Telematics
In-vehicle telematics offers safer and greener driving. Credit: Vodafone Limited.

Telematics technology is gradually gaining popularity in the UK as it provides drivers with benefits of safer, cheaper and eco-friendly driving, according to new research from Vodafone.

Around two thirds (63%) of respondents are ‘open to’ or ‘could be persuaded to’ adopt in-vehicle telematics if it provides rewards for safer driving.

The biggest incentive for adoption of the technology would be decreased insurance premiums (68%), followed by slashed fuel costs (62%) and lower environmental impact (48%).

Vodafone is serving as the digital telematics provider for British car insurance firm Admiral, providing the underlying technical services for Admiral’s LittleBox offer.

“As the global leader in IoT, with over 70 million connections around the world, we understand the potential it has to change the way we all do business.”

According to Vodafone enterprise director Anne Sheehan, the company’s connectivity and secure data processing helps Admiral evaluate responsible driving and price its policies accordingly.

It provides instant data in the event of a crash, which means the emergency services can be called and the claims process can be sped up.

These policies are known as usage-based insurance (UBI).

Sheehan said: “As the global leader in IoT, with over 70 million connections around the world, we understand the potential it has to change the way we all do business. In the insurance world, we’ve seen how telematics can increase customer loyalty and enable organisations to create tailored solutions.

“As well as the immediate benefits of encouraging more efficient driving, telematics can pave the way for exciting developments in the future. For example, it could be used to provide live data on traffic flows, accurate weather reporting and vehicle-2-vehicle communications to help reduce the risk of collisions.”