Become a safer driver with 1st CENTRAL Connect

Want to save on your car insurance while also improving your driving skills? We’ve got just the thing.

1^ST CENTRAL Connect, our brand new telematics technology, monitors your safety on the road so both you and your insurer can have more confidence in your driving.

So, how does it work and why is it right for you? We answer your key questions.

What is 1^ST CENTRAL Connect?

1^ST CENTRAL Connect is a telematics product that works from your smartphone.

Telematics is a way to measure your driving. It can be used to track your driving style and driving events, from how fast you drive, to how quickly you brake. This can help you see where your driving can improve, as well as showing your insurance company that you’re safe on the road.

However, while other telematics policy types include a telematics box (also known as black box) in your vehicle, which requires an engineer to fit it, our telematics policy uses a sensor and app and can be set up by you at home in less than five minutes.

What’s more, you can easily share your driving data with us directly from your smartphone, so we can provide a fair insurance price based on your driving score.

How does 1^ST CENTRAL Connect work?

The app and sensor gather data on a number of elements that make up your driving and journey. These include:

• Acceleration
• Braking
• Cornering
• Speeding
• Phone use

Based on this criteria, each journey you take is given a rating out of 5 that feeds into your overall score out of 100. At the end of each trip, you’ll see a summary of how you’ve performed across the five categories.

With our app, you can easily understand how you’re scoring, and we’ll update you after each trip and provide hints and tips to help improve your driving.

What’s the benefit of a telematics policy?

A telematics policy means your insurance provider can track how safe your driving is. The higher the score, the safer driver you are, and the more you could save on your insurance in the future.

If you’re not perfect to start with, the hints and tips that come with telematics insurance mean you can turn this around and become a more confident, skilled driver.

For young and inexperienced drivers – who are often considered higher insurance risks – a telematics-based product like 1^ST CENTRAL Connect can help bring down their insurance cost.

A recent report found that telematics quotes are cheaper than standard car insurance for nearly 80% of drivers aged between 17 and 20, and 69% of those aged between 21 and 24.

The average telematics quote for a driver aged between 17 and 20 was £1,811, allowing them to save £1,137 compared to the cheapest standard car insurance policy.

What do our customers say?

Tazz Manotta, a volunteer who trialled 1^ST CENTRAL Connect, said it was “the best” telematics product he’s tried, describing it as “easy to use and highly informative.”

He said: “I was surprised with the application’s map of my journeys, which helped me identify common trends when driving such as speeding, mobile phone use and heavy braking.”

He added that the app helped him improve his driving: “based upon the common trends that were picked up by the software”.

“I find myself being more aware of my driving behaviour and the points system really helps to encourage that.”

Similarly, volunteer Yasmin Bagley said the app helped her learn more about the mistakes she makes while driving.

When discussing the sensor, she mentioned: “I previously had a black box when I first started driving, and setting up the sensor is so quick and easy compared to the black box.

“Being part of the trial has made me more aware of my driving and has made me a safer driver. I would definitely recommend 1^ST CENTRAL Connect.”

Find out more about 1^ST CENTRAL Connect here.