A new car insurance scheme which uses an electronic device to monitor driving habits and abilities will be trialled in Northern Ireland.
The data recorder can be fitted inside any car and will collect information on how well or badly the car is being driven. The information which is gathered by the recorder will then be used by the driver’s insurance provider to help in calculating an insurance premium which is in-line with the driver’s capability behind the wheel.
The new style insurance scheme is being offered by Autoline Insurance to drivers in Northern Ireland only initially. A similar system has been piloted in US for several years and has since made its way over to selected parts of Europe.
Autoline Insurance stress that this type of cover is completely voluntary and only drivers who request the data recording devices will have these installed in their vehicles. The recorders tell the insurance company how well the car is being driven, the times at which the car is on the road, if the driver keeps within speed limits, and even the location of the vehicle.
The insurance provider believes the new system could have “huge repercussions” for the car insurance industry as it could change the way premiums are calculated in the future, avoiding the one size fits all approach.
