+ What is ‘FreeDriver’ insurance?
FreeDriver is our Black box, or telematics, insurance policy where a little box the size of a smart phone is fitted in your car. The box looks at how you drive giving you the chance to show us you’re a safe driver and means we can give feedback on things you might need to improve on.
+ What will the black box look at?
The box looks at your speed, acceleration, braking and the time of day you drive. These elements are combined into an overall driving score. The box also looks at how many miles you drive.
+ How is the Black Box Fitted?
We’ll arrange an appointment and our fitting partners will contact you to confirm the time and date. It’s fitted out of sight under the dashboard. The engineer comes to you so you don’t need to drive to a fitting centre.
+ Will you track where I drive?
We’re much more interested in how you drive than where you drive, but the black box needs to look at where you drive to compare your speed vs the speed limit. We can also get a picture of your driving habits e.g. do you drive long motorway or short local journeys.
+ Is there a curfew?
No, you can drive at whatever time you like, but journeys late and night or early in the morning will bring your overall score down.
+ How will I know how well I’m driving?
When you buy a FreeDriver Policy, you need to register and access your driver dashboard. This shows your overall score on a red, amber, green system as well as feedback on speed, acceleration, braking and time of day. It’ll also show how many miles you’ve driven, and how many you’re expected to do throughout the year.
You can use this information to tell exactly where any improvements could be made.
+ Who can drive my car?
Only people who are named on your insurance can drive.
+ Can the police see if I was speeding?
No, but it will affect your score and could end up with points on your licence and a fine so keep to the speed limit.
+ What if my overall score isn’t good?
As well as day to day monitoring, we have a detailed look at your score every two weeks to make sure you’re being a safe driver. If your score for the two-week period isn’t good we’ll issue a warning. If after a maximum of 3 warnings things don’t improve your policy would be cancelled. Luckily more than 90% of our customers avoid this.
+ What is excessive speed?
We don’t just look at the overall driving, we look at ‘one-off’ events called excessive speed. Driving at 100% over the speed limit is so excessive your policy is cancelled straight away. A red excessive speed is where you drive at more than 50% above the speed limit. A yellow excessive speed is where you drive at more than 25% above the speed limit. We’ll issue warnings for this, which can lead to your insurance being cancelled.
+ Will you cancel my insurance?
We don’t want to cancel your insurance, and we won’t if you’re a safe driver i.e. your driving scores are good, you don’t drive at excessive speeds and your mileage is within your estimate. But if those things aren’t the case, you won’t be a safe driver and your insurance might be cancelled. Luckily more than 90% of our customers are safe drivers.
+ What if I’m driving more miles that I estimated?
Your FreeDriver insurance covers you for 12 months or until you use all the miles you bought. We know it can be tricky to estimate exactly how many miles you’ll drive, so you can buy more miles if you need to. Sometimes we’ll insist you buy more, even if you’ve not run out, if we think the original amount was too low.
Once you run out you need to buy more before you can drive again.
+ How do I get a quote?
Click here or call us on 0333 121 72 25
+ Does my premium go up if my scores aren’t good?
No, we’ll issue warnings, but there are no increases in cost for poor scores. The renewal price we offer is based on your score so it’s a good idea to drive safely and get a good score.
+ Does my premium come down for good driving?
The premium doesn’t change because we assume you’ll be a safe driver, but good scores will give you a bigger discount when it’s time to renew.
+ Do I need to remove the black box if I sell or scrap my car?
No, it’s switched off remotely, although you can pay to have it removed if you want.
+ How much is the Black Box?
Your quote will include the cost of the black box, fitting it, access to your dashboard and 12 months subscription. But just so that you know, it’s £180
+ What happens if I change my car?
You need to get a new black box fitted at a cost of £180. The old one is remotely switched off.
+ Will my driving info be shared with other insurers?
No, we don’t share it with other insurers.
+ How do you know who’s driving?
The black box looks at driving but can’t tell which of the drivers on your policy is driving. You take overall responsibility for the driving score, so you need to tell anyone who might drive your car that they will be monitored too.