’.

TOWER General Manager – Customer Proposition Mark Savage, says by tapping into the competitive nature of Kiwis TOWER hopes to see people’s driving improve further.

“Since the launch of SmartDriver app tens of thousands of people have downloaded the app and around half of people who have completed the 150kms have been able to claim a discount.

“It’s great we can reward customers for their good driving, but it’s also really positive to know that when drivers show improvements all New Zealanders benefit from safer roads. Users trip scores are improving by about 15 per cent throughout their SmartDriver usage, and 74 per cent of people that try again improve on their first score.

“We’d like to see this percentage increase during the next 12 months, so we worked with our app developers to include more of the incentivised gamification elements that can be very popular. How many times have you heard couples jest over who’s the better driver? With SmartDriver they can know for sure – and that extends to co-workers, families or groups of friends.”

By collecting basic driving information such as trip duration, distance travelled, location, braking and acceleration, the app can build an understanding of driving behaviour and individual risk and TOWER can reduce motor vehicle premiums accordingly.

Mark continues: “With the latest SmartDriver release you don’t need to remember to turn it on. If you’d like to always track your driving you can select ‘Auto Trip Capture’, so it automatically detects when you’re driving.”

The app also allows customers to see their score versus the average score calculated from all the SmartDriver users who have driven at least 150 kilometres.

As well as providing points for set achievements after every trip, SmartDriver also provides a trip summary and safe driving tips to help motorists improve their driving behaviour.

SmartDriver won Innovation of the Year at the 2014 New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards and is currently a finalist at the TU Automotive Awards for Best Telematics Product or Launch in an Emerging Market. Beyond SmartDriver, TOWER is adapting other areas of the business to mirror the changing ways Kiwi expect to receive and use information, including sending text notifications to customers ahead of forecasted weather events like Cyclone Pam and launching a new fully-responsive website.

SmartDriver is free for anyone to download from Google Play or Apple store. For more information visit http://smartdriver.tower.co.nz/

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