Mercury Insurance Launches MercuryGO for Texas Drivers

Rhea-AI Summary

Mercury Insurance has launched its MercuryGO app for Texas drivers, aiming to enhance driving safety through usage-based insurance. The app acts as a virtual driving coach, offering real-time feedback and skill scores based on driving behavior. Participants receive a 5% discount upon enrollment, with potential discounts up to 40% at policy renewal based on their driving score. With alarming traffic fatalities reported in Texas, MercuryGO also addresses key causes of accidents such as distracted driving and speeding. The app is available exclusively for Texas drivers.

Positive

• Launch of MercuryGO app promotes road safety and enhances customer engagement.
• Immediate 5% discount for participants and potential for up to 40% discount upon renewal.
• Addresses serious issues in Texas traffic safety, such as distracted driving.

Negative

• None.

LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mercury Insurance announced that the company has made its usage-based insurance app, MercuryGO, available to drivers in Texas 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.

"Driving safety is a very important issue for Mercury and we continually look for ways to help educate drivers 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 Sherrie Schreck, customer service project manager at Mercury Insurance. "Most auto collisions are preventable, so MercuryGO is a simple way to help keep drivers focused on their main task and, as a result, reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Plus, they could also end up saving a lot of money with this program."

The Texas Department of Transportation reports there were 3,652 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2018. Additionally:

• There were 12,186 serious injury crashes, with 14,937 people sustaining serious injuries.
• At least one person died on a Texas roadway every day due to distracted driving.
• 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 Texas 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 Schreck. "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 only available to Texas drivers. Visit www.mercuryinsurance.com/GO or contact a 23%2FfindAnAgent&a=local+Mercury+Insurance+agent" rel="nofollow">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 is the MercuryGO app launched by Mercury Insurance?

MercuryGO is a usage-based insurance app that provides real-time feedback on driving behavior to enhance safety.

What discounts do Mercury Insurance policyholders receive for using MercuryGO?

Policyholders receive a 5% participation discount and may earn up to a 40% discount at policy renewal based on their driving score.

When was the MercuryGO app launched for Texas drivers?

The MercuryGO app was launched on July 13, 2020.

How does MercuryGO address distracted driving?

The app tracks driving behaviors linked to accidents, offering feedback to reduce distracted driving, speeding, and hard braking.

Is the MercuryGO app available in any states other than Texas?

Currently, the MercuryGO app is exclusively available to drivers in Texas.