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Lindsay VanSomeren is an insurance and personal finance writer who’s been writing for Compare.com since 2023. Her work has also appeared in publications such as FICO, Credit Karma, The Balance, and more. She enjoys helping people learn how to manage their money better so they can live the lives they envision for themselves.
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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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| User Reviews | 4.4 |
|---|---|
| Our Rating Compare.com's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The objective formula used in these reviews weighs several important factors to consider when choosing financial products and services, including customer satisfaction ratings, ease of use, and a number of other components. | 4.7 /5 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $47/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $97/mo |
Customers appreciate the prompt customer service and claims handling but are frustrated by the significant and frequent price increases.
Customers appreciate the prompt customer service and claims handling but are frustrated by the significant and frequent price increases.
Lester
March 16, 2025
Lack of Human Interaction
Ralph
February 28, 2025
Poor Service
David
February 24, 2025
Good Company but Way Too Expensive
USAA mixes affordability and focused benefits for military service members and their families. But only current military members, veterans, and their families qualify for coverage.
Available nationwide
Military-focused discounts
Competitive auto insurance rates
Potential claims-processing issues
Limited coverage options
Gap insurance not available
If you have a USAA auto insurance policy and you’re not signed up for its SafePilot program, you might be paying more than you have to for coverage. Unlike some insurance companies, USAA doesn’t penalize you with higher rates if its telematics app records substandard driving, meaning that you only have savings to gain — specifically, up to 30% off.
But some USAA SafePilot reviews from actual members note problems with the app. SafePilot users report spending a lot of time fixing errors because of how the app records data — for example, people who use public transportation or drive for a living (like firefighters). Read on to see if the SafePilot app is right for you.
SafePilot is a usage-based insurance program offered by the United Services Automobile Association — more commonly known as USAA. The app allows the company to monitor your driving so you can earn an auto insurance discount.
Also known as a “telematics” program, these are becoming more and more popular with auto insurers. Other car insurers have similar programs, including Allstate Drivewise, Progressive Snapshot, and State Farm Drive Safe & Save.
USAA’s SafePilot is a mobile app that you download on your phone, and it runs automatically in the background. The app monitors your phone’s GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and similar tools to get a picture of your driving habits.
You can use the app to get feedback on your skills and to get tips and other educational materials on new safe driving behaviors. One of the main reasons people use it is the hefty safe driving discount you can get. Let’s take a closer look at how the app works.
USAA needs a lot of data and information to calculate your driving score (and your potential discount). The app tracks the following data:
Time of day
Harsh braking
Your location
Car accidents
Whether you’re driving or the passenger
Hours and miles driven on an annual basis
Phone handling, including simply holding it or moving it around
Making or accepting any phone calls, including hands-free calling
SafePilot doesn’t track the use of your car’s infotainment system when you’re driving, even if it’s connected to your device (phone calls aside). If you use Spotify through CarPlay, for example, it won’t penalize you — but if you jostle your phone around to pick a new song, it will.
When you sign up for SafePilot, you’ll spend the next 14 days in a trial period — or a “learning period,” as USAA calls it. The app will learn about your household’s driving patterns and then guess whether you’re a passenger or driver each time you start moving.
You can check to see who the app tagged as the driver and the passenger for each trip it records. You can make any corrections if necessary by tapping on that trip and marking whether you were the driver or passenger, or if a “drive” wasn’t really a trip at all.
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Everyone who signs up for SafePilot gets an automatic sign-up discount of 10% off their auto insurance rate — which lasts until your next renewal. By that time, the app will have calculated a driving score for you and any other members of your household with a USAA policy.
When you go to renew, USAA will calculate an “earned discount” of up to 30% based on your household’s combined driving scores. This means that the driving behavior of any other SafePilot users in your household can affect your rates — something to keep in mind.
In general, USAA SafePilot reviews from policyholders show that it’s fairly easy to earn the maximum discount, as long as you don’t handle your phone at all while driving. But be aware that adding or canceling your SafePilot account can affect your rates, as this USAA member below found.
