Model Driver to give women lower premiums after Gender Directive

Sheilas’ Wheels Broker has launched a telematics offering called Model Driver.

In a statement, the firm said: “The telematics launch ensures that Sheilas’ Wheels Broker can continue to offer female drivers ways to save money on their insurance premium in light of the recent EU gender-neutral ruling.”

Customers who sign up get a telematics box fitted in their car, which monitors driving behaviour such as time of day, speed, cornering, acceleration and braking. Consumers can view their driving score online. CDL software will recalculate the customers’ premiums to reflect changes in their driving standards.

Model Driver customers will also receive updates about extreme weather events and warnings about dangerous driving.

Sheilas’ Wheels Broker managing director Jon Morrell said: “Since the implementation of the EU gender-neutral [directive], prices are not what they should be for women given their proven superiority in terms of safety and responsibility behind the wheel. Therefore, by adopting telematics we can continue to offer the best possible deals for our female customers.”

The product was developed by software house CDL.

CDL business strategist Nigel Phillips said: “Historically, most of the interest in telematics has been around giving cheaper insurance options to young male drivers, but we have seen significant interest in telematics both ahead of and since the EU gender ruling.

“We expect interest to increase as a result of the significant progress that we made in 2012 to automate every step of the customer journey. It is now as easy to buy and administer telematics policies online as it is to purchase standard car insurance policies, even down to booking the black box installation.”