By: Tamara | Last updated July 15, 2019 
Getting the best insurance for your car requires some time and research. There are so many choices out there, that it can be difficult to know which one is better for your needs. You have to be careful about coverage, the deductible, the monthly fees you have to pay and so on.
Root Insurance Co - What does it offer and how does it work?
We all know how time consuming and frustrating it is when we are trying to get car insurance and we have to make a lot of trips to a company’s office, to submit papers, wait for approvals, schedule meetings with agents, etc. But it doesn’t have to be like that anymore.
Root Insurance has come up with a better system, which is modern, more comfortable and efficient. With Root Insurance you can get insurance for your car straight from your living room if you want to. Everything is done through your smartphone, including applying for the insurance.
How to apply for a car insurance with Root
The first thing you have to do is download and install the Root app. It is compatible with iOS and Android devices, it is easy to install and to use. The entire process involved in setting up an account with Root takes less than 1 minute.
Once you have the app on your phone, you have to take Root’s test drive. The test drive helps the company get an idea about your driving skills and based on those skills, you will get a certain quote for your car insurance.
How does the Root app work?
The test drive is basically a period of approximately 60 days (or less in some cases) in which you have to keep your phone with you each time you drive your car. The first mandatory requirement is to keep your GPS on your phone enabled, to help the app get its information. The app Root on the other hand can run in the background, you don’t have to open it every time you get behind the wheel. Root Insurance protects your privacy and claims it doesn’t share your data with third parties, in case you were worried about the GPS always being on.
The Root app uses machine learning, artificial intelligence, complex algorithms and your phone’s motion sensors to determine things like the distance, the number of stops and starts, how many turns you take and how fast and more. The motion sensors in your smartphone help the app know whether you are driving or sitting in the passenger seat and it will only rate your driving trips. It can also know when you are not driving but biking or taking the bus.
What to pay attention to during Root’s test drive
The most important aspects to consider if you want a good rating are these:
- The consistency of your driving: more precisely, try to always drive smoothly and avoid sudden moves such as too many starts and stops, to take it easy on the gas pedal and so on
- Pay attention to your braking habits; hard braking is not going to be rated high, so try to avoid it as much as possible
- Driving hours: Root rewards drivers who drive as much as possible during safe hours, when traffic is lighter; you should avoid late-night trips as much as you can
- Turns; try not to take your turns too fast; slow down before a turn and ease into it
All these factors can tell a lot about someone’s driving habits and Root will score you for each and every one of them. The better the score you get, the lower your quote will be. You will receive a price at the end of the test drive, when the app has enough data gathered. That usually takes around 2 to 3 weeks.
How good is Root Car Insurance?
Root Insurance has a lot of advantages. The most notable one is of course the fact that it saves you a lot of trips and paperwork. It is so much more comfortable to do everything through your phone.
The fact that it uses a complex and an accurate software to calculate your driving skills is another bonus, because it eliminates the human factor and error.
Root Insurance is also really non-discriminatory when it comes to terms and eligibility. Most insurance companies place a lot of importance on demographics such as a driver’s ZIP code, age and experience in driving, on their credit score, the rate paid to their previous insurer and more. Root Insurance doesn’t really care about all that. It only cares about your driving habits as they are the ones that will matter when they calculate your insurance rate.
The fact that your driving skills are the ones that matter when Root Insurance calculates your insurance rate will also motivate you to be a better and more cautious driver, which is another benefit.
Another great thing about Root is the fact that it can help you save up a lot of money, especially if you are a good driver. With Root you can save up to 52% compared to other insurance companies.
There are of course some downsides as well: your phone may sometimes not be as reliable as an actual human agent.
Another disadvantage is the fact that Root Insurance currently operates in just 25 states. However, it does plan to add the others by the end of 2019, but for now, this may pose a problem to citizens living in the other states.
