[ad_1]
Refreshing your road safety skills is always a good idea, but can it also reduce your insurance premium? We find out.
As Australia’s road toll reaches a five-year high, road authorities are looking for ways to reduce fatalities and improve driver safety – particularly for the over-represented 17–25 age group.
RELATED: What to expect from a defensive driver training course
As part of a joint campaign with nine.com.au, Drive is raising awareness about the benefits of taking a defensive driver training course and calling for Safe Driving Courses to be made more accessible for all drivers going for their P-plates.
Unfortunately, defensive driving courses can be expensive – often costing between $250 to $500 for a day-long training session.
But what if taking part in a defensive driving course could bring down your insurance premium?
Can a driver training course reduce your insurance costs?
It depends on your insurer as to whether a defensive driving course will bring down your insurance costs.
Unfortunately, most major Australian insurance companies – including Budget Direct, NRMA and Allianz – do not offer discounts for customers who undertake a driving course.
However, AAMI has a Skilled Drivers program that offers customers under 25 years of age a 10 per cent discount on their comprehensive insurance premium once they’ve completed an approved driver training course.
AAMI’s Skilled Drivers Program extends to listed drivers – under an insurance policy that was either purchased or renewed from 19 June 2018 – who hold a probationary licence or are younger than 25 years old.
The program is run through Murcotts Driving Excellence and is available across Australia.
The insurance company said the 10 per cent discount is available until the first renewal, or after the participant turns 25 as long as they remain a listed driver in the policy.
For a full list of terms and conditions or registration details, visit the AAMI website.
Meanwhile, IAG’s newest insurance company subsidiary ROLLiN doesn’t provide discounts for driver training but does offer discounts for customers with a good driving record.
ROLLiN’s incentive offers drivers monthly discounts on their premiums based on a user’s driver safety rating.
Under ROLLiN’s ‘Safe ‘n Save’ incentive, the customer’s “policy score” dictates their discount percentage, with users who score 95 or higher receiving a 15 per cent discount on their base premium.
Drivers rated between 90–94 are eligible for 10 per cent off their insurance, while 85–89 policy scores result in a five per cent discount.
The score is measured through a mobile app that records a driver’s behaviour such as phone use, braking, speeding, acceleration and turning.
The relevant data is collected through a combination of smartphone features, including the GPS, accelerometer (an electrical component that measures acceleration caused by movement, gravity and vibration) and gyroscope (a sensor found in most mobile phones).
The Safe ‘n Save program is currently only available – through a smartphone app – for businesses such as couriers, food deliveries, rideshare, and real estate agents, with plans to extend to private customers in the “near future”.
“The result is simple – if you’re a safe driver, you get rewarded with discounts on your car insurance premium,” ROLLiN’ Executive Manager Brendan Griffiths said in a media statement.
“We are encouraging safe driving as well as helping our customers to save money. It’s a win-win.”
Too many young drivers are killed or injured on our roads each year. Drive and nine.com.au are calling for Safe Driving Courses to be made more accessible for all drivers going for their P-plates in a special campaign leading up to Easter. We want to know what you think – complete our survey here.
The post Does a defensive driving course lower your insurance costs? appeared first on Drive.
[ad_2]
Source link
