GEICO DriveEasy Review: How It Works & What You Should Know
DriveEasy is GEICO’s telematics program that helps safe drivers save up to 10% on car insurance. But depending on your driving habits, location, and phone usage, it might not provide the savings you expect.
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Pros
- Built-in Accident Assist feature
- Integrated with the GEICO mobile app
- In-app tips to improve DriveEasy score
Cons
- Rates may increase
- Penalizes for phone usage
- 10% maximum additional discount after sign-up
Bottom Line
GEICO offers an initial 10% enrollment discount for DriveEasy, but the maximum participation savings of 10% may not be worth the privacy concerns and a fast-draining phone battery. Safe drivers who don’t drive during rush hour, late at night, or in heavy traffic may be the best fit for DriveEasy. But if you’re a frequent passenger, you could get dinged based on the driver’s performance — even after changing your role in the trip details.DriveEasy, GEICO’s telematics program, tracks your driving habits, phone usage, and location through the company’s mobile app and rewards you for earning a high driving score. But some users complain about the amount of data and battery the app uses since it runs constantly in the background.
DriveEasy offers an initial 10% discount, then up to 10% permanent savings when your policy renews. But risky behaviors can translate to higher premiums in some states.
Read our GEICO DriveEasy review to help you decide if this usage-based program is right for you.
What Is GEICO DriveEasy?
GEICO DriveEasy is an optional telematics program the insurance company launched in 2019. Its smartphone app tracks your driving habits and rewards you for safe behaviors, like staying within the posted speed limit and not using your phone while driving.
GEICO isn’t the only car insurance company offering a telematics program. Some of the best auto insurers also offer their own telematics programs, including:
- Allstate Drivewise
- American Family KnowYourDrive
- Progressive Snapshot
- State Farm Drive Safe & Save
- Travelers Intellidrive
- Nationwide SmartRide
- Liberty Mutual RightTrack
- USAA SafePilot
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How Does GEICO DriveEasy Work?
Once you download and log into GEICO’s DriveEasy app, it runs continuously in the background, ready to log your trips anytime you drive. The mobile app uses your phone’s sensors to detect vehicle movement and automatically track your trip details.
You can see your driving score and recent trips and get tips to improve your score in the DriveEasy dashboard.
Let’s take a closer look at what DriveEasy tracks and how it knows who’s in the driver’s seat.
What does GEICO DriveEasy track?
During each trip, the GEICO DriveEasy app tracks the following driving behaviors:
- Cornering: How fast you go around corners
- Distracted driving: Active phone use, like using your apps, making phone calls, or answering text messages
- Accelerating and braking: How quickly you accelerate and brake while driving
- Smooth driving: How long you travel and consistently stay at cruising speed
Other data points, such as the time of day you drive, route consistency, road and weather conditions, and the length and distance of each trip, also factor into your safe driving score.
It’s worth noting that GEICO doesn’t have full access to your phone and its data. The app can’t see your contacts or access your messages or calls. GEICO encrypts your data and restricts access — only a limited number of GEICO associates can access it. The company may also use your driving data during the claims process.
How does GEICO DriveEasy know who’s driving?
DriveEasy uses sensors in your phone to determine if you’re the driver or a passenger in a vehicle. If the mobile app detects you as the driver, it will track your trip to calculate your driver score. If you aren’t the driver or the passenger is using your phone while you’re driving, you can change your driving role from driver to passenger in the app’s Trips section.
How Much Can You Save With GEICO DriveEasy?
Simple driving habits could lead to savings with GEICO DriveEasy. Unfortunately, the insurer doesn’t advertise its telematic sign-up or maximum participation discounts. Third-party reports suggest good drivers can save up to 10% on their car insurance premiums. You’ll get a 10% initial participation discount, and your long-term discount is based on how you drive after signing up.
Ultimately, where you live and your household driving habits will determine how much you save. Working on things you can control, like avoiding distractions, not using your phone, and not speeding, braking, or accelerating too fast, can help you get a higher score and lower your risk of getting into an accident.
GEICO DriveEasy vs. the competition
Usage-based insurance like DriveEasy has become incredibly popular among car insurance companies. The table below highlights some of the most popular programs, including their initial discounts and the maximum savings you might earn from each if you participate.
| Program | Initial Discount | Maximum Discount |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO DriveEasy | 10% | 10% |
| Allstate Drivewise | Varies by state | Varies by state |
| American Family KnowYourDrive | 10% | 20% |
| Chubb SafeLane | 10% | 20% |
| Direct Auto DynamicDrive | 10% | Not disclosed |
| Farmers Signal | 5% | 15% |
| Liberty Mutual RightTrack | 10% | 30% |
| Nationwide SmartRide | 10% | 40% |
| Progressive Snapshot | Varies by state; average discount of $94 | Varies by state; average discount of $231 |
| Safeco RightTrack | 10% | 30% |
| State Farm Drive Safe & Save | 5% | 30% (May exceed 30% in some states) |
| The Hartford TrueLane | 12% | 25% |
| Travelers IntelliDrive | 10% | 30% (Up to 40% in Nevada) |
| USAA SafePilot | 10% | 30% |
Although GEICO has a decent initial discount, its maximum discount is the lowest compared to other insurance companies. If you’re a typical driver looking for maximum savings, consider programs with higher maximum discounts, such as Nationwide, State Farm, Travelers, or Safeco.
