Green(er) driving – risk and planet friendly

REDTAIL innovated in driver scoring more than ten years ago, demonstrating clear links between incidents, risk and harsh braking and cornering, rapid acceleration and excessive speed. In tracking those behaviours, we have built up a robust and evolving (machine learning at the fore as billions of miles and numbers of drivers add!) picture of driving ‘signatures’. For the last couple of years, we have added a look at ‘eco’ driving, in consolidating industry data on vehicles, fuel consumption and emissions with that unique signature data.

Eco-Friendly Driving Habits

But beyond the chosen vehicle, we can all adopt driving habits that reduce the carbon footprint of our activities. Where going at excessive speed, rapid acceleration and hard braking can all increase emissions, by taking the opposing approach, moderating speed, smooth, steady acceleration and braking, avoiding leaving a vehicle idling for too long unnecessarily and so on, we can minimize those emissions. But is there a market appetite for that approach?

More young drivers want telematics policy for environmental benefits | Insurance Times

We agree Paul (Baxter, CEO Green Insurer). Our primary research into consumer attitudes to telematics based motor insurance [link to previous blog, see attached] showed the most significant trend in favour of environmental impact. Unlike the Green Insurer, REDTAIL does not rely on App data alone (which carries some fallibilities in terms of reliability and completeness of data), but we have also analysed billions of miles of data derived from our market leading telematics boxes.

Insurers making use of our valuable data are able to give timely and pertinent feedback to all drivers (not just young drivers!) to help them with speed, braking, cornering and other driving styles. Small changes in those areas can have an impact on safety, fuel costs and environmenal impact - as well as on insurance premiums.

REDTAIL research into the correlation between safer driving and lower emissions offers a further incentive. 2.7kg CO2 emissions per litre is a recognised industry standard. Our scrutiny of driving styles and behaviours indicates 12-15% saving in fuel consumption per journey of at least a mile, with that number going up to 14-17% for longer journeys.

Again, do the sums – across a week, a month, a year of commute and journey and even just pottering, there is undoubtedly the opportunity to drive differently and to ultimately make a difference.