Allstate Launches Augmented Reality Experience to Help Families Strengthen Fire Safety Plans

NORTHBROOK, Illinois, Oct. 9 -- Allstate, a publicly held personal lines property and casualty insurance company, issued the following news release:

In recognition of National Fire Prevention Week, Allstate has released Escape Route, a new Allstate Mobile app feature, to help families create and practice fire escape plans using augmented reality (AR).

According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments respond to a home fire every 90 seconds. Yet only one- third of American households have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan: something Allstate hopes to change through this new smartphone experience.

Allstate Mobile's Escape Route helps customers create a plan to protect themselves and their families when disaster strikes. Escape Route uses a mobile phone camera to add a virtual image to real-life surroundings. Users mark a starting point, trace a route and designate an exit point at least 50 feet away from their home. The app then overlays the route on users' real-life surroundings. Families can review and access their virtual plan at any time.

"We constantly innovate and look at how new technologies can be applied to real-world problems," said Allstate's Director of Mobility Michael Antognoli, "Protecting our customers is our business, so we're excited to share this new innovation using augmented reality to help families plan an emergency escape route using the Allstate Mobile app."

Escape Route builds on Allstate's commitment to customer safety and is the latest of the company's fire safety initiatives. Families can learn more about how to keep their homes safe on the Allstate Blog (blog.allstate.com) which includes articles and videos on home safety, testing smoke detectors and choosing fire extinguishers:

https://blog.allstate.com/prepare-home-emergencies-room-by-room/

https://blog.allstate.com/ionization-vs-photoelectric-smoke-alarm/

https://blog.allstate.com/test-smoke-detectors/

https://blog.allstate.com/fire-safety-heres-how-to-choose-the-right-fire-extinguisher-video/

Escape Route is user-friendly, so kids and parents can create their virtual plan together. The app also builds family fire safety awareness by offering fire safety tips.

Allstate is launching Escape Route to support 2018 Fire Prevention Week, a national awareness week from October 7 through October 13 that aims to educate Americans about steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire--and how to escape safely in the event of one.

How to Access Escape Route: Escape Route is available in the Allstate Mobile app for iPhone users running iOS 11.3 or above. Allstate policy owners must login to Allstate Mobile to access the Escape Route experience. Allstate Mobile is available for free in the iTunes App Store.