Save on Insurance with Telematics

​​​​​​​​​​Insurance telematics represents a shift in how premiums are calculated. Simply put, telematics is the smart technology used to provide insurance solutions for personal and commercial auto insurance policyholders. It works by monitoring your real-time driving behaviours to provide an objective picture of your unique driving habits. Your telematics data is only used for the purpose of determining savings, and won’t be used for anything else without consent.

If you have good driving habits or exhibit an improvement over time, you can save on insurance premiums. A telematics application creates an objective, personalized profile based on specific criteria. Savings on average are about 10%, but can be as high as 30% off your premium.

What Does It Monitor?

Data is collected for each trip once the program is set up. Some insurers, like Intact or Pembridge, use telematics systems to monitor the key risk factors associated with driving a car:

  • Distracted driving
  • Your vehicle’s location
  • The distance you drive
  • The time of day when you are on the road
  • When and how you accelerate and brake
  • Engine diagnostics

Is Insurance Telematics Worth It?

Opting for telematics as part of your insurance plan has other potential benefits for the community, too. If more and more drivers continue to improve their habits and drive less, we’ll see reductions in traffic accidents, pollution and parking costs. There is also more opportunity for urban planners to explore other land-use objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • HOW MUCH OF MY DATA/BATTERY WILL THIS CONSUME?

    Used regularly, your telematics app consumes an average of 3-6% of your smartphone’s battery life per day, and uses between 30-60 MB of data per month.

  • WHAT ABOUT BLUETOOTH AND GPS?

    Physically touching your phone screen to switch a song or enter an address counts as distracted driving, but using your steering wheel or console controls does not. The general guideline is that as long as you don’t touch your phone, it should not be considered a distraction.

  • HOW IS MY DATA USED?

    Your driving information is shared with your insurer, and used solely to determine the discount you may be eligible for. Phone calls, social media and other app usage will not be tracked.

  • WHAT IF I’M THE PASSENGER?

    Telematics programs monitor the behaviour of the principal driver(s) on the policy, and are usually tagged as such. If you want to tag the trip as a passenger, you can update it in your app.

  • CAN MY DATA BE USED AGAINST ME?

    Your driving data will never be used to cancel, refuse or surcharge your policy’s premiumonly to identify good habits, provide discounts and offer tips to improve others.