Arbella launches new free app for all: “Wheel Focused™”
Arbella has launched a new free app this week, aiming to help drivers become more savvy and safer via a telematics-based solution. Dubbed “Wheel Focused”, the new app was developed in partnership with Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).
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.”
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.
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.”
Wheel Focused™ can be downloaded for free in the Apple and Android stores and is open to all Massachusetts and Connecticut residents, regardless of who their insurer is and where they purchase insurance.
Boston Software – SinglePoint Rating Rollout Expected in 2-3 weeks
Boston Software expects to start rolling out its news SinglePoint Rating in the next 2-3 weeks. The company says that it has been making changes and improvements based upon feedback from its beta testers as well as adding additional features, including agency management system integration, over the course of the next 3-9 weeks.
Risk Placement Services opens new office in Hopkinton
Risk Placements Services has opened a new office in Hopkinton. Rich Martino will oversee the operations there as the executive vice president and branch manager. He will be joined there by Nancie Culley and Tammy Cole.
The announcement, which appeared in the Insurance Journal, states that the new Massachusetts office will specialize “…in binding authority accounts in both commercial and personal lines and underwriting on behalf of more than 10 binding authority companies.” The company will also be looking to continue working with the company’s existing brokers and partners, as well as foster new relationships in the future. To read the entire article, please click here.
