Best Car Insurance Telematics Program

Telematics are a great to save money and improve your driving. Find out which insurance company has the best telematics program.

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It’s in everyone’s best interest if there are fewer car accidents. Nobody knows this more than auto insurers. To reduce accidents and encourage safer driving, insurance companies have created telematics programs, which track your driving behavior and reward safe driving with lower rates. Our research shows Allstate has the best telematics program.

This page will help you find the telematics program that works best for you. We’ll look at how much you can save with each company’s program. You’ll also learn about each insurer’s app, ease of enrolling, and availability. If you want to know which company is the best overall, be sure to check out our article that ranks the top car insurance companies in the country.

What Are Telematics Insurance Programs?

Telematics programs are a way for insurance companies to customize your rates. They do this by tracking your mileage or driving habits. Driving fewer miles or maintaining safe habits can get you cheaper rates. And, a lot of times, you get a discount just for signing up. You might also see insurers refer to this as usage-based or pay-per-mile.

Best Insurance Telematics Program: Allstate

Our research found that Drivewise and Milewise by Allstate are the best insurance telematics programs. Drivewise can track your driving habits and save you big money if you’re a safe driver. Meanwhile, Milewise is great if you’re looking for a pay-per-mile option. Both programs come with industry-leading savings and easy-to-use apps.

Here’s why we think Allstate’s telematics program stands out from the rest:

Great Savings

Drivewise saves you up to 40% on your premium when follow safe driving practices. Not only does the it reward you for safe habits, but you’ll get a discount just for signing up. Allstate evaluates how you drive every six months and you’ll receive additional savings as long as you keep up the good work. Keep in mind that Drivewise does not raise your rates, it’ll only help you save.

Allstate’s pay-per-mile program, Milewise, can also help you save money. The program requires you to install a device in your car that tracks your mileage. Milewise charges you a daily rate plus a per-mile rate. This amounts to low costs if you drive infrequently or for short distances.

Drivewise Comes with Several Benefits

Allstate’s Drivewise doesn’t just save you money. The app has many other benefits. For example, its crash detection feature helps keep you safe if there’s a collision at speeds of 25 mph or faster. In the event of a crash, you can easily call 911 or request roadside assistance with the push of a button.

The Drivewise app also gives you access to plenty of insights and data about your driving, such as how long you use your phone in the car. This can help you become a safer driver and save you more money in the long run.

Good Mobile App

Everything you do with Drivewise is on the Allstate Mobile app. Luckily, the app has top-notch ratings on both the Google and Apple stores:

Final Word on Allstate

We ranked Allstate at number one because it’s insurance telematics program offers so much. We like that you can save plenty of money with each one. Drivewise comes with a long list of useful features, such as crash protection. Allstate is also available in 49 states. Drivewise is available in states that allow this kind of tracking.

Meanwhile, Milewise is a great program that can help you save money if your annual mileage is low. As of this writing, very few major national insurers offer pay-per-mile coverage plans. So, if a usage-based insurance policy appeals to you, Allstate should be near the top of your list.

Second-Best Telematics Program: Nationwide

Nationwide has the second-best insurance telematics program. SmartRide and SmartMiles can both save you plenty of money. SmartRide tracks your driving habits and will reward safe driving. On the other hand, SmartMiles is a program that tracks your miles and charges you based on how much you drive. Here’s why we rank Nationwide among the best:

Large Savings

Nationwide’s telematics programs have some of the biggest savings in the industry. SmartRide gives you a 15% discount just for signing up. Then, if you maintain safe driving habits, you can save up to 40%.

SmartMiles can save you more money overall because it only charges you for the miles you drive. It’s perfect if you work from home or have a short commute. The pay-per-mile, usage-based program can also give you a 10% safe driving discount.

Well-Rated Mobile App

Another reason why we like Nationwide’s telematics programs is because the SmartRide app is highly rated on the Google and Apple app stores. Here are the ratings the app received:

Final Word on Nationwide

Nationwide’s SmartRide and SmartMiles telematics programs are a great way to save money. They both carry great savings opportunities. It’s worth noting that SmartRide, unlike some other programs, won’t raise your rates if you don’t drive safely. SmartMiles is also a great fit if you don’t need to drive much.

