Insurers continue to prioritize usage-based insurance in 2023

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Vehicles sit in rush hour traffic at the interchange between the Interstate 405 and 10 freeways in this aerial photograph taken over Los Angeles, California, U.S. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
Patrick T. Fallon/Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/

Customers are increasingly dissatisfied with the cost of their auto insurance, which is likely leading insurance carriers to focus more on usage-based insurance (UBI) options. 

Participation rates in UBI programs have more than doubled since 2016, from 8% to 17%, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. New customers have a UBI participation rate of 26%. Customers do have concerns about UBI. Only 38% of customers responded that the data collected is "always accurate."

TransUnion released its 'Insurance Personal Lines Trends and Perspective' Q2 2023 report, which highlights how more consumers are actually opting-out of telematics programs. The number of consumers who accepted a telematics offer was 53% or 12 percentage points lower than a year ago, at 65%.

Kelly Hernandez, associate vice president, personal lines telematics at Nationwide, said in an emailed statement: "The future holds considerable progression for telematics as insurers will look to place more emphasis based on how safely someone drives. Nationwide is thinking beyond the discount-only pricing programs that customers have come to demand, to positively impacting policyholders driving behaviors and re-shaping how we think about auto insurance."

The interest in telematics behavior insights will likely continue over the next few years as nearly one in two top ten tier carriers use an exchange-based product, according to the LexisNexis Risk Solutions 2023 U.S Auto Insurance Trends Report.

Adam Pichon, senior vice president of auto insurance and claims, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said in a statement: "A more competitive advantage can start with better claims handling workflows, better outcomes can be initiated by distracted driving awareness and mitigation, and carriers can begin planning for when the market softens – all with greater clarity helped gained through data insights. Renewals, chargeable violations and improved segmentation are all examples of ways to help improve results using data."

The details that follow include UBI and telematics program information from the top auto insurers by U.S. market share as reported by the NAIC.

Some insurance carriers didn't respond to requests for comment and some did not update previous information from 2022.

State Farm

U.S. auto insurance market share: 16.84%
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State Farm corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois
Name of primary UBI program: Drive Safe & Save
Year launched: 2009
States available: 47 (Mobile)
Total users: Declined to say
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Technology platform: Mobile app, connected-car integration
What it measures: Miles driven, acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding, and phone distraction.

Progressive

U.S. auto insurance market share: 14.05%
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John Quinn/Bloomberg News
Name of primary UBI program: Snapshot
Year launched: 2008
States available: 49 states and Washington, D.C.
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics, Sensata (for OBD devices)
Technology platform: Connected car, OBD-II device and mobile app
What it measures: Time of day, speed changes, drive time, and phone use

Berkshire Hathaway (Geico)

U.S. auto insurance market share: 13.76%
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Name of primary UBI program: DriveEasy
Year launched: 2019

Allstate

U.S. auto insurance market share: 10.69%
Allstate signage on display outside its former company headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois.
Allstate Corp. signage stands on display outside its former company HQ in Northbrook, Illinois, on Jan. 21, 2020.
Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg
Name of primary UBI program: Drivewise (behavior-based) and Milewise (mileage-based)
Year launched: 2010, 2016
States available: Milewise: 21 states and Washington, D.C. Drivewise: All 50 states
Technology partners: Arity
Technology platform: Mobile app, connected-car integration
What it measures: Miles driven, acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding, and phone distraction

USAA

U.S. auto insurance market share: 5.92%
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JUSTIN BROWNELL USAA

Name of primary UBI program: SafePilot
Year launched: 2020
Technology partners: Noblr
Technology platform: Mobile app
What it measures: Miles driven, phone distraction, brake and accelerate mindfully and avoid night driving.

Liberty Mutual

U.S. auto insurance market share: 4.95%
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Name of primary UBI program: RightTrack
Year launched: 2017
States available: 47 (Mobile)


Farmers

U.S. auto insurance market share: 4.55%
Farmers Insurance headquarters building
Farmers Insurance headquarters in Los Angeles. In November, the carrier announced the acquisition of three companies: Kraft Lake Insurance Agency, Western Star Insurance Services and Farmers General Insurance Agency.

Name of primary UBI program: Signal
Year launched: 2017
States available: 39 (Mobile)
Total users: Declined to say
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Technology platform: Mobile app
What it measures: Focused driving, hard brakes, time of day, total mileage and excessive speeding.

American Family

U.S. auto insurance market share: 2.11%
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American Family Insurance headquarters, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, Wisconsin.

Name of primary UBI program: KnowYourDrive
Year launched: 2017
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Technology platform: Mobile app
What it measures: Trip and event data, speed, time of day, hard braking and distracted driving.

Travelers

U.S. auto insurance market share: 2.11%
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The Travelers Insurance Co. office building in Hartford, Connecticut in 2015.
Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg

Name of primary UBI program: IntelliDrive
Year launched: 2017
States available: 42 states and Washington, D.C.
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Technology platform: Mobile app
What it measures: Trip and event data, speeding, time of day, hard braking and distracted driving.

Nationwide

U.S. auto insurance market share: 1.99%
Nationwide headquarters in Ohio
Nationwide Plaza One in Columbus, Ohio.

Name of primary UBI program: SmartRide and SmartMiles
Year launched: 2009
States available: 46 (Mobile)
Total users: Over 1 million customers
Technology partners: Cambridge Mobile Telematics, IMS/Trak and vehicle manufacturers
Technology platform: Mobile app, connected-car integration
What it measures: Miles driven, hard braking, fast acceleration and night driving.
Correction
Nationwide has two programs, SmartRide and SmartMiles.
November 13, 2023 5:07 PM EST