State Farm Drive Safe & Save Review: How It Works, and What You Should Know

Drive Safe & Save is a telematics program created to help State Farm customers practice safe driving habits and save on their monthly auto insurance bill. The program tracks your driving through a mobile app or connected car system, depending on the type of vehicle you have. You get rewarded with a premium reduction of up to 30% based on several factors, like how fast you drive, brake, or take corners. You’ll even get a 10% discount just for signing up.

We’ll break down everything you need to know about the Drive Safe & Save program, including how it works and how much you can save on your auto insurance policy, in the sections below.

What is State Farm Drive Safe & Save?

State Farm Drive Safe & Save is a usage-based telematics program the insurer offers that tracks your trips and rewards you with a discount for good driving habits.

Auto insurance companies use telematics data to evaluate driving habits and patterns to determine how risky you are as a driver. The less risky you are, the less likely you are to get into an accident and file a claim, which can help you get a lower rate on your auto policy.

State Farm isn’t the only insurer to offer a telematics-based savings program. Other auto insurers offer similar programs, such as:

• Allstate Drivewise
• Liberty Mutual and SafeCo RightTrack
• Progressive Snapshot
• The Hartford TrueLane
• Travelers IntelliDrive

How Does Drive Safe & Save Work?

State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save tracks specific driving behaviors every time you get behind the wheel. The company compiles and analyzes the data collected throughout your policy period, creating a risk analysis that can result in a significant premium discount if you practice safe driving habits.

Check out the sections below for more details on what the program tracks, how it knows who’s behind the wheel, and ways you can connect to the telematics program.

What does Drive Safe & Save track?

State Farm tracks five factors to determine your eligibility for a discount and, if so, how much. Besides your annual mileage, the program also looks at the following characteristics:

• Acceleration speed
• Hard braking frequency
• Turning and cornering speeds
• Phone usage while your vehicle is in motion
• Speeding frequency (eight mph or more above the posted speed limit)

Note: Some states don’t allow odometer readings or mileage to be a factor in determining the discount.

How does State Farm know who’s driving?

After enrolling in Drive Safe & Save, State Farm will mail you a Bluetooth “beacon” that attaches to your car’s windshield behind the rear-view mirror. After it’s installed, the beacon connects with your smartphone through Bluetooth and chooses the first phone it detects as the driver.

If you and another driver on your policy — like a roommate, spouse, or child — are going somewhere together and they’re driving, the best way to ensure the program chooses the correct driver is to turn off your phone’s Bluetooth so the beacon only detects their phone.

But if you forget to turn off your Bluetooth or the app gets the driver wrong, you can still change the driver after the fact. Once the trip is over, you can open the trip summary and, in the trip classification section, choose whether you were the driver or passenger.

Drive Safe & Save mobile app vs. connected car

You have two options to use the Drive Safe & Save program. If you have a newer Ford or Lincoln vehicle, you can use the “connected car” feature to track your mileage and driving behaviors as long as the vehicle has been added to your Garage in the FordPass or Lincoln Way app.

But if you don’t have a qualifying 2020 or newer Ford or Lincoln, you can download the Drive Safe & Save app and use the Bluetooth beacon, as mentioned above. The Google Play Store app is rated at 4 out of 5 stars with over 124,000 reviews, while the Apple App Store rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars with almost 247,000 reviews.

How Much Can You Save With Drive Safe & Save?

State Farm customers can save 10% just for enrolling in the program. Then, depending on your driving habits and how many miles you drive, you can save up to an additional 30%, according to State Farm’s website. But some users claim to save even more.

The Reddit user found in the screenshot below claimed to have received a 40% discount, with savings of almost $275 after six months in the program.

While some claim to have found substantial savings with the program, others report seeing their discounts go down, even if their driving scores haven’t changed much.

