Drive Smart was introduced in September 2025 to support safer driving and manage rising insurance costs on the Motability Scheme. It is an app-based tool which is already used by insurers and provides feedback about how a person drives.
Drivers of Scheme vehicles under the age of 30 and those who are new to the Scheme are most likely to be involved in an accident which is why Drive Smart was being used amongst these customers.
Changes following customer feedback
We have heard clearly from customers that Drive Smart caused some concern and has affected how they use their vehicle. This was never the intention.
Based on that feedback, we have taken the decision to pause the rollout of Drive Smart (from 14 May 2026). During this time, Drive Smart will no longer be included in new leases or rolled out to further customers who are under 30.
Existing customers currently using Drive Smart will be removed from the programme over the coming weeks, but they can choose to continue using it and earn rewards.
During this time, we’re going to take on board all of the feedback received and work with a customer panel to improve Drive Smart.
Andrew Miller, CEO of Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability Scheme, said:
“Drive Smart was introduced to help reduce accidents, improve driving and, in turn, manage insurance costs, while keeping all the Scheme’s insurance features in place. But we have listened carefully to customer feedback and recognise that the experience was not where it needed to be. That is why we have decided to pause Drive Smart while we work with customers to understand how it can be improved.
“The need to reduce accidents, improve driving behaviour and help to manage insurance costs remains critical for the Scheme’s long-term sustainability, and technology like Drive Smart can play an important role. But it must be clear, easy-to-use and support the independence of the disabled people who rely on the Scheme.”
Why was Drive Smart introduced?
The Motability Scheme was set up to address the barriers disabled people face in accessing private transport - helping people stay mobile, supporting independence, work and everyday life.
Almost half (48%) of customers on the Scheme who have tried to access insurance privately have been priced out - quoted premiums they could not afford. That’s why everyone on the Scheme receives the same comprehensive insurance cover as part of their lease. The total cost of this cover is shared across all customers as part of their overall lease cost.
Across the wider market, insurance costs have been rising for several years due to inflation, and we’ve seen those same pressures on the Scheme. These rising costs are driven in part by inflation as parts and labour costs have increased significantly.
Changes in our customer base have also contributed to this - with more younger drivers and more new Scheme customers that are 70% and 45% respectively more likely to make a claim than other Scheme customers. In 2025 alone, these trends resulted in insurance costs increasing for each Scheme customer by around £230.
Drive Smart was one of the ways we were responding to this challenge - by helping to reduce accidents and claims among the highest risk customer segments, and in turn keep the Scheme fair, safe and as affordable as possible for all customers.
How did Drive Smart work on the Scheme?
Drive Smart used well established technology, widely used across the motor insurance market, via a smartphone app paired with a small device fitted to a Scheme vehicle’s windscreen. This is known as telematics technology.
Drive Smart only received data from the customer’s phone when the phone has recorded journeys in their Motability Scheme vehicle and provided educational feedback on driving, including:
- Speed relative to road limits
- Braking, acceleration and cornering
- Journey patterns that may increase risk
Drive Smart generated a weekly score aggregating all individual trips across the week. This score, alongside the feedback, helped drivers understand their level of risk and how to improve it over time.
Red weeks were triggered by persistently dangerous driving – such as extreme speeding. A single isolated incident, such as emergency braking, would not result in a red week on its own. Where a driver recorded a red week, both the customer and the relevant driver would receive feedback. If the driver continued to drive dangerously, despite the feedback, for two consecutive weeks, or four over the course of 12 months, then they may have been removed from the Scheme.
Drivers also earned rewards for ‘amber’ or ‘green’ scores and almost two third of customers enrolled (61%) had been rewarded points for their driving.
