9 PROS And CONS Of Drive Safe And Save

The 30% discount you can get with the Drive Safe and Save car insurance looks very interesting. However, is State Farm Drive Safe and Save worth it? What are the pros and cons of Drive Safe And Save?

In this unbiased review, I will explain more in detail what “Drive Safe and Save” really entails, its pros, and its cons. So if you wish to know if the insurance is worth investing in, keep reading! 

Pros of Drive Safe and Save

Consider these four main benefits you stand to gain from being a State Farm Drive Safe and Save customer:

1. Save money

Let’s admit to, car insurance can be very expensive. However, the Drive Safe & Save insurance program gives you the opportunity to lower your monthly insurance bills and save some cash.

When you follow all the road rules and drive safely and cautiously, the company gives you rewards in the form of discounts.

The auto car insurance allows you to earn discounts of up to 30%. What’s even better, you can save more money than the 30% limit by taking advantage of the auto insurance discount checklist.

Also, State Farm claims that it will offer you a discount no matter how bad you are driving. Of course, in this case, the discount would be very small.

Undoubtedly, getting the Drive Safe and Save insurance is the best way you can trim costs without compromising on any personal items.

This is without a doubt the biggest pro of Drive Safe and Save.

2. Safer driving

When you start using the State Farm auto insurance program, your main goal will be to get discounts. However, for you to earn these discounts, you will have to drive better and more cautiously, which means following all traffic rules and regulations.

After all, when you know that certain driving habits will cost you significant discounts, so you will be forced to stick to safe driving behaviors to maintain the discounts.

Therefore, the Drive Safe and Save program helps you become a more cautious driver. And as more people join the program, more people drive cautiously, and fewer road accidents happen due to carelessness and failure to follow road traffic rules.

Do you know what is the leading cause of death for kids and young adults between 5-29 years? Road traffic injuries. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.3 million people die every year due to road accidents! However, while accidents are almost inevitable, all of us can work towards minimizing their frequency. One way you can do this is by getting the “Drive Safe and Save” insurance.

Drive Safe and Save is just a great way to minimize the risk of road accidents and save yourself some cash at the same time.

3. Save gas and be more eco friendly

As a car insurance program, Drive Safe and Save encourages people to drive more safely.

Therefore, people will drive slowly and more carefully, which means less consumption of fuel.

Besides, careful use of vehicles helps to reduce the overall wear and tear of the tires and other components of the vehicle as well. This also means that in the long run, you will be saving money also on car maintenance!

Well-maintained cars that are driven more cautiously use little fuel and, as a consequence, have a less negative impact on the environment.

Therefore, you can contribute to improving environmental sustainability while actually saving money with insurance discounts and saving gas!

This like using cruise control to save gas, is just a small example of how everybody can contribute to reducing waste and sustainable development.

4. Good for young drivers

Drive Safe and Save can be a good choice also for young drivers, in fact, even if you are under 25 you can get up to a 15% discount on your car insurance.

State Farm can do this because it will be monitoring your driving style and will quickly understand if you are driving safely even if young. In this way, they can give you a discount on auto insurance quicker than a standard insurance policy.

If you have a teenager in your family, then Drive Safe and Save can be an interesting option also for teenage drivers. This is not only because of the discounts but also because thanks to the tracking app, you will feel more secure in knowing that your loved one is driving safely.

5. Easy car insurance quotes

State Farm has plenty of digital assets that make it easier for you to get direct quotes from the agent.

Whenever you need a quote, simply call an agent or fill out the simple form available online. And in case you need further assistance, you can always expect to get fast assistance from the agents.

Cons of Drive Safe and Save

The following are the two main disadvantages associated with State Farm Drive Safe and Save.

1. Privacy concerns

The biggest cons of Drive Safe and Save is privacy. Because you will have to keep the tracking app switched on everywhere you go.

This means that the insurance will know and record all of your movements. Moreover, the app will track also phone usage while driving, acceleration, braking, speed, mileage, cornering, and everything they need to evaluate your safe driving score.