Third-Best Telematics Insurance Program: USAA

SafePilot by USAA and Pay as You Drive take third in our insurance telematics rankings. SafePilot will save you money for signing up and driving safely. Meanwhile, Pay as You Drive is a pay-per-mile program that tracks your miles and charges you accordingly. Here’s why we ranked USAA’s programs in third place:

Sizable Savings

Like the other two companies in the top three, USAA offers a lot of savings with its behavior-based telematics offering. SafePilot, USAA’s safe driving program, can save you up to 30% on your premium. You’ll also get a 10% discount for enrolling in the first place. This almost cuts your rates in half if you maximize it. This makes the cheapest car insurance rates even more affordable!

USAA’s Pay as You Drive will charge you less money than a traditional policy if you drive less each month. This is ideal if you don’t have a long commute or work from home.

Extra Features with the App

With SafePilot, you get more than just car insurance savings. The telematics app comes with crash detection to help keep you safe. This allows you to easily call 911 on the app. SafePilot also comes with a quick way to file claims and insights into your driving habits. Not only does SafePilot reward you for being safe, but it also helps keep you that way.

Final Word on USAA

SafePilot by USAA and Pay as You Drive telematics programs are a great way to pay less for car insurance. SafePilot can also help keep you out of harm’s way with features like crash detection. The downside of Pay as You Drive is that it’s available in only eight states. USAA is also only available for military members and their families. Despite this, SafePilot and Pay as You Drive can help make your rates even lower.

Honorable Mentions

Allstate, Nationwide, and USAA have the top telematics programs. But don’t worry if one of these isn’t your insurer. There are plenty of other good ones out there. Here are four honorable mentions:

State Farm

Drive Safe & Save from State Farm rewards drivers with a discount if they practice safe habits behind the wheel. You’ll need to either download the mobile app to your phone or connect a telematics device to your car to get started. The program tracks your driving behavior and mileage to adjust your rates. It won’t raise your rates, however.

Drive Safe & Save lowers your premium up to 30% if you drive safely. State Farm readjusts your discount based on your driving every policy term (six months).

The Drive Safe & Save app is also one of the best. Below are its ratings on the Google and Apple app stores:

Travelers

Travelers offers a safe driving insurance telematics program called IntelliDrive. It can save you up to 30% if you drive safely. However, note that it can and will raise your rates if you drive poorly. The app tracks the following driving habits:

  • Starts
  • Stops
  • Acceleration
  • Speed
  • Time of day

The IntelliDrive app also has high marks on both the Google and Apple app stores. Here are its ratings:

Farmers

Signal from Farmers Insurance is a telematics program that tracks your driving habits. If Signal detects safe driving, you’re rewarded with lower rates. You can also get entered into a drawing to receive a $100 reward if you drive safely 80% of the time.

The app tracks habits such as:

  • Braking
  • Speed
  • Acceleration
  • Phone use

The Farmers Insurance Signal program includes features like CrashAssist, which can detect collisions and get help if you need it. To use it, all you need to do is download the app.

The Signal app is well-regarded in the Apple and Google app stores. Below are its exact ratings:

Liberty Mutual

RightTrack by Liberty Mutual is a good telematics program. This is an app or plug-in device that will track your driving behavior. If you drive safely, you can get a 30% discount. According to Liberty Mutual, RightTrack won’t raise your rates if you’re not a safe driver.

Compare Pay How You Drive Telematics Programs

There are two types of telematics, pay-how-you-drive and pay-per-mile (usage-based). Pay-how-you-drive systems track your driving habits and reward you for being safe. Below is a table to help you compare each company’s behavior-based telematics program savings:

Telematics programDiscount (up to)
Allstate Drivewise40%
Farmers SignalVaries
Liberty Mutual RightTrack30%
Nationwide SmartRide30%
State Farm Drive Safe & Save30%
Travelers IntelliDrive30%
USAA SafePilot30%
Note: all discount percentages are from the insurer’s website.

How We Chose Our Winners

We based our decision on the best telematics insurance program on several different factors. The first, and most important, is how much you can save policyholders. We also looked at other features you can get and the quality of the app, if any. Finally, we looked at each company’s overall quality and availability nationwide.

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