The idea of Telematics can make some people feel uncomfortable. This is understandable—Telematics allows your journeys and driving behaviour to be monitored and recorded. With HughesDrive, we want you to benefit from Telematics technology, while ensuring that you feel comfortable using it. With that in mind, let us clear up the top Telematics misconceptions.
Top Telematics Misconceptions
I will have to install a telematics box in my car.
- Provided that your car has Bluetooth, simply pair the HughesDrive Smartphone App with your car’s Bluetooth and you are good to go. If your car doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can request a HughesDrive Beacon through the HughesDrive App. The Beacon is a small, low energy Bluetooth device that allows the App to track journeys. We recommend you attach the Beacon to the lower left, inside corner of your windscreen, it is very easy to fit and easily removed if you are selling your car or when your policy term ends.
Everyone will know that I have a telematics policy.
- The only sign that you have a Telematics policy is the HughesDrive Beacon, which will be stuck on the windscreen if you do not have Bluetooth in the car. However, it is small—smaller than your phone—and therefore not necessarily obvious to your passengers.
I have no way of knowing how well I am driving.
- At Hughes Insurance we want to reward young drivers so we share detail on your driving behaviour with you! You will be able to track your journey performance via the personalised Dashboard in the HughesDrive App – this includes detail on your weekly score, recent journeys, and your mileage usage.
If another driver uses my car, it will affect my score.
- Yes. All journeys made in your car will have an impact on your overall weekly score. If a named driver uses your car, and achieves a low score, it will have an impact on your weekly score.
Having a Telematics policy means having a driving curfew.
- No. HughesDrive does not enforce a curfew on customers. However, if you regularly drive late at night, this may have a negative impact on your weekly score.
Telematics tracks where I drive.
- Yes. HughesDrive captures your GPS location, along with a range of other data. This helps us to determine your driving behaviour based on factors such as your location, speed, acceleration, braking, cornering, and swerving. All this information helps you to understand your driving score and may assist your insurer in calculating your renewal premium.
Telematics policies have mileage caps.
- Unlike other Telematics insurers, there is no mileage cap on HughesDrive policies.
- When obtaining a car insurance quote, it is important to declare your annual mileage accurately to ensure your insurance policy meets your needs.
Telematics apps distract me while I'm driving.
- Not HughesDrive—our goal is to support safer driving, after all. HughesDrive automatically begins to record your journey from the moment you turn the ignition on. There’s no need to log anything manually in the App or let it know you’re starting a journey. All you need to do is ensure that after you log into the App, you leave it signed in so it can receive a signal from your car’s Bluetooth or HughesDrive Beacon at all times.
You will tell the police if I speed.
- Data will only be supplied to law enforcement agencies where we have permission to do so or to the extent required by regulation, law, or for the purposes of detecting and preventing insurance fraud. Information on how your data is used can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
About the author
Hughes