Allstate Drivewise Review

Allstate Drivewise is a usage-based insurance discount program from Allstate, an insurer we cover in detail in our Allstate auto insurance review. As part of the program, the company’s mobile app will track your driving behaviors and, if you drive safely, you could get a discount of more than 40 percent on your insurance premiums. This program is available in all states except New York.

Allstate Drivewise is a program available for new or existing Allstate customers. After you download the Allstate app, which has a 4.8-star iOS and a 3.9-star Android rating, the app will automatically detect when you’re driving. That means you can just “set it and forget it” — an incredibly easy way to save on your car insurance through Allstate.

For most drivers, Allstate Drivewise will be worth it because the app is free and it can’t increase your auto insurance rates, only lower them. There is a discount on your car insurance rate just for signing up, although Allstate doesn’t specify the exact amount. But if you drive safely, you can shave 40 percent or more off your policy’s premiums. All that said, this program may be better for some people more than others.

Allstate Drivewise would be good for:

• Anyone who wants to take advantage of a usage-based insurance discount program with the highest possible savings
• Someone who doesn’t drive late at night typically
• Safe drivers who avoid hard braking, speeding and distracted driving

Allstate Drivewise would not be good for:

• Someone who lives in New York, where the program is not available
• Anyone who drives late at night often
• Someone who doesn’t want their location data to be tracked
• A person who doesn’t want Allstate Insurance

How Allstate Drivewise Can Affect Your Insurance Rate

You’ll get a discount on your insurance for enrolling in the Allstate Drivewise program, plus additional discounts of 40 percent or more for safe driving behaviors. This is the largest discount we’ve seen from an insurance company, although your exact amount will vary based on the state you live in as well as your driving data.

To enroll in the Allstate Drivewise program, you can register in the Allstate app if you already have it or text ALLSTATEAPP to 25788 to get a downloadable link to the mobile app to start the sign-up process. There’s no separate app for Drivewise; it’s all baked into the regular Allstate app.

Aside from the Drivewise program, Allstate offers other discount opportunities that can lower the cost of your auto insurance:

• Bundling: Bundle your auto insurance with homeowners or renters insurance to save on all policies.
• New car: If you just bought a new vehicle, you can save money on your insurance for being its first owner.
• Good student: Allstate awards discounts for students under the age of 25 who are unmarried and meet one of three requirements — having either an average grade of B- or higher or a GPA of 2.7 or higher; completing the teenSMART driver education program; or attending school at least 100 miles away from home.
• Car features: Get a discount for having either antilock brakes or an antitheft device to prevent auto theft.
• Payment: You can also save by setting up automatic payments, going paperless, paying your policy in full and paying your policy on time for the past year.
• Early signing: If you sign up for your policy a week or more before it becomes effective, you’ll get a discount.

Allstate Drivewise offers the most potential savings of any usage-based insurance program we’ve reviewed. The next best programs, with savings of up to 30 percent, are Liberty Mutual RightTrack, State Farm Drive Safe & Save and USAA SafePilot.

Discounts are guaranteed with all of these programs as long as you’re truthful about your driving habits and other information on your initial insurance application. All the programs track your location through mobile apps, but the iOS Allstate app is tied with the Liberty Mutual app for the highest Apple App Store rating (4.8). However, Allstate has the lowest-rated Android app with only 3.9 stars, so Android users may prefer a company like Liberty Mutual as its Android app has a 4.7 rating.

Here’s how we evaluate usage-based insurance discount programs like Allstate Drivewise.

Data

We take a look at exactly what data the program uses to base discounts on. Typically, programs track braking, location, miles driven, phone use while driving, speed, acceleration and the time of day you’re driving. We prefer programs that detect trips automatically and crash detection is an extra feature we appreciate but is not a necessity. Ideally, the insurance company encrypts this data and doesn’t share it with third parties for marketing purposes.

Availability

We consider where the program is available, as not all programs are available in all states.

Technology

Whether the program should operate through a mobile app, a plug-in device or a combination of the two is a personal preference. While mobile apps are more straightforward, they may drain your phone battery, unlike a plug-in device. If the program uses an app, we check its ratings on the Google Play and Apple App stores.

Rates

We prefer programs that offer potential insurance discounts of up to 30 percent or higher, plus discounts just for signing up. Another essential feature we consider is whether the program could increase your insurance rate instead of reducing it. Some programs could increase your cost if you drive unsafely, so we prioritize programs that won’t do this regardless of driving data.