State Farm Drive Safe & Save™ can reduce auto insurance rates by up to 30%, according to the company’s website. We at the Home Media review team wanted to find out the validity of this claim, so we took an in-depth look at State Farm’s telematics program.
Keep reading to learn more about State Farm Drive Safe & Save and to determine if the program is right for you. You will also receive some recommended alternatives from our list of best car insurance companies that have their own telematics programs.
What is State Farm Drive Safe & Save?
Drive Safe & Save is State Farm’s telematics insurance program. This system and other usage-based insurance systems offered by most major providers use location-based services and other GPS-enabled technologies to monitor driving habits and adjust policyholder rates accordingly. .
How does Drive Safe & Save work?
State Farm Drive Safe & Save works by tracking how you drive, how much you drive, and other actions you take while driving your vehicle. With recent developments in technology, there are several ways for Drive Safe & Save to obtain diagnostics on your driving behaviors.
Follow with a smartphone
The most common way to use the program is through the Drive Safe & Save mobile app, available for iOS and Android devices. Once activated, this app not only tracks your driving habits, but also instances when you take your phone while driving or engage in other dangerous behaviors.
Follow with a connected car
Drivers of 2020 or newer Ford and Lincoln vehicles do not need an app to use Drive Safe & Save. The technology built into these cars allows them to connect to the program on their own without the need for an app on your iPhone or Android device. Instead, these cars can provide telematics data through your FordPassⓇ or Lincoln WayⓇ account, if you have one.
Track with OnStarⓇ
People who have an active OnStar account can also log into State Farm Drive Safe & Save without using the mobile app. An OnStar account can report data to the program to make adjustments to your State Farm auto insurance premiums.
What is Drive Safe & Save Monitor?
There are a number of practices that can make you more or less likely to have an accident. In general, State Farm Drive Safe & Save monitors the habits that have the greatest impact on your crash risk, including:
- Accelerate: Stepping on the accelerator rather than accelerating more gradually may increase the risk of an accident. Drive Safe & Save penalizes drivers who often accelerate too hard by increasing their cadence.
- Braking: Sudden stops are sometimes unavoidable, but a large number of them can indicate that a driver is not paying attention. With State Farm Drive Safe & Save, you’ll get lower rates if you practice stopping gradually before the need becomes immediate.
- Turn: The safest way to corner is to slow down on entry and gradually speed up on exit. Your State Farm rates will likely go up if you consistently corner too hard or too fast.
- Miles traveled: Your annual mileage is a major factor in your rates because the fewer kilometers you travel, the less risk you have of having an accident. Reducing your odometer mileage could pay you big car insurance discount.
- Speeding: Speed is one of the main factors determining the probability of an accident. Maintaining a safe speed on the road can lower your fares with Drive Safe & Save.
- Hourly: Certain times of the day, such as rush hour and late at night, carry higher accident risks than others. Avoiding driving during these times could result in lower insurance premiums.
- Telephone use: Distracted driving is one of the main causes of road accidents. The Drive Safe & Save app penalizes you for picking up your phone while driving a vehicle.
How to configure Drive Safe & Save
Enrolling in Drive Safe & Save only takes a few steps and does not require the assistance of a State Farm agent. Most motorists should do the following when setting up the service:
- Get the app: You can download the State Farm Drive Safe & Save app from Google Play or from the Apple App Store. You can also text “SAVE” to 42407 for a download link.
- Configure your account: Follow the instructions in the app to prepare your account.
- Connect your car: State Farm will send you a Bluetooth beacon to install on your vehicle along with instructions on how to set it up. Once you have installed this Drive Safe & Save transmitter, you are ready to start with the program.
How to configure the Drive Safe & Save tag
In addition to the mobile app, State Farm Drive Safe & Save uses a Bluetooth beacon to track your driving behavior. Its installation is extremely simple and only takes a few minutes.
- Get your beacon: Once you have enrolled in the Drive Safe & Save Insurance Program, State Farm will send you a beacon.
- Associate your beacon: Open your Drive Safe & Save app and tap “Complete setup”. Next, press and hold the button on your beacon until it lights up. Return to the app and tap the ID that matches the one printed on the side of your tag.
- Mount your beacon: Once you receive a message on the app that your transmitter has been paired, remove the sticker from the back of the tag and install it. Choose a location that won’t obstruct your vision and won’t shake your beacon while driving.
How to Reduce Fares with Drive Safe & Save
By adopting good driving habits, you can significantly reduce your fares with State Farm Drive Safe & Save. Here are some steps to follow to find cheap car insurance:
- To slow down
- Brake gently
- Ease in turns
- Put down the phone
- Avoid rush hours and late nights
- Drive less
Can your rates increase with Drive Safe & Save?
Drivers can save up to 30% with a Drive Safe & Save account according to StateFarm.com. However, these potential savings are far from guaranteed. While being a safe driver can significantly lower your rates, unsafe driving habits will cause them to rise. While it would be difficult for you to break bad driving characteristics, State Farm Drive Safe & Save could end up costing you more in the end.
Who is Drive Safe & Save for?
State Farm Drive Safe & Save can be a good option for many motorists, including:
- High risk drivers: If you’re struggling to find affordable insurance because of a less than perfect driving record, Drive Safe & Save can help bring those rates down. However, this is only a possibility if you avoid irresponsible behavior on the road.
- Young drivers: Teen Drivers and other young drivers typically face the highest insurance rates, regardless of their driving record. A telematics program can help make coverage a bit more affordable.
- Drivers with bad credit: A poor or even average credit score can cause you to pay higher premiums, which makes a telematics program a good way to lower rates.
- Good drivers: People who already practice safe driving habits can use Drive Safe & Save to inform State Farm, saving them a lot of money.
State Farm Drive Safe & Save: Conclusion
With State Farm Drive Safe & Save, motorists have the opportunity to lower their car insurance costs based on their driving habits. This can be particularly useful for people who might otherwise face high premiums due to a number of factors.
However, it is important to be realistic about your own driving behaviors before enrolling in the program. Drive Safe & Save could drive up your rates if you’re not a safe driver.
State Farm Drive Safe & Save: Recommended Alternatives
State Farm Drive Safe & Save is not the only such program, as most major auto insurers have their own telematics programs. Although pricing varies with each plan, they do so based on your initial quote. Shop for compare car insurance quotes will help you find the lowest initial premiums.
Geico: affordable rates for most drivers
Geico’s answer to Drive Safe & Save is DriveEasy. The program works in much the same way, giving you a report card that outlines your safe and unsafe driving practices. Our team has found that Geico consistently offers some of the lowest rates for drivers across the country. Between the low upfront rates and the DriveEasy program, most drivers find affordable coverage with Geico.
Keep reading: Geico Insurance Review
Travellers: most coverage options
In our 2022 industry-wide insurance study, we found that Travelers offers one of the largest selections of coverage options in the country. With IntelliDriveⓇ, a traveler telematics program, drivers can potentially save money on highly personalized insurance policies. On top of that, Travelers offers a wide range of easily accessible discount opportunities.
Keep reading: Travelers Insurance Review
State Farm Drive Safe & Save: FAQs
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide unbiased and accurate information, we’ve created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our ranking of the best car insurance companies. We’ve collected data on dozens of car insurance providers to score companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall score for each provider, with insurers who scored the most points at the top of the list.
In this article, we have selected companies with high overall ratings and cost ratings. Cost ratings were informed by auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities.
*Data correct at time of publication.
