KUALA LUMPUR: The day when good driving behaviour is rewarded with cheaper insurance premiums has come with the new AXA FlexiDrive insurance policy.
AXA Affin General Insurance Bhd has launched the new AXA FlexiDrive, the first telematic motor insurance in Malaysia.
It adopts an innovative telematics technology to gather a driver’s driving behaviour data, such as the driver’s speed, mileage and the harsh driving style (like the driver’s harsh acceleration and braking), to accumulate further premium discounts which they can enjoy upon their next motor insurance renewal.
“I don’t see why it can’t work in Malaysia as it is a mature country. We need to change on the road behaviour by changing the mentality via education supported by incentives in the form of reduced premiums. Its more than just insurance, the people of the country will appreciate it when we play a role in reducing the number of motor accidents and on the road fatalities,” said its chief executive officer Emmanuel Nivet at a press conference after the launch recently.
Nivet added that most of the countries that have been using a similar system have shown a positive impact on road safety, with reduced car accidents and lower fatality rates caused by car accidents.
The metastat device was produced by CSE Automotive Technologies Sdn Bhd, and the similar device can be found in the Subaru Forester or even some Porsche vehicles. It features functions like GPS, a SIM card and a accelerometer whereby the car’s owner or the insurer will be able to track the car’s location at anytime using the AXA FlexiDrive app.
The insurance company AXA will only receive telematics for tracking the driving behaviour. All data collected are used in compliance with the personal data protection act and will be handled confidentially.
Apart from tracking the driving behaviour, the device will able to detect an accident, and whether the impact exceeds the pre-determined severity threshold. Once verified, an emergency medical assistance team will be dispatched to the exact crash location detected by its GPS system.
The vehicle owners will also be notified if any vehicle sabotage or damage is detected. While in the case of theft, AXA will work with the police officers to recover the vehicle once the insurance company has received a police report.
There is also an AXA FlexiDrive app available, where it allows users to view their Safe Driving Discounts and receive personalised driving tips, as well as to check their car battery status on their smartphones.
“We are committed to providing better value and experience to our motor insurance customers, while contributing to improve road safety in Malaysia. According to the Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research and the General Insurance Association of Malaysia statistics, one road accident occurs every minute and one car is stolen every 24 minutes in Malaysia.
“I am confident that AXA FlexiDrive will help us make strides in improving road and vehicle safety in Malaysia,” said Nivet.