Allstate Drivewise Review (2024)

If you’re an Allstate customer, consider participating in Drivewise to lower rates. Allstate’s Drivewise is a telematics program that monitors your driving habits and offers a discount based on how safely you drive. Learn about Allstate’s coverage in our Allstate auto insurance review.

While Allstate advertises you can save up to 40% with Drivewise, most drivers see smaller discounts. However, you get an additional discount just for signing up, and you may receive rewards for safe driving.

Keep in mind that Drivewise runs in the background on your phone, tracks your location, and uses your data and battery.

Drivewise is one of many telematics programs offered by the best auto insurance companies. Keep reading our Allstate Drivewise review to learn how it works and if it can save you money.

What do I need to know about Allstate Drivewise?

Auto insurance companies know safe drivers cost them less money.  So, many top insurance companies offer usage-based auto insurance, which provides discounts for participating in a telematics program that monitors driving behaviors.

Drivewise from Allstate offers drivers up to a 40% discount at renewal, plus another 10% discount for enrolling. However, most drivers won’t see the total discount unless everyone on their policy enrolls and scores highly.

Allstate offers one of the most significant discounts for a telematics program. However, some other programs, such as Geico DriveEasy and Progressive Snapshot, consider phone usage when calculating your discount and can actually raise rates if you score poorly.

The good news is that your Allstate auto insurance rates won’t increase if you score poorly, and you continually have an opportunity to improve your discount.

Drivers can also earn rewards for their safe driving. Safe driving earns points used for prizes, like merchandise and travel rewards. Your points are calculated based on 12 months of data.

Don’t worry if you don’t have Allstate insurance — you can still participate in the program to earn rewards, and it won’t impact your insurance rates with another company.

Your location determines your discount and rewards. In addition, each state has its own rules for eligible rewards and discounts. For example, some states don’t allow cash back or rewards as credits.

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How much can you save with Allstate Drivewise?

Drivers can earn up to 40% off their Allstate car insurance. Though the discount amount varies by driver, you can continually work to improve it.

Many factors affect auto insurance rates, such as age, driving record, ZIP code, and credit score. However, Allstate has some of the highest auto insurance rates compared to other top insurance companies.

This table shows average Allstate rates based on the coverage type you choose.

While Allstate Drivewise offers one of the highest discounts for safe driving out of top insurers, rates start higher than average. 

Carefully compare rates and ratings when searching for auto insurance. You may need to learn how to get multiple auto insurance quotes first. While Allstate rates are high, your Drivewise discount may make them more manageable.

Remember, you can also earn rewards for safe driving, such as merchandise, gift cards, and special offers.

What driving behaviors does Allstate Drivewise track?

So, how does Allstate Drivewise work? The Drivewise app runs continuously in the background on your smartphone. The app automatically records any trip over 15 miles per hour and can determine whether or not you’re driving.

The specific behaviors Drivewise monitors include:

• Speed. Driving over 80 miles per hour is risky, lowering your discount and safe driving rewards. Keep to lower speeds for safety and to get a higher discount.
• Time of day. The riskiest time for driving is late at night and very early in the morning. Drive between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. to keep your discount high.
• Hard braking. Stopping suddenly shows you’re either an aggressive driver or don’t pay attention to traffic. Limit hard braking to avoid collisions and raise your discount.

Drivewise also tracks phone activity, including texting, phone calls, and other phone usages. So while Allstate doesn’t base your discount on phone activity, it allows you to see how much you and other drivers on your policy use your phone while driving.

Not only does unsafe driving put you and others at risk, it can also lead to auto insurance rates going up. The table below shows how traffic violations affect your insurance.

Hopefully, drivers enrolled in Drivewise will be more aware of unsafe distracted driving. Drivewise is also a great way to monitor your young driver’s habits and encourage safer driving behavior. Auto insurance for teens is typically more expensive because of their inexperience.

Don’t worry if you’re not in the driver’s seat — Allstate lets you delete drives from the app if you’re a passenger. In addition, the app automatically detects if you’re on public transport or on an airplane. So, the trip won’t count against you if you’re not the driver.

How can you sign up for Drivewise from Allstate?

It’s easy to enroll in Drivewise. First, download the Allstate app to your smartphone with at least Apple iOS 13.0 or Android 8.0. Once you accept the terms of service, you can either log into your account or create a new one.

Tap on the Drivewise icon to activate. Remember, you must enable all permissions, including location services. You can enroll any other drivers on your policy at this time. If you have a teen driver, you should add your child to your auto insurance policy. Then, begin driving.

