The term “autopilot” could best describe everyday drivers since technology has been integrated with automobiles. Safe driving tends to be a blip on the radar of many roadsters as they field phone calls, check google maps for traffic and tune in to their streaming radio stations.
But in a cold reality, more than 1.25 million people die each year in traffic crashes, according to the World Health Organization, and between 20 and 50 million more suffer non-fatal injuries as a result of car accidents.
Zendrive was started by Jonathan Matus and Pankaj Risbood (previously of Google and Facebook) on the very premise of changing that outcome for a safer future in driving. By using smartphone sensors to measure and analyze data, their product suite is able to vastly improve driver behavior and make the road a more harmless place to be.
After RewardExpert talked with Noah Budnick, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Zendrive, he was able to highlight how the innovative company is revolutionizing transportation by saving lives and money.
Every Mile Counts
“This spring, we surpassed 100 billion miles of data measured and analyzed,” described Budnick. “No other insurance, insurtech or automotive analytics company has looked at this much data. We did it in less than two years. All this information gives Zendrive the ability to analyze and predict risk more accurately than ever before.”
The company’s degree of data capture is continuously growing at over 10 billion miles a month, which positions them to track and score driver behavior patterns—ranging from collisions to being aggressive and distracted behind the wheel. Upon analysis of said figures, Zendrive can then correctly rate and coach drivers on their conduct for improved behavior—something we all need every once and awhile.
Budnick expounded on their groundbreaking mobile technology saying that Zendrive “can measure speeding, aggressive acceleration, hard braking, driver phone use and collisions in real-time. With the increase in driver phone use, having new ways to measure and analyze it are key to stopping it.”
And their stopping power of hazardous actions is clear and present, with a proven 59 percent reduction in driver phone use and a 21 percent reduction in speeding.
Save Money, Save Lives
Zendrive’s motto is to save money and save lives, be it for individual car owners or commercial and on-demand fleets. Using mobile smartphone-based technology rather than traditional hardware systems, they can more precisely assess and predict risk, therefore lowering insurance costs to effectively save drivers money and help auto insurance companies with their bottom line.
Specifically, powering Zendrive’s smart brokerage services and working with their list of safety-minded insurance partners, big city transportation fleets with over 10,000 drivers have accrued up to 25 percent on their insurance savings and reduced damage claims and tickets upwards of 50 percent.
On a more futuristic note, the dawn of autonomous vehicles (i.e., driverless cars) is upon us all—and Zendrive is on the forefront of determining what that means for the overall liability aspects of, literally, “autopiloted” insurance. Their dataset and astute A.I. classifies a total of six driver personas, a process whereby they can directly correlate these individual tendencies with insurance companies, so they can fully comprehend the risks of humans to AV’s, and, of course, their perils to us.
As far as pricing, their services are unmatched with a free 30-day trial and no long-term contract or upfront fees, whatsoever. For their enterprise option, a nominal $4 per driver is charged monthly, and there is an annual billing subscription option to save more money.
Deserved Accolades
Being the best counts for something, and Zendrive was named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative List 2018. This means they were placed in the top 10 most influential transportation companies in the world—an honor they took graciously in congruence with other greats like Waze, Lyft and General Motors.
“Zendrive has been building amazing momentum,” commented Budnick. “We’re honored and humbled to be named as one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in the world for 2018. We’re building a team of experts and are always looking for the best talent.”
April is “Distracted Driver Awareness Month,” a time that Zendrive takes with the utmost seriousness. It’s fitting they’ve marked their 100 billionth mile in support of awareness for this public health issue and continue to delve into finding solutions to preventable fatalities and injuries in automobiles. The roadways of tomorrow are looking brighter and safer with Zendrive behind the wheel.
To further examine how Zendrive is making driving more manageable and inexpensive, visit their website and sign up for a free 30-day trial.