1st CENTRAL launches app-based telematics device to assist with claims

Car insurance broker 1st CENTRAL has partnered with Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) to launch a new device and app that monitor driving behaviour and offer guidance on making a claim if they detect a crash.

1st CENTRAL Connect utilises a sensor that attaches to a windscreen and links to an app on a smartphone in less than five minutes.

The device records journeys and provides feedback and in-app incentives to encourage 1st CENTRAL customers to drive more safely. Each trip is rated with a score and dangerous events such as speeding, phone distraction and harsh braking are highlighted.

Customers can review their overall driving scores and share it with their families using the app. Those with higher scores can be offered significant discounts at renewal, according to 1st CENTRAL.

Ben Tomasetti, managing director of the broker, commented: “1st CENTRAL Connect uses technology to make people’s lives easier while encouraging safer driving through incentives like badges and discounts at renewal. And, thanks to our crash detection feature, our customers know assistance is at hand if they need to make a claim.”

1st CENTRAL Connect uses digital data from the crash scene to create a more effective and efficient claims process, according to the broker, meaning less time spent on the phone and faster decisions.

CMT’s DriveWell platform, which fuses the data between sensor and smartphone “to create a unified experience” for users, powers the new device.

Its founder and chief executive officer, William Powers, said: “We applaud 1st CENTRAL’s efforts to encourage their drivers to be safer. This is the future of connected insurance—helping people drive safer, rewarding them for it, and providing a smooth claims process if they’re involved in an incident.”

Image: Canva

Mark Dugdale