Frugal millennials consider installing ‘spy-in-the-car’ black box gadgets to slash insurance premiums

By Helen Le Caplain

Two-fifths (40%) of 35-44-year-olds are weighing up whether to welcome the Big Brother-style device into their vehicles to save cash.

'Black box', also known as telematics insurance, is typically 20% cheaper than a standard new driver policy, with typical savings of hundreds of pounds.

It measures factors such as the speed motorists drive at, how harshly they accelerate or brake and whether they use their phone while driving to give them a score.

Those who speed or drive erratically are penalised and will pay more, while those with a high score are rewarded with lower insurance premiums.

Research by telematics insurance experts Hastings Direct surveyed 2,000 Brits on what they know about 'black box' insurance.

The study found that many Brits falsely think that this type of insurance is more restrictive than it actually is.

Millions of drivers wrongly believe it limits what type of road you can drive on (11%) and bars you from driving at certain times of the day (10%).

Others falsely think that going over your mileage will invalidate their insurance (14%).

Almost one in ten (7%) think that it measures if they're listening to music or not, while 6% believe that passengers under 25 aren't permitted to have it.

The research revealed that younger drivers were the most likely to say they use it (6%).

Despite uptake being higher in younger drivers, Brits generally are more open to it with one-third saying they'd consider it due to the potential savings.

Jennifer Hammond, Head of Brand and Marketing at Hastings Direct, said: "Telematics insurance can be useful for people to prove they can drive safely, and it's great to see older drivers exploring this as an option for their insurance policies.

"As the cost of living continues to rise, it's interesting that even more motorists are considering telematics insurance to help save cash on their car insurance."

TOP 10 CITIES WHERE RESIDENTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO CONSIDER BLACK BOX INSURANCE

1. Belfast: 44%
2. Bristol: 43%
3. Nottingham: 40%
4. London: 39%
5. Norwich: 38%
6. Newcastle: 37%
7. Liverpool: 37%
8. Leeds: 36%
9. Cardiff: 34%
10. Southampton: 32%