Arbella Launches Free Safe Driving Mobile App

Business Wire

Wheel Focused™ is available to the general public and aims to improve driving safety through real-time feedback and personalized data and insights

QUINCY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Arbella Insurance Group, in partnership with Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), today announced the launch of Wheel Focused™, a telematics-based solution proven to change driver behavior through real-time feedback, personalized data and insights, and gamification. Participants in similar CMT programs have seen driving habits improve within 30 days of implementation, reducing phone distraction by 35 percent, hard braking by 20 percent and at-risk speeding by 20 percent.

According to CMT, distracted driving is a leading factor of trips that result in an accident, as drivers who use a smartphone behind the wheel are 3.4 times more likely to be involved in a crash. Traffic fatalities continue to increase nationwide, spiking six percent since 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA). Massachusetts reported a 13 percent increase with 389 deaths in 2016; more than double the national rate.

“It’s clear from the data that distracted driving continues to be a dangerous epidemic,” said John Donohue, chairman, president and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “The technology behind Wheel Focused™ has a compelling track record of improving driver behavior and we’re proud to bring this cutting-edge solution to New England.”

Wheel Focused™ utilizes CMT’s award-winning platform, DriveWell, a complete telematics and behavioral analytics solution, that includes battery-efficient drive detection, an industry-leading data collection and processing engine and big data analytics. The app provides feedback to drivers on five metrics: rapid acceleration, hard braking, sharp turns, speeding and phone distraction. Wheel Focused™ logs trips while in the background of a phone, providing the driver with feedback after the trip is completed, as well as helpful tips to improve safety.

“Smartphone telematics programs advance driver behavior better than any other option available,” said Hari Balakrishnan, chief technology officer at CMT. “The feedback and gamification opportunities that smartphones provide help engage users and encourage them to make better decisions behind the wheel. Through this partnership with Arbella, we will improve driver behavior and ultimately make our roads safer.”

Starting today, Wheel Focused™ is available to download for free in the Apple and Android stores. The program is open to all residents of Massachusetts and Connecticut regardless of who their insurer is and where they purchase insurance.

About the Arbella Insurance Group
About the Arbella Insurance Group Established in 1988, the Arbella Insurance Group (www.arbella.com) is a company with more than $800M in revenue with approximately $1.5B in assets, headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Arbella is a customer-focused regional property and casualty insurance company, providing personal and business insurance in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and business insurance in Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

About Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (www.cmtelematics.com) makes roads and drivers safer around the world. Founded in 2010 by two MIT professors and experienced entrepreneurs, CMT pioneered telematics for behavior-based insurance (BBI) and deployed the first solution to provide both traditional vehicle-centric UBI and BBI. With over 30 customers in 16 countries, CMT has a proven record of changing driver behavior: an average reduction of 35% in phone distraction, 20% in hard braking, and 20% in at-risk speeding all within less than 30 days of using the program. For more information, please visit cmtelematics.com and follow on Twitter @cmtelematics.