Fast Growing Insurance Startup & Market Leader in Telematics Join Forces to Create a Community of Safe Drivers with Nationwide Rollout Kicking Off in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Branch Insurance, a startup that pioneered bundling home and auto insurance online in seconds, and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the global leader in smartphone telematics, today announce a partnership to create safer roads and save drivers money in the process with Community Drive.
Connected by a mission to help improve driving behavior and reduce costs for clients, Branch and CMT have set out to make the roads safer for all by creating a community of safe drivers. Community Drive intends to do just that, combining Branch’s ability to help consumers access coverage options quickly and easily with CMT’s safe driving technology. CMT’s market leading telematics platform, DriveWell, will power the new program, enabling Branch to reward its community members with deeper discounts for safe driving.
“Branch is on a mission to make insurance less expensive, allowing more people to become insured,” said Branch Co-Founder and CEO Steve Lekas. “CMT’s technology equips us with real-time data that not only helps Branch members save, but also encourages safer driving behaviors, which naturally reduces the cost of insurance. Through Community Drive, clients are empowered to be better on the roads, creating safer communities for us all.”
When drivers opt to participate in Community Drive on the Branch mobile app, they receive an automatic participation discount on their insurance, with options to continue receiving discounts after completing five drives within 90 days. If all of the drivers on a policy participate in Community Drive and drive safely, they could earn up to 20% off their auto premiums at renewal.
Traditionally, auto insurance has relied on basic information such as age, location, and driving history to predict the risk of loss and determine a client’s price. However, the way a driver actually drives has proven to be an excellent predictor of risk, in addition to those typical rating variables. CMT’s insights have shown that over 40% of daytime trips involved phone distraction in 2019, contributing to unsafe driving conditions on the road. Branch seeks to use the analytics derived from CMT’s DriveWell telematics platform to offer real-time feedback on risky behaviors, which helps drivers improve their overall behavior behind the wheel.
“We’re delighted to work with Branch on Community Drive to help drivers become better,” said Hari Balakrishnan, co-founder and CTO at CMT. “By combining Branch’s innovations to make insurance accessible for everyone with our innovations in telematics and driver feedback, the program will reward safe driving with fair policy pricing.”
CMT’s scoring model employs driving behaviors including sudden acceleration, sharp turning, hard braking, speeding and phone distraction to accurately estimate driving risk. Branch’s app will provide this feedback to its drivers, based on sensors in the smartphone, to help them improve. In addition to the assessment of driving behavior, the DriveWell platform’s scoring model allows drivers to be fairly matched with policy prices, incentivizing safer driving habits and the opportunity to save money.
Community Drive will launch first in Ohio – where Branch is headquartered – with plans to rollout nationwide shortly thereafter. You can learn more about the partnership and how Branch and CMT are working together to make the roads safer for all here.
About Branch Insurance
Branch Insurance utilizes innovative technology to make bundling home and auto insurance online quicker and easier than ever before. By tapping into the power of community, Branch is on a mission to make insurance more accessible and affordable for everyone. Branch was founded in 2017 by insurance veteran Steve Lekas and tech entrepreneur Joe Emison, and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Branch is underwritten by the Branch Insurance Exchange and General Security National Insurance Company (GSNIC) and backed by SCOR SE, all A-rated insurance entities. To learn more, visit ourbranch.com.
About Cambridge Mobile Telematics
With 6.5 million drivers on the road using the DriveWell platform and more than 15 million tags shipped around the world, CMT is the global leader in telematics. Since its first product launch in 2012 that pioneered mobile usage-based insurance, CMT has become the world´s telematics and analytics provider for insurers, rideshares, fleets, and more. From risk assessment to crash and claims, its solutions reduce losses, improve industry processes, and help drivers in their moments of need. With more than 50 active programs worldwide, CMT is improving safety for millions of drivers every day. To learn more, visit cmt.ai.
Media Contact
Branch, Ally Majewski: ally@ourbranch.com
CMT, Cori Cagide: cmt@sourcecodecomms.com