Ingenie rolls out telematics-based auto insurance to young drivers in Ontario

Ingenie Canada Inc. announced Monday it is offering auto insurance in Ontario, using telematics technology, to drivers aged 24 and under.

“Young drivers insured by ingenie install a Smartbox in their car, which builds a picture of their driving style based on indicators such as speed, acceleration, braking and cornering,” Ingenie said in a press release.

Related: IBAO announces plans for two upcoming telematics offerings

Ingenie says Ontario customers will receive feedback every 10 days, either through a mobile app or on its website.

Those who drive well can get discounts of up to 25%.

Underwritten by Pilot Insurance Company (part of Aviva Canada Inc.), Ingenie’s telematics product in Ontario is being offered directly through the ingenie.ca website. It is also being “rolled out to brokerages across Ontario” through the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO), an Ingenie spokesperson told Canadian Underwriter.

“The feedback includes a driving score out of 100, tips on how to improve their driving and the amount they are on track to save through their Good Driving Discount,” stated Ingenie, which is owned by Quindell plc of Fareham, England.

Related: How CAA’s approach to telematics in Ontario differs from Industrial Alliance’s UBI program in Quebec

In Britain, Ingenie offers insurance to young drivers through telematics and gives policyholders feedback on speed, acceleration, braking and cornering.

Ingenie Services Ltd. founder and chief executive officer Richard King spoke last May in Jasper at the annual convention of the Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta (IBAA). At the time, King said he wanted to “Canadianize” Ingenie’s service.

King told IBAA members at the time that Ingenie collects data 10 times per second and runs “about 200 algorithms” against that.

“Our young people are just having too many crashes,” King said at the time, adding one in five young drivers in Britain has a collision in the first six months of driving.

Other carriers offering telematics-based private passenger auto insurance in Ontario include Intact, The Co-operators, Desjardins and CAA South Central Ontario.

Aviva Canada announced in October it had committed to writing auto insurance using telematics provided by Quindell in partnership with Independent Broker Resources Inc. (IBRI), a subsidiary of IBAO. At the time, IBAO said Aviva had selected Quindell on an exclusive basis for five years.

IBRI and Quindell announced their partnership in 2013. At the time, Quindell said it had agreed to provide the technology for all the IBAO’s telematics initiatives to its membership base, on a exclusive basis for a minimum of five years.

IBRI announced a commercial telematics offering, called Fleetadvisor, in January. Then earlier this month, Unica Insurance Inc. said it was endorsing Fleetadvisor, with a 5% discount available for customers using Unica’s commercial fleet program.”

RSA Canada plans to roll out telematics-based auto insurance “closer to the end of 2015,” said Donna Ince, RSA Canada’s senior vice president for personal lines, during a presentation to brokers March 5.

Great news! You can now get a free quote AND buy your car insurance online at ingenie.ca! Find out more: http://t.co/BZzz1V5omM

— ingenie Canada (@ingenie_ca) March 9, 2015