ISO Introduces Telematics-Based GeoMetric Rating Rule for Automobile Risks

ISO has filed its first vehicle telematics-based rating rule in 33 states and received approvals in 19 states.

The optional GeoMetric rating rule for personal and commercial automobiles uses information collected via telematics to award discounts for vehicles operated in areas safer than where they are garaged.

Using patent-pending systems and methods developed by ISO, the rule assesses the risk of an insured vehicle based on actual driving locations while respecting the privacy of the insured.

ISO is a member of the Verisk Insurance Solutions group at Verisk Analytics.

The new product uses a set of advanced predictive modeling tools called ISO Risk Analyzer. The environmental module of ISO Risk Analyzer considers hundreds of variables related to where people live, work, and drive to measure the risks posed at each geographic location.

The GeoMetric product builds on those insights by applying the geographic risk measurements to each vehicle’s driving locations. The end result is a simple report showing the number of miles and time traveled by the insured within each risk tier, or band. Vehicles that are garaged in higher bands but frequently travel into lower bands may be eligible for discounts of up to 25 percent under the program.

“The new telematics-based rating rules we filed are a significant step in the evolution of usage-based insurance,” said Kevin Thompson, president of ISO Insurance Programs and Analytic Services. “By assessing the risk of actual driving locations while protecting policyholder privacy, GeoMetric reports make it easier for insurers to use the GPS information collected via telematics to identify and award discounts to safer risks.”

This is the first telematics-based program that ISO has filed with insurance regulators in various states. The personal and commercial auto rating rules are designed to integrate easily with insurers’ own rating structures. Insurers that contribute telematics data, along with corresponding premium and loss information, to ISO’s Driving Behavior Database for Modelers will receive GeoMetric reports as well as access and input to the rest of ISO’s suite of telematics-based solutions. For more information, visit www.iso.com/telematics.

Source: ISO