700 accidents have been prevented as a result of a new speed reduction programme, according to insurer InsureTheBox. The insurer says that their innovative and bold approach has helped to reduce the speed that their customers drive while simultaneously keeping them safe. But with speeding accountable for more than 600 fatalities and deaths on the UK’s roads each day, is it time to roll out this system further?
Cutting Road Accidents
InsureTheBox uses telematics to keep on eye on the driving behaviour of anyone that is insured with them. This system involves the installation of a black box in the vehicle which provides a simple and effective way for drivers to prove that they are safe on the road. In return, a reduction in the driver’s insurance premiums is given. However, InsureTheBox has gone one step further by introducing its speed reduction programme. This allows the company to proactively connect with customers that are most at risk of speeding. They inform them of the locations and road types where they have a tendency to go over the limit and make them aware of the risks of their speedy driving.
Benefiting Drivers
It’s not just cheaper insurance premiums that drivers gain from when they sign up for this service. InsureTheBox says that the 350,000 messages they’ve sent out to their policyholders have helped to reduce their average speed by 21%. It has also helped to open drivers’ eyes to the risks of speeding as the insurer sends out speeding-related videos to their ‘at-risk’ customers. These videos demonstrate how driving too fast can impact their life, their family’s, and the lives of other road users.
Speeding Fines are on the Up
Despite insurers such as InsureTheBox introducing new schemes, the number of drivers being caught speeding in the UK is on the up. Figures from 2017 – the latest recorded data – reveal that 48,000 more speeding tickets were dished out to drivers than during 2016. Most drivers will automatically pay their speeding fine when they receive it, however, by doing so they risk the fine sitting on their record for four years. Drivers should, therefore, consider ways to minimise the impact of their fine. A speeding lawyer understands speeding fines inside out and will be able to assist in getting drivers a reduced fine or sentence or even overturn the fine altogether. They do this by thoroughly reviewing the case and checking for any irregularities. But, ultimately, drivers need to seriously consider the impact of driving too fast.
A Costly Crime
Some insurers who use telematics systems ‘fine’ their customers when they are caught speeding. Research shows that it’s standard practice for a fine of up £100 to be given against the customer’s policy when they regularly speed and ignore their insurance company’s warnings. As a result, drivers risk being financially penalised twice for driving over the speed limit; once by the police and again by their insurer. As the total cost of both fines can total hundreds of pounds, they are much more likely to deter drivers from speeding than when just one system is in place.
Speeding is a serious problem on Britain’s roads. Thankfully, telematics companies are showing initiative and are actively working to reduce speeding among their drivers. Now all that’s needed is for more of these schemes to be rolled out to ensure that more road users are influenced by the warnings, fines, and videos that such programmes utilise.
