eDriving-AARP Pilot Study Finds Mentor Smartphone App Reduces Risky Driving Behaviors

CAPE MAY, N.J., May 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The eDriving-AARP pilot measured, scored and coached 500 participants on their driving actions over a 12-week period, using the Mentor app on participants' smartphones. Mentor collects and analyzes driving behaviors most predictive of risk, including acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding and phone distraction. As a result of eDriving's partnership with analytics leader FICO®, the app assigns drivers with an individual FICO® Safe Driving Score, validated to predict future collision risk. It also provides users with immediate trip feedback and prescribes micro-training modules to help remediate risky behavior.

After their eighth week of participating in the Mentor pilot study, adults age 50 and older originally considered "Poor" or "Risky" drivers based on their Week 1 scores showed significantly improved behaviors with a 176-point average increase in their FICO® Safe Driving Scores.

Other significant findings from the pilot study:

    --  60% of participants saw their FICO® Safe Driving Score increase between
        the study's start and finish, while nearly all participants perceived a
        positive change in their FICO® Safe Driving Score from the beginning to
        the end of the pilot test.
    --  84% of pilot users said they were "Extremely" or "Moderately" satisfied
        with Mentor.
    --  68% of participants said Mentor "Definitely" or "Probably" changed their
        driving behavior.
    --  85% viewed Mentor's interactive micro-coaching modules.
    --  88% rated the Mentor app as "Excellent" or "Good" in ease of use,
        quality, content, and unique/appealing design.
    --  Three-quarters cited the modules as having a positive impact on their
        driving behavior.
    --  More than three-quarters of participants believed the app could help
        them extend their driving years.

While FICO® Safe Driving Score improvement was the most significant for drivers who were initially identified as "Poor" or "Risky", those identified as "Average" also improved, and "Good" drivers maintained their performance levels.

The study also highlighted the difference between perception and reality in relation to driver safety. Of the respondents that rated their driving as "Excellent", fewer than two-thirds (62%) achieved a "Good" or "Great" FICO® Safe Driving Score.

"eDriving's and AARP's Mentor pilot reinforced the benefit of providing an integrated scoring, coaching, and eLearning solution in a smartphone app that's relevant and easy-to-use," said Ed Dubens, CEO/Founder at eDriving. "We were thrilled with the score improvements and reduction in high-risk behaviors, particularly among the most at-risk drivers. We look forward to extending the reach of Mentor to this audience going forward."

The study also highlighted the opportunity to address unmet needs of the 50+ audience with a targeted, holistic risk management and insurance offering. 75% of participants confirmed they were definitely or probably willing to share their driving scores with an insurance company directly through the app. eDriving and FICO® are in ongoing discussion with numerous insurance agencies about potential joint offerings targeted to users of Mentor and the FICO® Safe Driving Score.

User quotes from the eDriving-AARP Mentor pilot study:

"The entire experience was a great refresher in the many aspects of good driving skills. The video training sessions were particularly interesting and involving. The comparison and rating against other drivers statewide and nationwide was a great incentive to improve scores, and thereby individual driving skills."

"I think it has made me a better and safer driver. I now think about if I really need to pick up my phone while driving. Nothing is that important to endanger my life or any of my passengers."

"It's made me safer. I now think twice about looking at my phone while driving."

"It showed me my faults and what to do to improve my driving."

"It definitely made me more aware of how I was driving and refreshed safety ideas."

*AARP Driver Safety survey of 477 pilot users who downloaded the Mentor app and captured between 63 to 102 days of trip data. Pilot users were recruited from the OpinionsUSA nonprobability which is comprised of panelists who have volunteered to participate in online research.

Media Contact
Julie Farmer
julie.farmer@edriving.com

About eDriving
eDriving helps organizations to reduce collisions, injuries, license violations and total cost of fleet ownership through a patented driver risk management program.

Mentor by eDriving is a smartphone-based solution that collects and analyzes driver behaviors most predictive of crash risk and helps remediate risky behavior by providing engaging, interactive micro-training modules delivered directly to the driver in the smartphone app. As part of a broader risk management platform, Virtual Risk Manager®, eDriving provides organizations with everything they need to establish safety as a strategic imperative, and support drivers and managers as they strive to create a crash-free culture®.

eDriving is the driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world's largest organizations, supporting over 1,000,000 drivers in 96 countries. Over the past 24 years, eDriving's research-validated programs have been recognized with over 90 awards around the world.

For more visit http://www.edriving.com

SOURCE eDriving