April 9, 2025
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed more than 3,000 people in the United States in 2024, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. Distracted driving includes any diversion that can occur while driving, such as talking, texting, eating and drinking, adjusting music or a navigation system.
COUNTRY has found its auto telematics program, called COUNTRY Financial DriverIQ, is effective in improving safe driving behaviors in clients. COUNTRY DriverIQ users are less likely to be involved in a crash compared to those who are not enrolled. Additionally, those who engage with the DriverIQ app several times per week are 65 percent safer¹. That data is based on the scoring of driver behaviors including phone distraction, speeding and hard braking.
The COUNTRY DriverIQ mobile app uses smartphone app technology to gather data and give feedback on driving habits such as speeding, hard braking and phone usage. When it comes to distracted driving behaviors, enrolled drivers are found to be most distracted at 4 p.m. on weekdays and between 3 and 5 p.m. on Fridays².
According to Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), one in three crashes happen within one minute of distracted driving. In addition to lowering the risk of an accident, drivers using auto telematics programs can also experience cost savings. The DriverIQ program rewards safe driving behavior with discounts on car insurance. Drivers who improve or maintain their safe driving behaviors are eligible for a discount – 10 percent upon enrollment, and up to 25 percent upon renewal.
“Auto telematics programs like COUNTRY DriverIQ are a great tool for encouraging drivers to make safe decisions on the road,” said Lois She-Tom, Product Management Director at COUNTRY Financial. “These tools also help to put them in control of their auto insurance rates by rewarding their safe behaviors with a discount.”
“Programs like DriverIQ are helping people build safer habits behind the wheel—and rewarding them for it. When drivers reduce distraction and drive more safely, they avoid crashes, protect their families, and save money,” said William V. Powers, Co-Founder and CEO of CMT. “That’s real progress, and COUNTRY Financial is helping make it happen. At CMT, we’re proud to be part of the solution—powering safer driving with DriverIQ and with programs like it around the world."
Learn more about the COUNTRY DriverIQ program.
Visit our media toolkit to download images.
¹ Road Risk Report, Cambridge Mobile Analytics, 2025
²2024 COUNTRY Financial DriverIQ data
COUNTRY Financial® is a family of affiliated companies (collectively, COUNTRY) located in Bloomington, IL. Learn more about who we are.