Anybody tried this?
www.aviva.co.uk/drive/
Works on eye and android 'phones.
Records your journeys, and the characteristics of the first 200 miles are analysed to calculate a discount offer. Score 7.1/10 or more and you can get the maximum discount of 10% (<£400) or 20% (premium>=£400).
My first thought was that this is a marketing ploy (which it is) and that everybody will score 7.1 or more...but maybe not.
The explanation is coy as to exactly how the algorithms work, but it implies that only GPS data are used. It mentions the importance of avoiding hard acceleration and braking, and cornering comes into the score - and indeed you can get a "cornermaster" badge! But it doesn't tell you how you need to corner to get one. I can only think you need to slow down - as I tend to do that only when I have to, or on blind corners, I'm not surprised that I haven't got the cornering badge after 140 miles - though I have got the 'fuel friendly' one for driving like a vicar.
I do wonder if they analyse speed limit compliance - they don't say so but I'll be amazed if they don't.
So get it downloaded. I need some competition before I revert to type.
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I'm intrigued and I've not looked yet, but l have a question. I'm already an Aviva customer - two-car policy due for renewal in June - so I wonder how the 'discount offer' works. Does the app identify me to Aviva just by using it? And if so, and it doesn't like my driving, might I end up with a negative discount on my renewal?
Aviva isn't generally shy with discount offers, and they tend to be pretty meaningless; someone calling herself Sarah there emails me about once a week to ask why I haven't taken up her offer of 'discounted' health insurance.
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I am trying it on my iPhone but as one can only get 20% off if one's premium is over £400 I am not in the field.
If you do want cheap but reliable health insurance have a look at Benenden Healthcare. No connection other than as a satisfied customer BTW.
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Thanks Melders but mine comes with the job.
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No problem -just trying to save people money but with the job is cheapest. I offered my body for scientific research and thus a free funeral and I have already been rejected! >:(
Last edited by: Meldrew on Thu 25 Apr 13 at 14:09
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>>Does the app identify me to Aviva just by using it?
>> And if so, and it doesn't like my driving, might I end up with a
>> negative discount on my renewal?
The only identifying data item is the email address. They say that if you have a quote and they can link it to your driving app result they will apply the discount.
They say there are no penalties. Try doing 150mph on the M6 and they might decide differently.
You could always use a different email address until you see your score.
I have nothing to lose as I'm not using them just now.
We are also in touch with Sarah on the healthcare offers :-)
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I have just installed the App on my iPhone and went for a gentle drive to observe the cherry blossom and lambs and other rural delights. It has logged 13 miles and I have to do 200 before the record is taken into account for calculating a quote
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I did have a go today as my insurance is due soon. Easy enough to install and use.
Can't be bothered with 200 miles to get 20% off £1200, when prices start at £470 on the comparison websites anyway.
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>> So get it downloaded. I need some competition before I revert to type.
>>
I might if they did a windows phone version ...
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Installed it, run 32 miles so far, got two badges. Hurrah.
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Odd that a multinational limits availability...I wanted to load it to see steam coming out my SmartPhone on the autobahn but it's not available despite Aviva being in many European markets.
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Two badges, Cranks? Bravo! I've done 50 miles - well, 49, and I've only got one, for fuel. Hardly surprising, really - hard to burn excessive hydrocarbon while pootling along in heavy traffic on the M4.
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You must have two as well. I got one for "first drive"
And now have two fuel efficient ones. Keep forgetting to start it up though.
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163 miles now.
I have 5 fuel efficiency badges for driving like a vicar, but I am hurt at not getting the "cornermaster" badge, especially as I have got round them all. I wonder what you have to do to earn them?
Maybe you have to slow down for the bends, a bit like the exaggerated looking in the mirror on a driving test.
It seems to under-report distance travelled as well. I think it might be reporting the crow distance between start and finish.
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There's some blah about under reporting distance. It drops measurements it deems unreliable, apparently.
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I got two skull and crossbones, what does that mean?
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>>what does that mean?
That your car is so dog slow the app thinks you're using sails rather than an engine?
:-)
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Oh how we guffawed. You fancy doing some cycling in London? I know this great spot near a construction site.......
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I presume it calculates the straight-line distance between sampling points. It records my journey to work as 24.7 miles, whereas the car - either car - records 25.3. The crow distance is a lot less.
And yes, I have got the blue flag for my first recorded journey, but I feel that doesn't really count.
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And forgetting to switch it OFF! I used mine on a commute yesterday and then left it on during a bus journey!
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You'll get marked down for all the stopping and starting, and that violent braking they all do to skittle the standing passengers.
Do they do it on purpose, or is it hard to drive buses smoothly?
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>> Do they do it on purpose, or is it hard to drive buses smoothly?
More info here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5TTA4f7Q3E
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Passed 200 this morning and got my score...
...2.4. Out of 10.
Stone me! Apparently I could improve by being lighter on the brakes, so presumably the 98,000 miles it took me to wear out the last set of pads clearly wasn't enough. And by accelerating less hard, although my 'style of driving is fuel-efficient'. I can't square that lot. Anyone done any better - or worse?
}8---0
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5.5, which apparently matched the average.
I also need to be "lighter on the accelerator" . Most of the time I am "OK" but sometimes my "foot to floor action can be a bit too quick". That will be the overtaking I expect. Better quick than slow as far as I'm concerned.
"While most of the time you're cornering smoothly, try to do this all of the time and you'll get an even better score". I haven't the foggiest how to improve my cornering, though I tend not to slow down if it's unnecessary.
"Your score shows you're braking well but remember to stay ready for hazards and keep a good distance from the car in front. This will help prevent any sudden braking or nasty surprises".
So I don't qualify for the maximum discount. I'll try not driving like a nervous vicar and see what happens.
I did wonder if it monitored speed limit compliance, which would be a fairly easy and obvious thing to do.
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Blimey, that's far more detail than I got! But then, driving in the Southeast is mostly so featureless - thick traffic and blanket 40 limits - that if you apply even a modicum of anticipation there's very little to speed up or slow down for, and nothing at all to overtake.
I did get stuck in a couple of monster traffic jams, because I live in a honeypot town and the sun came out last week, but I'd have thought the app would ignore most things that happen at such low speeds.
I might try it again with the same driving style (I didn't do anything special for the sample 200) and a different email address, to see how different the scores turn out. Or I might dismiss it as the marketing gimmick it plainly is and consign it to the bin.
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>> turn out. Or I might dismiss it as the marketing gimmick it plainly is and
>> consign it to the bin.
Yeah, anything that rated me at half the average would get binned too.
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}:---)
Yes, it could just be right, of course. Where's Iffy when we need him?
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Aviva driving app - WillDeBeest
