Skip to main content

Intelligent vehicle insurance launches in the UK

Ctrack is launching a telematics solution for vehicle insurers in the UK to rate how, when, where and by whom a vehicle is driven. The company, a leading provider of vehicle tracking solutions in the UK, says that Ctrack Intelligent Insurance offers providers an alternative means of determining individual vehicle premiums, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice in March this year that prevents gender being taken into account as a risk factor.
April 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSCtrack is launching a telematics solution for vehicle insurers in the UK to rate how, when, where and by whom a vehicle is driven. The company,  a leading provider of vehicle tracking solutions in the UK, says that Ctrack Intelligent Insurance offers providers an alternative means of determining individual vehicle premiums, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice in March this year that prevents gender being taken into account as a risk factor.

Risk is currently calculated by insurance companies based on generic data that only shows an average risk per group, which means that everyone in a specific group pays the same premium, whether they are better or riskier drivers. Female drivers have traditionally paid a lower monthly premium than male drivers, because generic statistics show that male drivers are involved in more accidents.
Johan van der Merwe, director of insurance telematics at Ctrack, commented: “Ctrack Intelligent Insurance addresses the issues created by the ruling, which underlines the importance of defining risk in other, more effective ways. Our solution will not only provide the data for insurers to rate drivers, but enable them to interpret the data as well.”

He believes the very nature of the solution will create a culture of high-level social interaction between insurers and consumers, where premiums are determined by insurers according to the way vehicles are driven.

“Insurers should only determine risk based on distance, speed, time of day and driving attitude. Ctrack Intelligent Insurance proactively ensures that drivers exhibit safety conscious behaviours when they step into their vehicle. There will be no more arguments about the main driver, should an accident occur, and insurance conditions can be relaxed for drivers with a good driving profile.

“We envisage that our telematic solution will revolutionise insurance risk calculation, the nature of the relationship between the insurer and the driver and ultimately the way vehicles are driven. We are moving away from the era of insurance being a grudge purchase, and entering an era where premiums will be based on actual driver behaviour,” van der Merwe concludes.

Related Content

  • Auto-braking cars: government should meet motorists halfway
    March 25, 2014
    A UK Government incentive for drivers buying cars with anti-crash technology would save 60 lives and result in 760 fewer serious casualties reported to the police, in just three years. Over ten years, such an incentive would save 1,220 lives and nearly 136,000 casualties, according to Thatcham Research, the insurance industry’s automotive research centre. At a briefing seeking support from senior politicians, health organisations, insurers and vehicle manufacturers at the House of Commons today, Peter S
  • Sound synthesis makes hybrid and electric vehicles safer
    January 20, 2012
    The growing popularity of hybrids and electric vehicles gives rise to new safety issues in urban environments, as many of the aural cues associated with engine noise can be missing. The solution is to intelligently make vehicles noisier. The rise in popularity of hybrids and Electric Vehicles (EVs) is a result of environmental pressures, shifts in taxation and emerging technologies for batteries and motors. Competition among the car manufacturers means these vehicles need to be cost effective to buy and ope
  • Transport is evolving – and road safety must keep pace, says Parifex
    May 25, 2023
    France-headquartered Parifex works at the cutting edge of Lidar-based speed control systems. CEO Paul-Henri Renard discusses safety advances made in recent decades - and the causes of accidents that remain…
  • US transportation policy needs to restart to sort shortcomings
    August 2, 2012
    Joshua Schank has no illusions when it comes to what he and the Bipartisan Policy Center are suggesting in Performance Driven: New Vision for US Transportation Policy. Released in June of this year, this major report (see Sidebar, 'The Shift in Thinking') advocates no less than a root-and-branch overhaul of the way in which the US transportation system is run - how money is allocated and how the beneficiaries of that funding are selected. As its name suggests, Schank and his colleagues are urging senior US