Selective Insurance has made a commitment to making the world a better place, and part of this initiative is keeping people safe on the roads. Selective has recently rolled out Selective® Drive, a fleet management tool that revolutionizes behind-the-wheel behavior and for which it and for which it won the 2019 Business Insurance Innovation Award. Selective® Drive is a sensored device that plugs into a vehicle’s 12v outlet and gives a quantitative analysis of driving behavior. The device itself is paired with the driver’s smartphone and connects to an app that gives data on mileage, drive time, cell phone usage, speed, and harsh acceleration, braking, and turns. Selective® Drive was designed for commercial fleet policies as part of the company’s commitment to uniquely ensuring its customers and creating personalized risk management solutions. Each week, the app generates a score for the driver based on their behavior, challenging them to raise it each time they drive.
Selective® Drive has especially become a powerful tool in an age where distracted driving is at an all-time high. Vice President of Agency Development Robert Redden made changes in his own driving behavior because of Selective® Drive, explaining, “I’ve been using Selective® Drive for a little over a year now and through its analysis of my driving, I learned about some behaviors that needed improvement, such as how I increase my speed when I’m on calls using Bluetooth. Now that I am aware of this, I’m more conscious of it and can correct the behavior.” Many drivers often believe that their years of experience behind the wheel have made them safe drivers. Unfortunately, this complex feeds into dangerous behaviors, like sending texts or making calls, since they believe they are experienced enough to divert their attention from the road. However, Selective® Drive feedback can show how these behaviors impair behind-the-wheel performance, influencing drivers to reevaluate and change these dangerous habits.
Selective Partners With EndDD.org
Selective Insurance has become a champion of ending the distracted driving epidemic. Hoping to further spread the message, the company has partnered with Joel Feldman of EndDD.org to help encourage safer driving behaviors. Inviting him as a keynote speaker at the 2019 President’s Club Executive Conference, Feldman spoke about how a distracted driver took his daughter’s life. His presentation moved the audience; he received a standing ovation, as well as a significant donation from Selective Insurance to spread the message even further.
The company’s philanthropic support of EndDD.org is part of its commitment to making communities safer and helping those in need. Selective Insurance employees are also encouraged to give back, whether it is using a paid day off to volunteer or requesting a matching gift for their charitable donation. The company matches employees’ donations to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations, and has promoted EndDD.org in its journey to align itself with the fight against distracted driving. Redden elaborated on the importance of raising awareness, saying, “We’re baking this into the DNA of the company. As an insurance company, we have an ongoing commitment to making the world a safer place and everything we can do to help EndDD.org in its mission is a big step in this direction.”
CEO Greg Murphy has been a strong champion of safe driving, spearheading the initiative behind Selective® Drive and aligning Selective with EndDD.org. The company has invited Feldman back to speak at their upcoming Women’s Agency Leadership conference, to reach a broader audience with Feldman’s message. As for the future, Selective will remain a significant force in the effort to end distracted driving. Agency Development Manager Emma Corcoran said, “We’re not going anywhere; our next step is to partner our agents with EndDD.org to reach out to high schools and get the message out to as many people as we can.” With distracted driving presentations and revolutionary technology like Selective® Drive, Selective Insurance is using a unique approach to create safer drivers and save countless lives.
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*Melanie Riehl is a sophomore Communications and Media Studies student at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She serves as a Copy Editor on the executive board of Fordham’s student newspaper, The Observer.