Other drivers on your policy must also download the app, create an account, and accept service. Once the permissions are enabled, the driver receives an activation code by email.

You must take at least one trip to activate your discount and at least 50 trips to participate in the rewards program.

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What are other Drivewise features?

The Drivewise dashboard gives drivers insight into their driving habits, phone usage, and trip information. In addition to your estimated discount, the dashboard also offers challenges, such as three days with no hard braking or speeding, that allow you to earn rewards points.

Crash detection is one of the most useful tools offered through Drivewise. If Drivewise detects a crash at least 25 miles per hour, it sends a notification offering help. You can request roadside assistance, start a claim, call 911 through the app, or declare it a false alarm.

You can activate crash detection from the Drivewise portion of the Allstate app. Then, through settings, simply turn on the feature.

The Allstate app also has many other features, such as a gas finder and parking reminder, so you can easily find gas stations and remember where your car is parked.

The Allstate Drivewise reviews are positive. The app received a 4/5 rating in the Google Play Store and a 4.8/5 rating in the Apple App Store. You can compare apps using our best car insurance apps review.

How does Drivewise compare to competitors?

Allstate is one of many insurance companies that offer drivers discounts based on how they drive. However, few competitors offer a discount amount like Allstate’s and don’t penalize drivers if they score poorly.

While Nationwide SmartRide and State Farm Drive Safe & Save offer similar discount amounts, other companies like Geico and Progressive raise rates if you score poorly. You can read more about how Allstate stacks up to other auto insurance companies that offer cash back for safe drivers.

Who should use Drivewise from Allstate?

Since there aren’t penalties for bad driving, Drivewise is a great fit for all drivers. No matter how you score, you’ll get the initial discount for signing up.

Drivers who don’t drive late at night, speed, or routinely hit the brakes hard see the highest savings. However, even if you struggle with any of these habits, Drivewise is still a good idea.

Since it gives immediate feedback on your drives, Drivewise can help you break bad habits and become a safer driver. As you become a better driver, you’ll avoid accidents and tickets, lowering your auto insurance rates.

Drivewise is also a great fit for young drivers. You’ll be able to see any bad habits your young driver has and help correct them quickly.

However, if you’re uncomfortable sharing your location data and drive information, a telematics program like Drivewise isn’t for you. Although Allstate says the location data is stored securely and not everyone has access, there’s still a privacy concern, especially if your live in one of the worst states for DMV and DOT data breaches.

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What are the pros and cons of using Allstate Drivewise?

As with any telematics program, there are pros and cons to using Drivewise from Allstate. 

Pros of using Drivewise include:

• 10% discount for enrolling
• Up to 40% discount based on safe driving
• Allstate Rewards for continued safe driving and meeting challenges
• Immediate feedback to improve driving habits
• Parents or guardians can see the driving habits of their teen driver
• Rates won’t increase based on the Drivewise score

Now, let’s look at the downsides of Allstate Drivewise.

Cons of participating in Drivewise include:

• Data usage during drives
• Phone battery usage since the app runs continuously
• Discount changes every policy term
• Privacy concerns about recorded data
• Late-night driving results in a negative score
• Drivewise isn’t available in all states, and discounts vary

In general, the pros outweigh the cons when considering Drivewise. The biggest concern is privacy, but Allstate says your data is stored securely. Read our review to find out which auto insurance companies don’t sell info.

Is Allstate Drivewise worth it?

Drivewise from Allstate can save drivers up to 40% on their auto insurance rates based on safe driving skills. Drivers also get a 10% discount for enrolling in the program and can earn rewards for long-term safe driving.

Drivers who don’t have Allstate auto insurance can also enroll in Drivewise. Though you won’t earn an insurance discount, you can still earn rewards and see your driving feedback. Based on that, you may decide you need to take a defensive driving course.

Allstate monitors your speed, hard braking, and the time of your drives to calculate your discount. If you score badly, your rates won’t increase. However, because of the continuous program, you can improve your discount at each policy renewal.

The Drivewise dashboard gives you immediate feedback on your driving performance, which helps you correct bad driving habits. It’s also a great way to ensure your teen drivers have the necessary, safe driving skills.

Drivewise also offers crash detection, sending you a notification if it detects a crash at least 25 miles per hour. Then, you can file a claim from the app, request roadside assistance, or dial 911.

There’s no need to worry about the app since it runs in the background and records drives automatically. You can also delete drives if you are a passenger.

Drivers who don’t drive late at night, brake hard, or speed see the most significant discount. Since the program is free and your rates won’t increase, it makes sense to try Drivewise. Of course, you can also cancel the program whenever you want.

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