MotorMate application

UK-based price comparison website, Confused.com, has launched a new smartphone application, MotorMate, to monitor individual drivers’ performances and rate them accordingly.

The app will earn good drivers cheaper car insurance premiums due to their reduced risk of accidents, which ultimately results in a lower number of claims.

The MotorMate application was developed by MyDrive Solutions and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

MyDrive Solutions CEO Linden Holliday said that the app, developed with Confused.com, will help track driver performance and provide specific and individual advice.

"The system works by monitoring the phone’s GPS each second, continuously checking for smooth and careful driving," Holliday added.

"By helping drivers become safer, Confused and MyDrive can help lower the cost of car insurance for these drivers."

"The app will earn good drivers cheaper car insurance premiums due to their reduced risk of accidents, which ultimately results in a lower number of claims."

The app will consider the location, traffic congestion and other factors, as well as filtering data before marking a final score.

MotorMate also has a unique heartbeat functionality that checks that the phone is working properly and ensures that all data is being recorded on every trip.

The Confused.com MotorMark score is calculated based on a number of other factors, such as the drivers’ road anticipation, driving pace, acceleration, braking and cornering, to understand driving behaviour.

The overall calculated score, which is only given after covering a total distance of 250 miles and not necessarily in one trip, is compared with the RoSPA drivers’ score, which is the benchmark and represents the gold standard for safe driving.

Scoring 100 points out of 100 will mark an expert driver, while 20 out of 100 indicates the need to improve.

The app can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store for free and works on iPhone and Android handsets.

Image: Confused.com MotorMark scores driving performance out of 100. Photo: courtesy of Confused.com.