Safe Driving Support Using Digital Technology
Developing telematics insurance and services
Sompo Japan has been engaged in research and development aimed at supporting safe driving and reducing insurance premiums for drivers through the use of telematics technology. Our product line-up currently includes "Driving! "*1, "SOMPO Drive", and "Smiling Road"*2.
Launched in April 2023, "SOMPO Drive" is a free driving assessment smartphone app for individuals that enables customers to receive a "safe driving discount" of up to 20% off their insurance premiums based on their safe driving score. Sompo Japan is the only company that performs safe driving assessments on a smartphone app and offers premium discounts based on the assessment results to customers purchasing voluntary automobile insurance for the first time.*3
With telematics insurance, we aim to create an accident-free society by providing satisfactory insurance premiums while encouraging customers to drive safely.
- "Driving! " is the name of the service attached to the "Rider on Notice of Accident by Drive Recorder".
- Refers to a service for businesses designed to prevent accidents by using a drive recorder. The service was launched in March 2015 as the first telematics service in the property and casualty insurance industry and the drive recorder service was renewed in July 2022.
- According to a survey by Sompo Japan (as of March 2023)
Safe Driving Support Service “Driving!” for Individual drivers
While the number of road traffic accidents has continued to fall in recent years following improvements in the safety performance of automobiles, the accident rate among both elderly and young drivers remains high, and it is essential for drivers themselves to take safety measures.
Sompo Japan believes that its mission as a P&C insurance company is to prevent customers from feeling alone when involved in an accident and to reduce the number of car accidents that could have been prevented. In March 2017, the company started to provide “Driving!,” a telematics-based service that uses a driving recorder (dashboard camera).
From January 2018, in an effort to improve convenience and accessibility to more customers, the company started to offer the service as a rider for automobile insurance so that it can be used at the same time as applying for automobile insurance. In September 2021, the company updated the driving recorders.
“Driving!” offers driver peace of mind while driving using a dedicated driving recorder with a telecommunications function that supports safe driving, as well as safe driving assessments after driving to help users maintain their driving skills. By using the telecommunications feature to enable users to directly connect to an insurance company, the company can provide an accident reporting service that utilizes the driving recorder’s impact detection function and ALSOK Kaketsuke Anshin Service, an accident-scene callout service offered in collaboration with Sohgo Security Services Co., Ltd. (ALSOK). Sompo Japan is the first major P&C insurance company in Japan to collaborate with ALSOK in providing this service. In this way, the company provides customers with total support for peace of mind and safety when driving.
Sompo Japan will continue to leverage digital technology to provide all drivers with even greater peace of mind and safety, and contribute to achieving an accident-free society.
“SMILING ROAD” safety driving support service for companies and individual proprietors
Sompo Japan lends drive recorders with communication functions to corporations and individual business owners. It
offers “SMILING ROAD,” a safe-driving support service that uses advanced technology to analyze driving data obtained
from the drive recorders. Specifically, the three functions of “see,” “understand,” and “praise” provide feedback on
safe-driving diagnoses, dangerous driving, and other information to the safe-driving manager’s PC and the driver’s
smartphone, thereby helping to raise driver awareness of safe driving and provide efficient guidance to the safe
driving manager.
In the event of an accident, the drive recorder’s communication function can detect the impact and notify the
administrator of the vehicle’s location and other information to enable an immediate grasp of the accident
situation, prompt notification of the accident to our company, and rapid resolution of the accident.
ALSOK Reliable Accident Site Support Service
Sompo Direct Insurance (Former Saison Automobile and Fire Insurance) took on board customer feedback from market
research and launched a project that creates new values such as “visible & touchable,” “enjoyable driving,” and
“accident prevention” that were previously lacking from the automobile insurance. ALSOK Reliable Accident Site
Support Service, which the company first offered in April 2016, has been well received by customers, with a service
satisfaction rate of 91.8% in fiscal 2022.
Joint research realizes the concept of “Human Health Checkup for Driving”
Sompo Japan has entered a joint research agreement with AI Driving Instructor Co., Ltd. to develop a new solution based on data-driven driving evaluations to address transportation issues, such as the increasing number of elderly drivers and “paper drivers,” the driver shortage, and the increasing number of people with reduced mobility.
In recent years, legal measures have been implemented to address the increase in traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers. However, to prevent traffic accidents not only for elderly drivers but also for a wide range of others, it is important for drivers to understand the state of their own cognitive functions and driving skills and to provide efficient and personalized training.
To resolve these issues, Sompo Japan (which provides safe driving support services using
telematics technology) and AI Driving Instructor (which aims to provide higher-quality driving education using autonomous driving technology and AI) will share their data and expertise. Through this, the two companies aim to develop highly accurate driving diagnosis methods and effective training methods that lead to behavioral change.