14 PROS And CONS Of Drive Safe And Save [2023]

The 30% discount you can get with the Drive Safe and Save car insurance looks very interesting. However, what are the pros and cons of Drive Safe And Save? Is it worth it? Here’s my review of what I’ve found by surveying drivers with real-world experience using this auto insurance and its app!

In this unbiased review, I will explain more in detail what “Drive Safe and Save” really entails, its pros, and its cons experienced by the users. So if you wish to know if the insurance is worth investing in, I collected some unique insights for you. And keep reading until the end, because the last cons about GPS navigation could be a deal breaker for some of you! 

Pros of Drive Safe and Save

Consider these main benefits you stand to gain from being a State Farm Drive Safe & 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 this auto 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 & 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 this type of 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 this auto insurance can be an interesting option for your young family members. 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.

6. Accurate trip tracking

The Drive Safe and Save app offers accurate trip tracking, providing users with detailed information about their journeys. This feature records the distance traveled, duration of trips, and even recognizes alternative routes taken. This data can be useful for personal reference or insurance purposes.

The app will keep records of your trip routes made in the last 30 days. This will also allow you to know exactly how many trips and the mileage you made in the last 14 days and have a better idea of your driving habits.

7. Useful weekly reports

The app generates informative weekly reports, summarizing driving behavior and offering valuable insights. These reports can help users identify areas for improvement and encourage safer driving habits over time.

8. Your data is NOT sold

State Farm knows how to keep a juicy secret: your data! Yep, they’ve got your back when it comes to privacy. You can rest easy knowing that State Farm doesn’t go around selling your precious information to the highest bidder.

They actually use that data for your benefit, helping you create safer driving habits and calculating potential discounts for your auto insurance. The data also allows them to improve the car insurance program, making sure that the potential discount you get is actually sustainable for the company in the long run.

Cons of Drive Safe and Save

The following are the main disadvantages associated with this State Farm auto insurance program.

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 your agent and check the available options.

5. Potentially inaccurate driving habit assessment

When it comes to assessing your driving habits, the Drive Safe and Save app may have a slight blind spot. Some users have reported that the app’s evaluation of their driving behavior can be a bit off the mark.

It doesn’t always take into account external factors or unique driving situations that may affect your habits. So, while the app aims to help you improve your skills, it’s essential to remember that it might not always provide a perfect reflection of your driving prowess. But hey, we all have our off days behind the wheel, right?

No real-time traffic consideration

One downside that users have pointed out about the app is its lack of consideration for real-time traffic conditions. Whether you encounter unexpected congestion or are cruising down an open highway, the app doesn’t take these factors into account when assessing your driving habits.

So, while it keeps an eye on your speed, acceleration, and braking, it doesn’t factor in the dynamic nature of the traffic around you. While this is formally and legally the right way to do it, it may feel uncomfortable and cause some potential safety concerns. For example, if you are on a highway and on a bridge the speed limit suddenly drops to 50 mph… you slow down to not get “dinged”, but everybody else may just keep going at 70 mph making you feel less safe.

Potentially excessive braking requirements

Now, let’s talk about braking. Some users have felt that the Drive Safe and Save app might have a bit of a fixation on aggressive braking. It occasionally dings you for braking too hard, which can be frustrating, especially when you’re just trying to avoid a close encounter with that enthusiastic squirrel darting across the road.

It seems the app favors a gentler touch on the brakes, which, let’s face it, isn’t always feasible or safe in certain situations. So, while it encourages smoother driving, it may overlook those necessary sudden stops that are part of the unpredictable dance on the roads. Interestingly, this is one of the most common State Farm Drive Safe and Save Reddit complaints.

On the bright side, the cases where you really have to brake hard are not that many if you keep a safe distance. So those rare occurrences should have virtually no effect on your score and State Farm safe driver discount!

6. Can’t use GPS navigation on the same smartphone

One important limitation of the app is that it doesn’t play well with your smartphone’s GPS. That means you can’t use your favorite navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze while the Drive Safe and Save app is active, or you will get dinged for phone use while driving.

It’s like having to choose between finding your way to your destination and earning those potential insurance savings. So, if you rely heavily on GPS navigation, especially in unfamiliar territories, this limitation can be a bit of a bummer.

Note that with this insurance, a passenger using your phone will be considered as if you are using the phone, so you will be dinged. So you can’t even give your phone to your passenger to use the GPS and get to your destination. On the other hand, the passenger can use another phone for this.

This is because, unfortunately, the app can’t see what other apps are in use. It only knows if the phone is in use, so it can’t make an exception for GPS. I understand that this could be quite a disappointment for some.

Remembering the way without a little digital assistance may require some good old-fashioned map-reading skills or a separate device to guide you along the right path.

On the bright side, it is possible to use a second phone, like an old smartphone or a very cheap one that you can simply keep in your car just to run Google Maps or your favorite GPS app.

What is State Farm Drive Safe and Save?

State Farm is a group of insurance companies located in the United States. Among the numerous insurance programs that it offers is what many people refer to as the safe driver discount program. So, what is Drive Safe and Save?

State Farm is using a Bluetooth beacon to monitor 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?

Here’s how it works: for the insurance company to monitor your driving habits, State Farm customers are required to install a beacon in their private cars, and then download the app from State Farm on their smartphones.

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 Drive Safe and Save beacon and the app capture and send 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 rises (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.

So, now that you know how does State Farm Drive Safe work, let’s have a look at what you shouldn’t do to avoid potential issues with this auto insurance.

Can I switch off the Bluetooth and beacon?

Well, the choice is yours. While it’s not necessary to keep Bluetooth and the beacon on when you’re not driving, it’s important to note that turning them off may affect the functionality of the Drive Safe and Save app.

Leaving Bluetooth and the beacon on allows the app to automatically start recording trips when you begin driving. If Bluetooth is off during a trip, it won’t be able to record the data.

So, if you wish to limit battery usage, you can turn them off when not driving, but remember to turn them back on before each trip to ensure accurate trip recording.

How long do you have to use State Farm Drive Safe and Save?

The State Farm’s discount program is designed to provide ongoing savings on your auto insurance premiums based on your driving habits. There is no specific time limit for using the program as it is a continuous program that rewards safe driving behavior. As long as you continue to participate in the program and maintain safe driving habits, you can enjoy the savings on your insurance premiums for as long as you remain a State Farm policyholder.

Conclusion

There you have it! So, is Drive Safe and Save worth it? Here’s a quick summary of the advantages and disadvantages of this popular auto insurance discount program:

As you can see, the greatest benefit is the steep discount on the insurance premium, and the key disadvantage is 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 all of this 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.

To help your decision, you can also compare this to similar programs offered by other insurance companies. For example, here you can find my unbiased review of the Liberty Mutual RightTrack pros and cons. You can read it and make a better-informed decision.

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