Tower Insurance has just released a smartphone app designed to make us better drivers. Called GoCarma, it’s available for both Apple and Android and hooks up to a car’s Bluetooth system to assess and rate each drive. It can measure trips of just a few hundred metres.
Research shows that nine out of 10 New Zealand drivers overrate their ability. But only 0.8 per cent of Kiwis are willing to admit that their driving is below average. A staggering 96 per cent also believe that, in general, it’s “other” Kiwis who need to improve their driving habits and skills.
Blair Turnbull, CEO of Tower, says the research suggests Kiwis are overconfident in their driving skills, but the question remains how good their driving really is.
“That’s why we’ve launched GoCarma, a mobile application that monitors driving habits and gives drivers personalised feedback on where they can improve, as well as reducing insurance excess based on how safe you drive, for Tower customers.”
Men were more likely to rate their driving as above average (92 per cent), versus women at 86 percent. Kiwis aged 21-30 and 61-70 both rating themselves as the best drivers with 92 per cent in each group rating themselves above average or higher.
GoCarma is available to all NZ drivers, not just Tower customers, and those using the app will be able to get rewards for safe driving, including a reduced excess for Tower customers, while also being able to compete against each other for some friendly rivalry.
Connecting to your car’s built-in Bluetooth, GoCarma tracks your driving habits by assessing a wide range of factors, including speeding and phone use. Each time users take a trip their driving is scored out of 100 and users can get a sense of where they scored well as well as where they may need to improve across speed, acceleration, braking, cornering and phone handling.
“Our research shows that 83 per cent of Kiwis would value an app that monitors how safely they drive. If getting people to use GoCarma helps to improve our road statistics, then I believe that is a win for everyone. Plus, it should settle a few scores between couples, friends and families wanting to know who the better driver is!” says Turnbull.
Currently, only Tower customers who score high enough to earn higher than 80/100 are eligible for the excess discount for an at-fault insurance claim.