How to get a discount with Drive Safe & Save

Being a safe driver is the easiest way to maximize your Drive Safe & Save discount, but there are other ways to increase your chances of saving, including:

• Avoiding sharp cornering
• Leaving enough room between you and the car in front of you to prevent hard braking events
• Avoiding phone use when driving, even if it’s connected to your vehicle through Android Auto or CarPlay
• Maintaining a safe speed that’s no more than seven mph over the posted speed limit
• Checking your driving data and recent trip routes regularly to ensure accurate information

Can your rates go up with Drive Safe & Save?

No. Drive Safe & Save won’t lead to increased rates, no matter how you drive. But they can fluctuate at each renewal based on how you drove over the previous policy term.

One common reason your rates might go up is if you’re getting a low-mileage discount and your actual mileage is higher. For example, driving more than 7,500 miles for personal use each year means you could lose your low-mileage discount at your next renewal.

Is State Farm Drive Safe & Save Worth It? What Real Customers Are Saying

Whether the Drive Safe & Save program is worth it depends on how often, how far, and how safely you typically drive. Some State Farm customers advertise saving hundreds of dollars, while others only save a few dollars per month or none at all.

Several online users show frustration with how their driving score doesn’t always lead to savings, like the Reddit user shown below.

Other users are concerned with privacy, app permissions, and implications for future renewals.

While some appreciate the app, other users report that the barriers to using the program can be high if you aren’t tech-savvy.

Some even claim that using the infotainment and steering wheel features in your vehicle could negatively affect your phone distraction score.

Many customers using the State Farm mobile app express frustration with the app draining their battery, excessive notifications, and logging trips incorrectly (or not at all).

And even in a perfect scenario, with proper permissions and usage, the app still may not work properly, some users say.

Still, you can’t deny the positive effects using a program like this can have on your driving — especially keeping you from distracted driving.

How to Sign Up for Drive Safe & Save

You can sign up for Drive Safe & Save by either using the mobile app or the connected car feature. Here’s how to sign up for the program using either method:

Drive Safe & Save app

1. Text “SAVE” to 42407 or enroll in the program with your State Farm agent.
2. If you choose the mobile route, you’ll receive a text message stating your phone’s eligibility. If eligible, you’ll get a link to download the app and enroll in the program.
3. Create a user ID and password if you don’t already have one.
4. Follow the directions to link your State Farm policy.

Drive Safe & Save Connected Car

1. Add your car to your Garage in the FordPass or Lincoln Way app.
2. Contact your State Farm agent to enroll in the program.
3. Accept the agreement the next time you turn your vehicle on to set up your account.
4. Enable location services and data sharing to allow automatic trip detection and tracking.

State Farm Drive Safe & Save FAQs

Still want to learn more about State Farm Drive Safe & Save? We answered the most common questions below.

What is State Farm Drive Safe & Save?

State Farm uses telematics technology to track your driving behavior with its Drive Safe & Save program. Your driving habits, phone usage, and mileage will be tracked through State Farm’s mobile app or your connected car to see how safe of a driver you are.

You’ll get an initial discount of 10% just for signing up and can save up to 30% or more on your car insurance if you drive safely.

Is State Farm Drive Safe & Save worth it?

It depends on how often you drive and your driving behaviors. The program tracks fast braking, hard acceleration, cornering speeds, phone usage, and speeding.

If you already practice safe driving and are open to having your insurance company track you, it may be worth it. But if you tend to speed, brake hard, or are wary of privacy concerns, it may not be right for you.

Does State Farm Drive Safe & Save track speed?

Yes. The app uses maps and GPS information to find the speed limit for the road you’re driving on.

If you drive faster than eight mph over the posted speed limit, you can get a lower score in the speed section. This will affect your overall savings potential.

Can you turn off State Farm Drive Safe & Save?

Yes. The Drive Safe and Save app and connected car feature uses Bluetooth and your location settings to record trips. If you stay logged in to the mobile app, it’ll automatically detect when the vehicle is moving. Log out of the app to turn it off.

Sources:

1. Reddit, “Discounts Lowered by $200?,” Accessed January 11, 2024.
2. Reddit, “I had State Farm Drive Safe & Save for 6 months. Got 40% discount!,” Accessed January 11, 2024.
3. Reddit, “Is there a downside to State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save?,” Accessed January 11, 2024.