Car insurance can feel like a mammoth task to sort out - when all you want to do is get out on the road and enjoy never having to use Dad’s taxi service again. Throw in the decision of whether you need a black box - also known as a telematics device - installed on your car, and you can suddenly feel pretty overwhelmed.
This is why we’ve put together this in-depth round up of the benefits of black box insurance, to help you decide if it’s the best option.
The benefits of Black Box insurance
It could make you a better driver Black boxes measure your speed, how fast you accelerate, braking behaviour and what time you drive. Being conscious of how your driving affects your score and what you pay for your car insurance will definitely change how you feel about driving. This means over time your driving will only improve, as you try to better your score.
Evidence if you are in an accident
One of the best things about black boxes is that they can be used to prove who was at fault in an accident. So if you have a prang and the other driver decides they don’t want to accept responsibility, you can ask your black box insurance provider to check the data to uncover what really happened.
You can find your car if it’s lost or stolen
While it’s unlikely you’ll lose your car - although we’ve all had that scary moment in a multi-storey car park when we can’t remember what level we parked on - black boxes are brilliant if your vehicle is stolen. The black box provider - such as WiseDriving - can track where your vehicle is via GPS and point the right people to its location. It provides a little bit of comfort knowing that if something like this should happen and that the thief could be caught.
It could save you money
The safer you drive, the less you may have to pay. The way you drive is given a score, which could lead to you receiving money back from your insurance provider if it’s a good one. At WiseDriving, we calculate your driving score out of 100 - this then impacts how much you pay for your insurance.
Of course, it’s important you check what rewards come with the policy you choose and how this can affect your price before signing up, but it’s great news if you’re new to driving and have been hit with some whopping quotes on the comparison websites.
It can detect if you have had an accident
Your black box tracks where you’re driving and WiseDriving’s telematics box includes an accident alert feature, which lets us know if you’ve been involved in a collision over a certain G-force. If this happens, we’ll attempt to contact you to find out if you’re okay.
Please note, this feature is only available if you have a black box installed in your car.
Your data is always private and secure
When black boxes were announced, lots of people raised concerns that they were basically like ‘Big Brother’ keeping an eye on you when on the road but everything they capture is securely filed and only used when needed.
It isn’t shared with anyone else unless it is for a claim purpose, or if the police request it following an incident, and can only be seen by you and your insurer. This means if you happen to go over the speed limit, you won’t instantly get a fine and they definitely don’t monitor anything that goes on in the car - so no one will know about that 90s pop playlist you listen to regularly.
You also won’t need to maintain the black box, as it tracks your driving in the background.
It’s discreet and won’t devalue your car
There are loads of myths about black boxes, with some people believing that having one installed can devalue your car. This simply isn’t true: it won’t interfere with how your car works or impact your car’s value or warranty. We have a whole blog post on this here - if you want to learn more.
Feeling confident that you understand the benefits of black box insurance? Get a quote today and see how much you can save on your car insurance.
