Root test drives taken by Montanans in 2019 achieved the safest results overall and were most improved compared to test drives in 2018, with decreases in the number of hard braking events, distracted driving incidents, and in overall mileage. Indiana and South Carolina were close behind, while Arizona saw more improvement in sharp turn events than any other state.
Across the country, drivers flocked to Root in 2019 for personalized rates that match their real driving behavior, and they were rewarded for it. Young drivers benefitted especially. While other insurance companies often view young drivers as higher risk, Root primarily evaluates drivers as individuals. Root drivers under the age of 25 self-reported saving a median of more than $1,000 (45.5%) when they switched to Root.
While we saw many Root test drives noted substantial improvements in driving behavior compared to test drives taken in 2018, the overall story showed a lot of room for improvement. Distracted driving is increasingly common in nearly every state. Only Montana saw an overall improvement in distracted driving. Find more information about Root’s year-end driving data here.
Using proprietary driving data, Root is constantly improving how it understands risk and applies those learnings to educate its drivers. By helping drivers understand the factors that indicate risk, from hard braking events and distracted driving to the distance and time of day they drive, Root can encourage safe driving behaviors and reduce accidents.
"2019 was a big year for Root. Not only did we save our customers money by rewarding safe driving behavior, we significantly enhanced our ability to fairly price insurance based on risk factors," said Alex Timm, Root CEO and Co-founder. "In 2020, we will continue to encourage focused driving by evolving our app experience to enhance driver education. As we grow closer to being available in every state, we will build on our mission to fairly price auto insurance based on actual driving behavior and remove as many demographic measures as possible."
When it comes to Root’s business, 2019 was also a year worth celebrating. Root increased its car insurance availability from 22 to 29 states (launching in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee, and Virginia); grew direct written premiums to more than 300 percent year-over-year; and expanded its coverage portfolio with the launch of a new Root renters insurance product. Root’s renters insurance brings its high-level customer service and app-based functionality to the home.
As the business transforms, so too does the Root family. Root surpassed its 2019 hiring goal, expanding its workforce by over 200% bringing the total to more than 800. To accommodate this unprecedented growth, it opened a second office in Columbus and expanded its national footprint with new offices in Chicago and Phoenix.
About Root
Root Insurance is the nation’s first licensed insurance carrier powered entirely by mobile. We were founded on the belief that the services you need for everyday life should serve you better. That’s why we base insurance coverages on you, not your demographic. It’s the way insurance should be. And it’s all conveniently in an app.
Root is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with renters insurance available to current auto insurance customers in Missouri, Ohio and Utah, and auto insurance currently available to drivers in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia and will be coming to more states soon.