Nationwide SmartRide Review
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There are several personal factors that determine how much you pay for car insurance and which discounts you are eligible for. Many insurers, like Nationwide, offer telematics programs, which track driving habits and reward safe driving practices that prevent accidents or damage. Nationwide’s SmartRide program tracks your trips and calculates potential savings through the SmartRide mobile app. Understanding how SmartRide works and the ways you can save can help you decide if SmartRide is right for you.
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Save on auto insurance with quotes from trusted providers like:
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Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
What is Nationwide SmartRide?
Nationwide SmartRide is a program that rewards drivers for good habits with discounts on their auto insurance premiums. SmartRide is optional for Nationwide policyholders and even includes up to a 10 percent discount for signing up. Nationwide advises that the smartphone app is the best way to participate in the program, but if you prefer, you may have the option to have a plug-in device mailed to you.
However, if your car was manufactured before 1996, you may not be eligible. Nationwide SmartRide is entirely free, and, unlike other telematics programs, there is no risk of your premium going up if your driving habits do not qualify for a discount. You may lose your 10% participation discount at the end of the policy term, but you will not see a surcharge put on your policy.
Once you sign up, your driving habits will be monitored for four to six months. Throughout the driving period, you will get regular updates from Nationwide. These updates will include your current estimated discount and suggestions for ways to improve your driving habits, which could increase your discount. Once the initial period has been completed, you will be advised that you can delete the app or return the device in the prepaid envelope provided.
What does SmartRide monitor?
SmartRide monitors five aspects of your driving behavior that are commonly associated with your overall risk of getting in an accident. These include:
- Miles driven: The more miles you drive, the higher your chances of being involved in a crash, because you are on the road more often. Driving shorter distances or fewer overall miles may help you earn a larger discount.
- Hard braking: Slamming on the brakes increases the chance of an accident, so too much of this behavior will negatively affect your SmartRide discount.
- Fast acceleration: If you regularly accelerate quickly, this could be a sign of aggressive driving. SmartRide considers any change of speed in excess of 7.7 mph per second as a poor driving habit.
- Nighttime driving: Trips that occur between midnight and 5:00 AM have the highest chance of resulting in an accident. If your car is usually parked during these hours, you might get a larger discount.
- Idle time: The time your car spends idling could indicate how heavy traffic is in your area. In heavily congested areas, you may be more likely to spend more time stopped at lights or stuck in traffic. And in general, the heavier the traffic, the higher the likelihood of an accident.
Each week, you will get reports from Nationwide with a breakdown of each of these factors. You will know exactly how far you drove, how many times you braked or accelerated too quickly, how much time you spent driving at night and how long you idled. These reports could help you make changes to your driving behavior that might increase the chances of you getting a larger discount.
How much can you save with Nationwide SmartRide?
The car insurance discount you could earn for participating in Nationwide SmartRide will vary depending on your driving habits. In general, you can receive 10 percent off your auto insurance just for signing up. From there, depending on the data gathered during the four to six month evaluation period, being a safe driver could earn you up to 40 percent off your car insurance, although this may be limited due to state availability and regulations, among other factors. Additionally, the discount amount is not off your total premium. Only some coverage types are eligible to receive the discount, depending on your state and coverage selections. Your final discount is not applied to your policy right away, but should be applied at your next policy renewal.
Nationwide will never use the information gathered to raise your premiums, which is a potential risk with some similar programs from competitors. However, if your driving habits do not qualify for a discount, you may have zero savings applied.
Who should sign up for SmartRide?
Most Nationwide policyholders can participate in SmartRide, but certain participants have a better chance of benefitting. Drivers whose premiums are high due to circumstances out of their control — such as age or location — may be able to use SmartRide as an opportunity to show Nationwide that they drive safely. SmartRide might also be a great choice for drivers with low annual mileage or who avoid driving at night, rarely idle and avoid rapid acceleration or braking. The table below lists the pros and cons to consider with the program.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No participation cost | Savings is applied at next renewal, not immediately |
| Will not increase premium | Vehicles older than 1996 are not eligible |
| Monitoring only lasts up to six months | Sign up discount removed at next renewal |
| Discount lasts as long as vehicle remains insured with Nationwide | Not ideal for high mileage or regular nighttime drivers |
Those who have seen their car insurance go up after an accident might benefit from SmartRide if they have worked to improve their driving habits. Since SmartRide is free and cannot result in your premiums increasing (with the exception of losing your 10% sign up discount), you may want to give the program a try.
Nationwide does offer a second usage-based program called SmartMiles. If you work from home, are retired or drive low annual miles, the program could be a good fit. To participate, you must agree to pay your premium monthly, rather than in larger installments. Your monthly mileage will be monitored and your monthly premium will then be adjusted so that you pay for just the miles you drove.
How does Nationwide SmartRide compare to other programs?
The Nationwide SmartRide program is not the only telematics program available. Other major insurance carriers offer this way to save, though not all programs are the same. Here is how Nationwide SmartRide compares to other programs.
| Program | Discount amount | Program review period | Premium increase possibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide SmartRide | Up to 40% | 4 to 6 months | No |
| State Farm Drive Safe and Save | Up to 30% | 6 months | No |
| Allstate DriveWise | Varies | 12 months | No |
| Geico DriveEasy | Varies | 6 months | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
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No. Although the program does use GPS to track your braking and acceleration speed, SmartRide does not track your location or movements.
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Yes and no. The program does track speed — your weekly report will show what your average speed was — but it does not use it as a discount factor.
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If you are using the Nationwide SmartRide plug-in device, you can unplug it a few times each month with no repercussions. You might choose to do this if someone is going to borrow your car, for example. If you are using the app and forget to turn your smartphone’s location services on, the app will not be able to track your driving. Just like with the plug-in device, this is not generally a problem a few times a month. However, if you repeatedly unplug your device or forget to turn your location services on, you may lose your participation discount and will not earn a final discount.
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After the evaluation period, the discount you earned is added to your car insurance policy at the next renewal. It is locked in for as long as that particular Nationwide car insurance policy is active. However, Nationwide does add that the discount availability is subject to change and may be affected by changes to drivers and vehicles on the policy or policy changes in subsequent renewals.
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