An app for safer roads, rewards responsible drivers

South Africa - Friday, that’s the day, according to Dialdirect, when most accidents are likely to occur in South Africa.

Need something more specific? How about between 3pm and 6pm. That’s the time that most of these accidents take place.

Dialdirect claims that they plan to use insights like these, and more, to inspire and urge SA citizens to drive right with its new smartphone app.

Monitoring behaviour

The app uses the latest in international telematics technology to monitor driving behaviour. If you drive and insure right, you can get up to 75% cash back, every single month. This is significantly higher than the rewards programmes offered by any competing insurance brands and is the first offering of its kind in the market.

According to Warwick Scott-Rodger, Executive Head of Dialdirect: “It's no secret that insurance is seen as a grudge purchase.

READ: SafeDrive - Keeping drivers safe while using technology 

"With our app, we are turning this general consensus, as well as the traditional insurance model, on its head. Now, consumers have the opportunity to participate in their risk management and tangibly determine what they pay for insurance. In other words, do your thing, get back ching.” 

Dialdirect says that to get cash back, customers must play their part and drive and insure right. This is a true partnership between the insurer and the insured. 

Scott-Rodger believes that this partnership between insurers and drivers is not only limited to the cash-back transaction, but will extend to making a positive difference on South Africa’s roads.

He says: “Providing a financial incentive to drive right will make our roads safer – which is obviously in all of our best interests.”

The app’s payback functionality is available to Dialdirect customers, but anyone can benefit from a number of features on the app, including monitoring their driving, participating in driver challenges and winning vouchers.

Driving right makes a difference

The Gauteng Roads and Transport Departments said this year that 77.5% of fatal crashes and 89.1% of major crashes are as a result of “human factors”. In light of this, making drivers more cognisant of their behaviour behind the wheel could go a long way to reducing road incidents. 

One of the seven drive score factors that the Dialdirect App measures is cellphone use – which is the cause of around 25% of accidents on SAroads. The other six factors are braking, acceleration, night-time driving, speeding, route risk index and distance. 

“Improving on these seven drive scores will help in reducing the devastation we currently experience on our roads every day,” says Scott-Rodger. 

More Cash

Customers can boost their monthly earnings by insuring right - adding Home Contents cover and Buildings cover to their policies, and by completing additional activities including a vehicle safety check, an eye test and confirming their policy details. And after four years of claims-free, uninterrupted cover, customers can get a further 25% of all their premiums back.

To download the app and start making South Africa’s roads safer, visit the Playstore or iTunes and search for Dialdirect Insurance App.