Carrot encourages policyholders not to drive by offering double rewards

Telematics provider Carrot is incentivising thousands of young drivers to continue to leave their cars at home during the coronavirus lockdown by doubling the amount of rewards usually handed out for safe driving if policyholders don’t use their cars at all.

The move is in the wake of a recent and sudden increase in the number of miles driven, which has led Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, to urge people not to drive their cars.  

Government data showed that despite a gradual fall in motor usage to less than a third of the usual average by Sunday 29 March, overall vehicle mileage in the UK jumped by 10 percentage points to 37% on 30 March.

In contrast, Carrot’s own telematics data shows that the UK’s young drivers seem to be following the government guidelines and are not driving unless absolutely necessary.  

Carrot director Andrew Brown-Allan said that in the 24 hours following the lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 23  March, the average number of daily miles driven by Carrot’s customers fell by 38% to eight miles.

Six days later that figure had fallen to just four miles – a reduction of 70%.

“We want to encourage our customers to reduce their car use further still, so in the period Monday 6  April to Monday 13  April (Easter Monday) we will issue double rewards to all customers with a ‘New Driver by Carrot’ policy who leave their cars at home and don’t drive at all during that seven day period,” Brown-Allan said. “They normally earn weekly rewards for demonstrating that they are safe drivers, and this will continue for those making essential trips, but in our view the best way to keep themselves and others safe during lockdown is to leave their cars undriven.

“There is intense scrutiny on the insurance industry including criticism of the way it has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, but this new Carrot initiative is just one of a number of important contributions we are making on an ongoing basis to put technology to good use and keep road users safe, and at home.”