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USAA is far from the only company offering this kind of discount program. Other top auto insurance companies offer telematics discounts, too. Let’s look at how USAA stacks up against major competitors.
Program | Initial Discount | Maximum Discount |
|---|---|---|
| USAA SafePilot | 10% | 30% |
| 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’s SafePilot program offers a discount that’s only rivaled by one insurance company on this list: Nationwide SmartRide. Otherwise, it meets or exceeds the telematics programs other insurers offer.
Aside from maintaining a good driving record, USAA customers note that phone usage and the harsh braking aspect of the app are two of the biggest drags on your driving score. Here’s what you can do to limit those factors:
Put your phone in an area, such as in your glove box, where you’ll be less tempted to use it.
Avoid speed bumps, potholes, and other minor obstacles that can be recorded as careless driving.
Check the app’s history at least once every 30 days to make sure it’s recording trips accurately.
Don’t allow anyone to use your phone while driving since the app can’t tell who’s using it.
No. USAA won’t increase your premiums if the app detects less-than-perfect driving habits from your end. That’s a major benefit of the USAA SafePilot app since some companies will increase your rates. At the very worst, you wouldn’t qualify for a discount at all and pay the same rates you’d get without using the app.
It’s easy to find a lot of positive reviews of SafePilot on sites where customers share their experiences. Many people say they get the maximum discount even with negative marks in their trip history — such as lots of hard braking or using their phone while driving.
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That said, many customers note quality problems with the app. A common complaint seems to be that the AI tools aren’t always the best at detecting when you’re a passenger or a driver, resulting in having to fix a lot of errors. If you drive for work, USAA suggests turning your phone off or signing out while you’re working. But the reviewer below found that to be a hassle.
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SafePilot is available in every state, with a few exceptions. Here’s how to get it.
If you’re not already a member, you’ll start by getting a quote for USAA auto insurance online. Current customers are also eligible to sign up for SafePilot and can skip ahead to the next step.
Each driver in your household on your policy will need to download the mobile app on their own phone — couples or families can’t share the same phone. The SafePilot app is available on the Google Play and Apple App Store.
You’ll spend the next 14 days in a “learning period” to generate a safe driving score. The two biggest things you can do to help your score during this time are to avoid touching your phone while driving and braking too hard. After you’ve driven 16 hours or 325 miles, you’ll be able to see a projected discount for your next renewal.
A common gripe about the app is that it doesn’t always categorize trip data correctly. The app saves your trips for only 30 days, so you’ll need to check it at least once a month to make sure it doesn’t list incorrect trips on your record. You can change the status of a trip by going to the trip details page.
It’s also worth keeping track of your safe driving score to see where you can improve to maximize your potential discount.
USAA applies your 10% sign-up discount when you make your first payment. After that, you won’t see any savings until you renew your policy. You can see your potential discount on the “Reports” or “Discount” tabs in the app. Of course, if you cancel your policy, you won’t see those savings.
Still have questions about USAA’s SafePilot program? Here are some answers to common questions people ask about it.
Yes. Given that it’s a free service and can slash a third of your auto insurance costs, many customers agree that SafePilot is worth signing up for.
SafePilot collects data on a wide range of things to get a better overall picture of your habits, such as the time of day you drive, your speed, braking patterns, phone use, mileage, and more.
Yes. SafePilot can lower your car insurance bill by 10% when you first sign up and then up to 30% when you renew — if you’re a safe driver.
Yes. USAA uses your phone’s GPS to monitor your speed while driving. It also records your phone’s accelerometer data to detect sudden changes in speed, such as from braking too hard or getting into an accident.
Sources
Insurance Information Institute, “Background on: Pay-as-you-drive auto insurance (telematics),” accessed March 8, 2024.
Google Play, “USAA SafePilot,” accessed March 8, 2024.
App Store, “USAA SafePilot,” accessed March 8, 2024.
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Lindsay VanSomeren is an insurance and personal finance writer who’s been writing for Compare.com since 2023. Her work has also appeared in publications such as FICO, Credit Karma, The Balance, and more. She enjoys helping people learn how to manage their money better so they can live the lives they envision for themselves.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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