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Black Box Myth Buster
We’re addressing some common misconceptions about black box insurance, and giving some insight into how it really works!
Black box technology (also known as telematics) gets quite a bad rep, and this is mainly due to the mountain of misconceptions surrounding it. Many people believe black boxes come with a shed load of rules designed to catch young drivers out and push their premiums up. This isn’t the case – our Black Box Insurance is designed with the safety of young drivers in mind, and to keep insurance premiums down by reducing claims! And it really works - in fact, Marmalade drivers are nearly 4 times safer! ¹
MYTH 1 – Night-time curfews and penalties
A lot of people think that all black boxes come with curfews on when you can drive, such as no driving between 11pm and 6am, or that your driving score will be affected by driving at night! There are some policies like this, but not with Marmalade. There are no night-time driving restrictions so you’re able to drive where you like when you like.
MYTH 2 – Limited mileage on black boxes
Just like any insurance policy (black box or not), you’ll be asked to estimate your annual mileage when you take the policy out. There isn’t a cap imposed, so there aren’t any penalties to worry about. Who knows where life will take you? Commuting, road trips, just driving locally – all we ask is that you're honest about your mileage. This helps insurers make sure you’re properly protected and that you receive the best quote for you. Misleading insurers about your mileage can affect any claims that you make.
MYTH 3 – I’ll be penalised for driving mistakes
The black box isn’t there to catch you out and the odd mistake here and there isn’t going to make your premium shoot up! 90% of customers have green journeys (green means good!) and less than 1% of journeys were red (red means unsafe) ². If you do get a red journey you don’t have to worry – a member of our dedicated team will give you a call to talk through what happened. If you consistently drive at risk, there’s an option to take a driving course to help improve your safe driving skills.
MYTH 4 – Speeding is automatically reported to the police
Some people believe that if you speed with a black box in the car, this data is sent straight to the police and you’ll be subject to a driving penalty. This isn’t the case either – unless you’re caught by the police or a speed camera you won’t receive a speeding ticket, however, if you consistently speed when driving this will decrease your driving score and could lead you to get a red journey. When reviewing journeys on your app, you’ll be able to see where you’re speeding so you can keep an eye on your speed in the future.
MYTH 5 – I can’t drive until the black box is fitted
With our Black Box Insurance on your own car, you can drive straight away (or from when you choose the policy to start). You’ve got 14 days to get the box fitted, so there is no waiting around to go for a spin.
MYTH 6 – Having a black box is embarrassing
Black boxes have this nifty little feature of being pretty small and not being visible! They’re fitted discretely either under your steering wheel or on the engine, so unless you tell someone you’ve got a black box no one is going to know you’ve got one. However, if your insurance premium is cheaper than all of your friends’ and keeps going down at renewal because of your safe driving, we’re sure they’ll start asking why!
MYTH 7 – Insurers are looking to reasons to increase your premium at renewal
It may be surprising to hear that insurers don’t actually want you to pay more than you need to for cover. The idea of the black box is that it allows young drivers to prove they are safe and responsible drivers in order to help them earn their No Claims Discount. Our safest drivers will also earn an additional safe driving discount at renewal! Our Black Box Insurance customers save, on average, 26% on their first renewal ³!
MYTH 8 – Black box is like Big brother
Contrary to popular belief we are not watching your every move. We’re not keeping an eye on how often you nip to McDonald’s or where you are at 2am on a Saturday night! The black box will only flag to us when you repeatedly drive at risk on a journey (which is rare) – at which point we will get in touch with you to discuss the journey. In truth, you’ll probably spend a lot more time looking at your journeys than we will.
If you’re unsure as to whether black box insurance is for you, there’s lots more helpful information on our website. Head over to our guide on whether black box insurance is for you, for further details on how we use telematics.
You can also find out more on our Red Journey Process to see how we can help you develop safe driving skills.
See how much you can save with Black Box Insurance!
Get on the road today with instant comprehensive cover and start earning your own No Claims Discount - with No Curfews!
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How does telematics insurance work?
Discreet black box
Marmalade uses a small device, fitted to your car, that transmits driving data to us for every journey.
GPS Data Transmission
Your driving data is sent to us via a GPS signal. This gives us a more accurate picture of how you drive, allowing us to adapt the cost of car insurance to your particular driving style.
Save money at renewal
Stick to the speed limits and the rules of the road and you'll be rewarded with a safe driving discount at renewal.
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