By: Hailey | Last updated July 22, 2020 
Root Insurance is not like your average car insurance providers. It is based on a new concept and it integrates technology in their business. The company has been around for 5 years but it’s already become a tough competitor to beat.
How is Root Insurance any different than other car insurance companies?
Root Insurance is different than most competitors because it determines your insurance rates based primarily on how you drive.
Other companies place a lot of importance on aspects such as your age, gender, credit score, ZIP code, prior insurance, vehicle type. For Root Insurance, the paramount factor taken into consideration is your driving. If you are a good driver, you can get really low insurance rates, which means you get to save a lot of money. In fact, you can save up to 52% more than with traditional car insurance providers.
How much does it cost to get car insurance from Root Insurance?
Root Insurance doesn’t have a fixed quote. You have to contact them to get a quote.
Root Insurance uses a test drive to calculate the rates for its customers. The test drive is a period of approximately 2 or 3 weeks, in which you drive your car like you normally would, but your driving is constantly being monitored by them. The way they do that is through their Root mobile app, so you have to have your smartphone with you every time you go for a drive.
The Root app is compatible with iOS and Android devices and it is very easy to use. Once you create an account, which takes under 1 minute, you also have to enable your GPS and leave it on for the entire period of the test drive. Root Insurance claims that won’t affect your privacy, because they protect your data and won’t share it to 3rd parties.
The app is very smart and complex, uses machine learning patterns, your phone’s motion sensors, AI (artificial intelligence) to determine your driving skills. Root scores the way you take your turns, the way you use your brakes, the gas pedal, the time of the day you drive the most and more.
Here’s how you get good scores in the test drive:
There are some important aspects you have to be careful about during the test drive, if you want to get a good score:
- When do you drive the most - try to avoid late night trips and the time of day with really heavy traffic and do most of your driving during the safe hours, as much as possible
- How you use the brake - try to avoid hard braking and be gentle on the brake
- How you take your turns - it is best to slow down before a turn and ease into it
- How smooth your overall driving is - try to be consistent in your driving: avoid too many starts and stops, don’t be too hard on the gas pedal and so on
If you pay attention to all of these, you will get a good score at the end of the test drive and you will enjoy a lower insurance rate. However, if you are a reckless driver, you drive under the influence, you are too rough on the car and so on, expect a higher rate or even to get rejected, as Root Insurance doesn’t cover bad drivers.
Another great thing about Root Insurance is that it lets you instantly add and remove coverages according to your needs, directly from the app. So you can either opt for one of the recommended plans from Root or customize your policy and adjust the price and coverages to your liking.