How to maximize your GEICO DriveEasy discount
If you’d like to maximize your DriveEasy discount, a few strategies could help. Follow these simple tips to get the most savings out of the program:
- Maintain distance from the vehicle in front of you to avoid hard braking, and allow space to maintain your speed, which will help your smoothness score.
- Try to avoid driving during peak times of heavy traffic or late at night.
- Take corners carefully.
- Ease onto the accelerator pedal instead of taking off quickly.
- Avoid using phone apps while driving. Even listening to music or using them for navigation could cause DriveEasy to ding you for phone handling while the car is in motion.
Can your rates go up with GEICO DriveEasy?
Yes. While GEICO rewards safe driving habits, it may raise your insurance premiums for risky behaviors like hard braking, phone usage, and driving too fast. Late-night drivers and those who travel long distances may also see higher rates at their next renewal.
If you use public transportation or travel as a passenger frequently, you should check GEICO’s DriveEasy program dashboard often to ensure the trip data has you listed as a passenger, not the driver. Keeping the information up-to-date and correct could help your score.
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Is GEICO DriveEasy Worth It? What Real Customers Are Saying
GEICO DriveEasy may be worth it to a small group of people, like low-mileage drivers who typically don’t drive in heavy traffic and aren’t frequent passengers in other vehicles. Many complain that the app drains their battery quickly and uses a lot of their mobile phone data when it’s not connected to Wi-Fi, as shown in the screenshots below.
The below Reddit user found that learning how the app determines driving patterns like cornering helped them improve their cornering score.
Another Reddit user — featured in the screenshot below — feels that DriveEasy might be the best fit if you drive at night, stop frequently, or drive longer distances.
Yet another Redditor — and former GEICO employee — got married and combined insurance policies with her husband. They saw a significant drop in their insurance premiums because of DriveEasy.
Finally, the customers below said the app also seems to be highly sensitive to phone usage, even if you’re using an app hands-free, which can hurt your driving score.
How to Sign Up for GEICO DriveEasy
Signing up for GEICO DriveEasy is simple and just takes a few steps.
1. Get an auto insurance quote with GEICO
New and current GEICO customers can participate in the DriveEasy program. You can ask to include the DriveEasy discount with your auto insurance quote if you’re a new customer. Existing GEICO policyholders can continue to the next step.
2. Opt in to GEICO DriveEasy
DriveEasy is part of the GEICO mobile app. New and existing GEICO policyholders can download the free GEICO mobile app from the App Store if you have an iPhone or the Google Play Store if you have an Android phone to sign up.
3. Download the mobile app
After downloading the mobile app, click the DriveEasy icon to start. Provide your mobile phone number, accept the terms and conditions, and enter the verification code from your text messages to get started. Enable permissions and invite other household drivers to complete the DriveEasy setup. All enrolled drivers on a policy need to participate.
4. Drive safely
Driving safely is the best way to get a higher score and discount. That means staying within the posted speed limit, avoiding hard braking and fast accelerations, and not using your phone while driving.
5. Monitor your progress
Check DriveEasy’s data regularly in the Trips section to ensure accuracy. This is where you can change your status from driver to passenger. You can also view details about your category scores for each trip.
6. Collect your discount
GEICO calculates your driving score using the initial 45 days of DriveEasy’s data. It updates at each insurance policy renewal for as long as you use the app.
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GEICO DriveEasy FAQs
Here are the answers to common questions people ask about the GEICO DriveEasy program.
Is GEICO DriveEasy worth it?
It depends. Safe drivers working from home or infrequently driving short distances may find GEICO DriveEasy worth it. But it may not be worth it if you’re a frequent passenger, drive late at night, make frequent stops, or drive long distances.
What data does GEICO DriveEasy collect?
The GEICO mobile app collects driving-related data for the DriveEasy program using your phone’s sensors, Bluetooth, and GPS. It captures trip details, like when, where, and how long you’re driving, your location, and your habits while driving. GEICO may also use your driving data during the claims process.
Does GEICO DriveEasy actually lower your bill?
It depends. GEICO DriveEasy is a performance-based telematics program that may help you get a lower rate. But keep in mind that your rates can go up for risky driving behaviors like speeding, cell phone use while driving, and hard braking. Your GEICO car insurance rate can change at each policy renewal.
Does GEICO DriveEasy track speed?
Yes. The GEICO DriveEasy usage-based program tracks multiple factors, including speed. GEICO calls this category smoothness, which is how consistently you cruise at speed and for how long. It also monitors your performance, such as cornering, driving in traffic (hard braking and fast acceleration), and interacting with your phone while driving.
Data Methodology:
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Sources:
- App Store, “GEICO Mobile – Car Insurance Ratings and Reviews,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
- Google Play Store, “GEICO Mobile – Car Insurance,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
- Reddit, “Is DriveEasy worth it?,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
- Reddit, “I have drive easy, i have no slip ups on any of my trips. My cornering “subpar”. How is this possible?,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
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