Mercury Insurance Launches MercuryGO for Illinois Drivers

Rhea-AI Summary

Mercury Insurance has launched its usage-based insurance app, MercuryGO, for drivers in Illinois, aiming to enhance driving skills and safety. Users can receive up to 40% discounts on auto insurance based on their driving behavior, with an immediate 5% participation discount for enrollments and an additional 10% discount for teen drivers. The app helps reduce dangerous driving behaviors, such as speeding and phone distraction, utilizing technology from Cambridge Mobile Telematics. MercuryGO is already available in other states including Texas and Florida.

Positive

• MercuryGO app offers discounts up to 40% for safe drivers, encouraging safer driving habits.
• Immediate 5% discount for policyholders joining the app and 10% for teen drivers.
• Partnership with Cambridge Mobile Telematics enhances the effectiveness of the app.
• Focus on improving traffic safety aligns with market demand for innovative insurance solutions.

Negative

• None.

Mercury's usage-based insurance app could save customers up to 40% or more on auto insurance and gives Prairie State drivers a virtual driving coach

LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mercury Insurance announced that the company has made its usage-based insurance app, MercuryGO, available to drivers in Illinois to help improve driving skills and traffic safety. The app acts as a virtual driving coach, providing skill scores that give real-time feedback about driving behavior. Mercury auto insurance policyholders who enroll to use the app immediately receive a 5% participation discount and teen drivers will receive up to a 10% discount. Then, when MercuryGO customers renew their policies, they could receive a discount of up to 40% in addition to their participation discount, depending upon their driving score.

"Safe driving is a very important issue for Mercury and we seek to innovate driver education of all ages on the importance of being alert behind the wheel, while also equipping them with the skills to avoid potentially dangerous driving behaviors," said Barbara Glenn-Rader, Marketing Manager for Illinois at Mercury Insurance. "Most auto collisions are preventable, so MercuryGO is a practical way to help keep drivers focused on the road, which as a result, reduces fatalities and serious injuries. Plus, they could also end up saving a lot of money with this program. So it's a win-win situation."

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports there were 1,195 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2020. Additionally:

• There were 6,875 serious injury crashes, with 8,550 people sustaining serious injuries.
• In total, there were 72,989 injuries in total.
• Speeding, phone use, hard braking and following too closely are common causes of crashes.

The MercuryGO app generates a driving skill score, which is calculated based on categories that are closely correlated with car crashes: excessive speeding, hard braking, distracted driving (i.e., phone motion and screen interaction), and road type.

Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), Mercury's technology partner, is the world's largest smartphone telematics provider, winning multiple awards. CMT is the pioneer of: usage-based insurance with smartphones (in 2012); the measurement of phone distraction (2013); behavior-based insurance (2014); and real-time crash alerts with roadside assistance (2015).  

"Mercury Insurance is utilizing the DriveWell platform to help drivers reduce distracted driving, speeding, and hard braking by keeping them engaged and providing timely feedback," said Ryan McMahon, CMT's Vice President of Insurance and Government Affairs. "MercuryGO will help make Illinois roads safer and has the potential to reduce the number of car collisions, injuries and fatalities."

CMT's research shows that 37% of all car trips in the U.S. in 2019 involved significant driver phone distraction; between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., that figure rises to 41% of all U.S. car trips. MercuryGO will help solve that problem by using technology that has reduced distracted driving by 29%, speeding by 45%, and hard braking by 17%.

MercuryGO provides useful in-app tips to help users become safer drivers. Added benefits include:

• A sharing option for families, which allows all participating drivers to see who is the safest.
• The ability for parents to receive real-time feedback about their teen's driving behavior, including when, where and how fast they're traveling.
• Licensed teen drivers, 18 years and younger, who are registered for MercuryGO will instantly receive a 10% participation discount on auto insurance.
• The opportunity to earn up to an additional 40% discount at renewal.

"It's important to remember that driving is a privilege and one that shouldn't be taken lightly," said Glenn Rader. "Every driver can benefit from sharpening their skills and MercuryGO can help them become a safer driver, while also putting money back in their pockets."

Currently, MercuryGO is available to Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, and New Jersey drivers. Visit www.mercuryinsurance.com/GO or contact a local Mercury Insurance agent to enroll.

About Mercury Insurance  
Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile, homeowners and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices. For more information visit www.mercuryinsurance.com or Facebook and follow the company on Twitter.

About Cambridge Mobile Telematics
CMT's mission is to make the world's roads and drivers safer. Since its first product launch in 2012 that pioneered mobile usage-based insurance, CMT has become the world's leading telematics and analytics provider for insurers, rideshares, and fleets. CMT's DriveWell platform uses mobile sensing and behavioral science to measure driving risk and incentivize safer driving, while its Claim Studio reduces the claims cycle time with real-time crash detection, crash reconstruction, and damage assessment using telematics and artificial intelligence. CMT has over 50 active programs with insurers and other partners, improving safety for millions of drivers every day around the world. Started based on research at MIT, CMT is headquartered in Cambridge MA. To learn more, visit www.cmtelematics.com and follow CMT on Twitter @cmtelematics.

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SOURCE Mercury Insurance

FAQ

What discounts can Illinois drivers expect with MercuryGO?

Illinois drivers can receive up to 40% discounts on auto insurance based on their driving behavior, along with a 5% participation discount upon enrollment.

How does the MercuryGO app improve driving safety?

The MercuryGO app acts as a virtual driving coach, providing real-time feedback on driving behaviors that contribute to crashes, thus promoting safer driving.

Is MercuryGO available in other states besides Illinois?

Yes, MercuryGO is also available in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, and New Jersey.

Who developed the technology behind MercuryGO?

The technology for MercuryGO is developed in collaboration with Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a leading smartphone telematics provider.

What are the main features of the MercuryGO app?

The app provides driving skill scores, in-app tips for safer driving, and allows family sharing for safety tracking.