Insurers to monitor driving skills

A SCHEME which monitors driver behaviour to help determine the price of car insurance is to be piloted in Northern Ireland.

A data recorder would be fitted to the vehicle to assess how it is driven. Premiums are on the rise and a recent European Court of Justice ruling means from December 2012 gender will no longer be a consideration when assessing risk for insurance.

Caroline Currie, sales director at Autoline, said: “This is an entirely voluntary type of insurance package which could have huge repercussions for the insurance industry.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“With this scheme, drivers will no longer have to endure the current broad brush approach to insurance rating, as premiums will be based on individual driving skills.”

The data recorder is capable of recognising and recording the driving habits of drivers and can also pinpoint the location of the vehicle.

The scheme is similar to a project which has been successfully running in the United States for several years.

More recently the scheme has been tested in other parts of Europe and the UK.