The GEICO DriveEasy app works by tracking your driving habits and takes them into account when calculating your insurance rates.
Participating in telematics programs like DriveEasy is voluntary, but you could save money on your car insurance
policy when you sign up. But take note, you could also end up paying more if you don’t maintain a strong score. To help you decide whether signing up for GEICO DriveEasy is right for you, car insurance
comparison app Jerry
has put together everything you need to know—including GEICO DriveEasy reviews. Pros and cons of using GEICO DriveEasy
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An intuitive user interface | Might use too much data if you don’t have a good data plan |
Potential to save on your policy | You could end up paying more for your insurance |
Constructive feedback can help improve driving habits | Not available in all states and discounts can vary |
How does GEICO DriveEasy work?
You must be a GEICO
customer to sign up for the DriveEasy program — but anybody on your policy can use the program as long as you invite them to register. You can use the DriveEasy app to monitor your DriveEasy Dashboard and access valuable information on your driving habits. Basically, the DriveEasy app tracks your car.
Here are some of the standout features of the DriveEasy app:
Monitor your personal driving score
The app uses your real-time driving habits to calculate a personal driving score. You will be deducted for things like speeding or using your phone while driving. You can use your driving score as a baseline to improve your driving over time.
Maintain safe driving steaks
The more that you drive safely, the more your driving score will improve. The DriveEasy app makes it easy to track your progress by notifying you when you have a streak going—and hopefully, it’s a good one!
Access your recent trip log
The DriveEasy app automatically logs all your trips so that you can review your driving performance by the outing.
Key Takeaway The DriveEasy app monitors your driving and calculates your score based on your driving behavior.
Will my insurance premium go down?
You could save up to 25% on your next policy—but it depends on your driving score. GEICO will evaluate your score and calculate your potential discount when your policy comes up for renewal.
GEICO claims that most drivers will see a discount on their next renewal after signing up for DriveEasy. Be warned, though, that you could see your premiums increase if you have bad driving habits.
If you invited other people on your policy to use your DriveEasy program, their driving could affect your score. You can use the app to invite or remove people from the program. GEICO may also automatically remove invited drivers who haven’t been actively participating.
GEICO DriveEasy features
The DriveEasy app monitors your driving behavior, as well as the driving conditions and how you use your phone while driving. It typically takes somewhere between 24 and 48 hours for DriveEasy to calculate and update your score after your drive.
There is some potential for error. The app might log car, train, or bus trips you take even though you’re not driving. Be sure to check your trip log regularly to make sure everything is accurate. You can easily correct errors right in the app.
Here’s what the DriveEasy app monitors:
The distance driven, road type, weather conditions, and time of day
The app will take the difficulty of your route into account when calculating your driving score for a trip. For example, a straight highway with an average speed limit will usually be considered an easy road.
Likewise, it considers the weather conditions at the time. If you’re navigating a road with poor visibility, DriveWise will factor that into the calculation.
GEICO also looks the distance and time of day you drive on a trip-by-trip basis. If you take a long commute during rush hour on a Friday, the app might cut you more than if you drive a few minutes down the block at 10 am on a Monday.
Braking, cornering, and how smoothly you drive
DriveEasy calculates your deceleration rate when you drive to monitor your braking habits. If you brake too hard, you could lose points against your driving score.
The same goes for your driving speed as you turn corners. Depending on how steep the curve is, you could lose points for taking a corner too fast. The way that you control your driving speed will also affect your driving smoothness score—the more consistent and predictable your driving speed, the better.
There are two types of distracted driving that could negatively affect your driving score:
Having your phone in hand or engaging with it while driving over 6 mph
Making calls while driving without using Bluetooth
Since the app can’t tell who is using your phone, it will deduct points even if a person in the passenger seat touches your phone while driving.
On the other hand, passive phone use won’t affect your driving score. An example of passive phone use would be having your phone screen mounted on your dashboard to use as a navigation tool. Taking or making a hands-free phone call or using voice-activated commands to navigate your phone are also fine.
Key Takeaway GEICO DriveEasy monitors factors such as the time and distance you drive, weather conditions, braking patterns, and phone use.
How does DriveEasy affect your phone?
GEICO will monitor and log your driving as long as you remain logged into the app.
DriveEasy uses an average amount of data for a GPS app, but having location services running could drain your battery quicker than usual. The DriveEasy app will also send you notifications and user feedback that can help you improve your driving score.
To get started, you’ll need to download the app and register for the service. Then you’ll be asked to turn on your location services data, if it isn’t already on. The app will track your ongoing trips and upload the data to the cloud when the trip ends.
After DriveEasy processes your score, it will send the results back to your phone.
Frequently asked questions about GEICO's DriveEasy program
Does GEICO DriveEasy track speed?
Yes. DriveEasy will track your driving speed in relation to the speed limit and use it to calculate your driving score. To boost your score, be sure to maintain consistent driving speeds and avoid rapid deceleration whenever possible.
Will DriveEasy drain my phone battery?
DriveEasy uses an average amount of data for a GPS app, but could drain your battery faster than usual because location services have to be running. DriveEasy needs to use location services to track your driving habits.
How much can GEICO save you?
The discount that you receive will depend on your driving habits. GEICO claims the average discount is 15%, but it could be as high as 25%.
How to find cheap car insurance rates
The most reliable way to save money on your insurance is to start with a policy that is already affordable.
If you’re confident in your driving skills, GEICO’s DriveEasy program could help you save on your premiums—but there’s no guarantee. You might even end up paying more if you have riskier driving habits.
It’s always a good idea to shop around to make sure you’re getting a good deal on your policy before you sign up. If you want to save money on car insurance, the Jerry
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