Does usage-based car insurance require more oversight in the US?

Usage-based car insurance - man studying report

A report by the Consumer Federation of America calls for state regulators to keep closer tabs. The Consumer Federation of America has published a report strongly urging regulators across the United States to apply greater oversight to usage-based car insurance. These programs use telematics to measure policyholder driving habits and apply discounts for safe behaviors. The consumer advocacy group has been pushing state regulators to take this step with usage-based car insurance programs while adopting a number of other consumer protections. It sought to have those regulators apply greater scrutiny…

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Allstate launches usage-based auto insurance program in Alberta

usage based auto insurance

New insurance program could net drivers savings on premiums A new auto insurance program in Alberta, Canada, could give drivers a chance to save money on their coverage. Allstate has launched a new usage-based insurance policy in the province. The policy involves the use of telematic technology, which is designed to collect data on how a vehicle is being driven. This may be good news for safe drivers, as they will be able to obtain discounts on their insurance coverage. This data is collected over six months, giving Allstate the…

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Driverless vehicles may be a threat to the auto insurance industry

Driverless self-driving car Google auto insurance

Allstate predicts that autonomous cars will have an impact on the insurance industry Driverless vehicles may pose a potential threat to the auto insurance industry, according to Allstate. The company has filed its annual 2015 report, suggesting that autonomous cars could impact the industry in a significant manner. These vehicles are equipped with technology that take the human equation out of driving. Most car accidents are caused by human error, which makes the need for insurance coverage quite abundant. Allstate is concerned that autonomous vehicles will reduce the need for…

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Usage-based auto insurance comes to China

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Lichengbao releases China’s first usage-based auto insurance product Auto data company Lichengbao has launched a new usage-based auto insurance product in China, which is the first of its kind in the country. The company has partnered with several smaller insurers to make this possible, aiming to provide drivers with a way to save money on auto insurance coverage. Usage-based insurance has been gaining popularity in China, largely due to the fact that drivers in large cities only use their vehicles sparingly. 40% of consumers in China drive less than 15,000…

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Usage based insurance program lets young drivers prove themselves

Young Driver auto usage based Insurance

This telematics based system will give new Ontario, Canada motorists the chance to prove their safety habits. A company called Ingenie Canada Inc. has now announced that it will be offering a usage based insurance program in Ontario, Canada, that will use telematics technology in order to allow drivers who are aged 24 years and younger to show that their habits are safer than the demographic as a whole. The company is allowing younger drivers to show their true risk level instead of being lumped in with the group. The…

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Usage based insurance tracking soon available through OnStar

usage based auto insurance

As of the summer of 2015, a motorist’s driving behaviors can be assessed through its onboard system. Beginning this summer, the OnStar service found in many vehicles will also be capable of tracking a driver’s behaviors as a part of an opt-in usage based insurance program that will make it possible for safer motorists to save on their coverage. This program will provide an evaluation of a driver’s habits over a period of ninety days. Once that time has been completed, drivers will be given the opportunity to take advantage…

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Mobile apps could disrupt the auto insurance market

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Google and Apple may become market disrupters by supporting mobile applications Both Google and Apple may soon become disrupters in the auto insurance market. A growing number of insurers are beginning to use telematics to offer new, usage-based policies that are popular among consumers. These companies are using relatively expensive devices to monitor the driving habits of policyholders and this information is being used to determine the cost of an actual insurance policy. Mobile application may soon become a powerful tool in helping insurers cut the upfront costs associated with…

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