- ingenie, an auto insurance brand targeted to young drivers, offers tips on how to stay safe in long weekend traffic -
TORONTO, May 12, 2015 /CNW/ - It's the first long weekend of summer. There is only one thing standing between Ontarians and a weekend by the lake: the long weekend traffic.
According to a survey on distracted driving commissioned by ingenie, an auto insurance brand designed for drivers aged 16 to 24, many young drivers in Ontario admit they don't always give the road their full attention. The research revealed several ways drivers get distracted, from playing D.J. for an excited group of passengers, to texting an update on their expected arrival time.
"Before young drivers pack up the car for the long weekend, it is important to address the behaviours that lead to distracted driving and look at ways to make safer choices," says Lorie Phair, CEO of ingenie Canada. "It's exciting for young drivers to have the freedom to drive their friends up to the cottage. Taking some precautions and giving their full attention to the road ensures everyone arrives safely."
ingenie offers the following tips for the long weekend commute:
Two-thirds of young drivers surveyed said being involved in a crash would be the top deterrent to distracted driving.
"Obviously we want to help people develop safe driving habits before a collision occurs," says Phair. "At ingenie, we have developed a very effective approach to encourage young people to drive safely. It's not about deterrents like demerit points or fines; instead we give young drivers regular feedback on their performance and the opportunity to earn financial rewards for safer driving."
Drivers who sign up with ingenie install a Smartbox, a small self-contained unit, which collects data on driving behaviour such as speed, acceleration, braking and cornering. After beginning to drive with the Smartbox, customers get feedback every ten days through an ingenie app on their smartphone or online. The feedback includes a driving score out of 100, tips on how they can improve and an update on how much they stand to save for their safe driving. Compared to traditional insurance models where drivers would have to wait until the end of the year to see a discount, young drivers with ingenie can earn their Good Driving Discount three times a year – up to 25% off over the year in total.
In the U.K. where ingenie has been available since 2011, the approach has reduced young drivers' risk of having an accident during the first six-months of driving by 40%. Seventy per cent of ingenie's U.K. drivers earn discounts for safe driving. For more information on how ingenie works visit www.ingenie.ca.
As Ontarians gear up for the first long weekend drive of the summer, follow the conversation about distracted driving online using the hashtag #DontDriveDistracted.
About ingenie
ingenie is an innovative young driver insurance brand that uses telematics technology to reward safe driving with savings. ingenie builds a picture of a driver's individual style, awareness and safety on the road, rewarding those who drive well with up to an extra 25% Good Driving Discount and helping those who need improvement become safer. ingenie was awarded the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2013, in recognition of its work to help make young drivers safer on the road. Among a number of industry awards, ingenie has won best start-up at the 2014 British Insurance Awards and insurance innovation of the year at the Insurance Times Awards.
ingenie Social Media
Like ingenie on Facebook at facebook.com/ingenieCanada
Follow ingenie on Twitter @ingenie_ca
About the survey
Results are based on an online survey conducted for ingenie by Student Life Network between April 17th & April 21st, 2015. A total of 600 interviews were collected from Ontario students who are licensed drivers.
SOURCE: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp15145-1201.htm#s37
SOURCE ingenie
Image with caption: "According to a survey on distracted driving commissioned by ingenie, an auto insurance brand designed for drivers aged 16 to 24, many young drivers in Ontario admit they don't always give the road their full attention. Before young drivers pack up the car for the long weekend, ingenie offers tips to ensure everyone arrives safely. (CNW Group/ingenie)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150512_C6653_PHOTO_EN_16499.jpg
Sinead Brown, [email protected], 416-413-5193
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