Geico DriveEasy review

If you are a driver with a clean record and a history of safe decision making while on the road, you may be able to get rewarded for your habits. Drivers who have Geico as their insurance provider could qualify for Geico DriveEasy, the company’s telematics program that offers discounts for safe driving habits. Gecio DrivEasy reviews your driving patterns by tracking your time on the road to determine if you are making good decisions while behind the wheel. Of course, you may be penalized for dangerous decisions, so it is worth understanding how this system works and how it may benefit you. Bankrate breaks it down in our Geico DriveEasy review.

What is Geico DriveEasy?

Like many of the best car insurance companies, Geico created its telematics program, DriveEasy, in an effort to help keep roads safer and help policyholders save money. The program is currently available in 37 states and Washington, D.C. The app is telematics-based, which means that your real-time driving information is transmitted to Geico via your smartphone. The app monitors your behind-the-wheel practices, rewarding safe behaviors.

Signing up for Geico DriveEasy could save you money on your premium if the telematics data proves you’re a safe driver. In addition, the program is designed to be easy to manage. Once you’ve downloaded the app and logged in, you don’t need to open it again when you get in your car. Instead, it automatically records trip data as you drive as long as you remain logged in. The app can even distinguish if you are the driver or passenger or when you are using public transportation.

What does DriveEasy track?

Although DriveEasy can’t monitor every factor of your driving, it is capable of analyzing simple driving habits that indicate how safely you may drive, such as hard braking, fast accelerations, speeding and cornering. The safer you drive, the higher your driving score will be, up to 100 points. The app can also log your trips, giving you a sense of how many miles you’ve traveled and where you might be able to improve your driving.

Factors that impact your DriveEasy score

• Hard braking: DriveEasy can tell how quickly you decelerate when you press the brakes. Hard stops should be avoided unless necessary to avoid an accident. If DriveEasy determines a hard brake, predictive crash detection called Crash Assist will note your location and ask if you were in an accident, taking you to the claims section of the app to start a claim.
• Distance traveled: By using location data from your phone, Geico DriveEasy can review your daily miles traveled and adjust your insurance based on how much time you are spending behind the wheel.
• Time of day: Depending on when you do most of your driving, you may be considered a safer or riskier driver. DriveEasy monitors driving habits and it may negatively impact your score if you spend more time on the road after dark rather than during the daytime. Those commuting late at night may be adversely affected by this.
• Distracted driving: The DriveEasy app monitors distracted driving through tracking active phone use, such as handheld phone calls and any sort of typing or scrolling. If a passenger is using your phone while you are driving, you will need to report this in the app to avoid a distracted driving report.
• Road type: DriveEasy can tell if you’re engaged in difficult driving, such as rush hour on a busy highway, or easy driving, such as slowly cruising down a neighborhood street in the middle of the day. Road type factors into your driving score.
• Weather: Bad weather makes driving harder and the app includes this factor in your score. It’s able to access weather data to see if you are driving in rain, fog and other bad weather.
• Cornering: Sharp turns present the risk of losing control of your vehicle. If you take corners tightly or too fast, DriveEasy may recognize this and it may negatively affect your driving score.
• Acceleration: If you frequently change your speed or accelerate quickly, it could increase your chances of getting into an accident and negatively affect your DriveEasy score.
• Speeding: Staying within the posted speed limit will help you stay more in control and limit your risk of getting into an accident. The less you speed, the better your DriveEasy score could be.

Pros and cons of Geico DriveEasy

Although many telematics programs are similar across companies, each may have slightly different policies. Comparing telematics programs from each carrier may be a valuable aspect of the insurance shopping process. Consider these pros and cons to determine if Geico DriveEasy is right for you.

How do I enroll in Geico DriveEasy?

Geico policyholders in eligible states can get started with the DriveEasy usage-based program by downloading the Geico Mobile app on their smartphone. Then, follow these steps to enroll in the program:

1. Once downloaded, enter your mobile phone number and input the confirmation code texted to you.
2. The app will then walk you through setting your privacy and location permissions to use the DriveEasy function.
3. When you’re done, the app will ask for mobile phone numbers for all drivers on your policy. It will provide a text with a link to send to each driver, so they can download the app and you can start logging trips.

Is Geico DriveEasy right for me?

Most insurance companies now offer telematics programs, such as Progressive’s Snapshot or State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save. Although each program has unique features, they are all designed to monitor your driving habits and reward you for safe practices. If you want to try a telematics program but aren’t sure which one is right for you, it may be helpful to do some comparison shopping before making your final decision.

One benefit of telematics programs like Geico’s DriveEasy is that they might help you become a better driver by showing you when and where you are making risky driving decisions. If you have a young driver on your policy, signing them up could help them learn and practice safe driving habits. Repeated risky driving behaviors could increase your Geico car insurance rate when participating in DriveEasy in some states. Make sure you understand how your driving habits can impact your premium in your state through the program. If your rate increases due to your driving habits, the rate will not change if you decide to unenroll from the program.

Frequently asked questions

• • Can your rates go up with DriveEasy?

    Yes, depending on your state, your rates could go up if you exhibit poor or unsafe driving habits while using DriveEasy. Geico’s online resources clearly state: “Riskier drivers may see a higher rate — depending on the state you live in.” However, the risk may be minimal if you are actively working toward improving your driving skills.

  • Do all cars in a household have to participate?

    While there is no obligation for every car in a household to participate in DriveEasy, all drivers listed on a single policy will need to participate in the program to receive its rewards. Each car and each driver will need to sign up to be counted. To avoid losing out on potential discounts, all drivers registered in the program should actively participate.

  • How does DriveEasy know if I’m a passenger rather than the driver?

    DriveEasy uses technology that detects movement and relies on your phone’s sensors to determine if you are the driver or the passenger. It should also be able to identify if you’re on a bus or a train instead of a car. The technology isn’t perfect, but it’s possible to access your account and make changes if the app gets it wrong.

  • Can I participate in DriveEasy more than once?

    Yes, you can participate in DriveEasy more than once. If you’ve previously decided to stop participating in the program, you can log into your online Geico account, go to “additional discounts,” find the DriveEasy enrollment and complete the steps to re-enroll in the DriveEasy program.

  • What is Geico DriveEasy Crash Assist?

    The Geico DriveEasy Crash Assist is a feature that has predictive crash detection. If the app detects a hard braking event, it will place a pin in your location. Then, a pop-up may appear asking if you’ve been in an accident. If so, it will take you to the claims section of the app so you can start the claims process. If not, you can click “no,” and the app will continue tracking the trip.