Finally, reading the State Farm privacy policy, as of today in 2022, I can read the following:

“We share customer information inside or outside our family of companies” and “with companies that perform marketing or other services for us or with whom we have joint marketing agreements. These agreements allow us to provide a broader selection of insurance and financial products to you.”.

This means that they can share your data also with third parties for marketing purposes. In other words, they may sell your information for marketing.

This may be a concern for some people, while others may be ok with it. After all, it’s the 21st century and most of us are already tracked by other companies as well.

2. The app will use your phone’s battery

With Drive Safe and Save you will be required to keep your Bluetooth and GPS always switched on while driving. This will allow the app to interact with the car’s state farm beacon to track your driving.

However, those functions will use your phone’s battery, so you will have to make sure to have enough battery left before getting in your car. As an alternative, you can simply buy a cable to charge your smartphone inside the car.

3. No GAP Insurance Coverage

GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection) insurance is the amount difference between the car’s actual value and the current balance owed on the financing.

While it is usually paid in case the car is written off, State Farm doesn’t seem to offer this coverage as standard.

This means that, unless you get an additional cover and you have a serious accident, you may still owe part of the balance of your car loan (if the value of the car was less than what you owed).

4. No custom equipment coverage

State Farm’s insurance program does not cover any custom add-ons made to your vehicle. Therefore, if your car has any modifications, such as carbon fiber hoods or custom wheels, rest assured that these won’t be covered by the insurance company in the case of an accident.

So, if you want to cover special equipment in your car, ask to your agent and check the available options.

What is State Farm Drive Safe and Save?

State Farm is a group of insurance companies located in the United States. And among the numerous insurance programs that it offers is the Drive Safe and Save program.

State Farm Drive Safe and Save monitors the driving habits of the users. If the users drive safely and cautiously, they are rewarded with discounts on their car insurance. The more discounts an auto insurance customer earns, the more money they get to save on their insurance.

What metrics do drive safe and save monitor?

For the insurance company to monitor your driving habits, State Farm customers are required to install a beacon in their private cars, then download the app from State Farm on their smartphone.

A beacon is a small data transmitter that is hardwired into the vehicle. It sends information about the user’s driving habits to the insurance company.

Common information that the beacon and the app capture and sends to State Farm includes:

• Hard braking – This usually indicates distracted driving and drivers report this as one of the most difficult things to comply with.
• Phone usage – Frequent usage of your phone while driving can indicate distracted driving or lead you to be labeled as high risk.
• Speed – High speeds show you as a risk taker.
• Turning – When used with mapping systems, this information lets the insurer know if you tend to put yourself, second-party, and third-party personnel at risk.
• GPS information – This information shows the insurance company if you enter vehicle theft areas or areas prone to accidents.
• Mileage – Mileage information, as well as the total duration you spend driving, can be used to calculate the likelihood of an accident, as determined by how much time you are on the road. So it is likely that if you drive a lot, your discount will be smaller.
• Time of the day – The app tracks if you are driving during rush hours. If you do, the probability of you getting involved in an accident rise (even if you are a good driver), as a result, the discount will be smaller if you usually drive at peak time.

If the information that the beacon sends to State Farm Insurance is positive, you get more discounts, which means that you pay lower rates for your monthly car insurance subscription. 

Conclusion

As you can see, Drive Safe and Save has a number of pros and cons. With the biggest pro being the steep discount on the insurance premium and the biggest cons being the related privacy concerns.

This type of P&C (property and casualty) insurance is only possible thanks to digital transformation and all the new services that became possible with the introduction of the latest digital transformation technologies.

So, is the State Farm Drive Safe and Save insurance program worth it?

Well, if you mainly work from home and don’t regularly venture too far, the program could bring you major benefits. Besides, you will improve your driving skills as you save; skills that could earn you a better reputation even in the business sector.

Better yet, by driving more safely, you will make a significant contribution to sustainability, helping create a cleaner and more sustainable environment!