Drive Smart supports safer driving and is managing 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 is being used amongst these customers.
Why has Drive Smart been 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, 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 is one of the ways we are responding to this challenge - 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 does Drive Smart work?
Drive Smart uses 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 receives data from the customer’s phone when the phone has recorded journeys in their Motability Scheme vehicle and provides educational feedback on driving behaviour, including:
- Speed relative to road limits
- Braking, acceleration and cornering
- Journey patterns that may increase risk
Drive Smart generates a weekly score aggregating all individual trips across the week. This score, alongside the feedback, helps drivers understand their level of risk and how to improve it over time.
A red week is triggered by persistently dangerous driving – such as extreme speeding. A single isolated incident, such as emergency braking, will not result in a red week on its own. Where a driver records a red week, both the customer and the relevant driver will receive feedback. If the driver continues to drive dangerously, despite the feedback, for two consecutive weeks, or four over the course of 12 months, then they may be removed from the Scheme.
Drivers can earn rewards for ‘amber’ or ‘green’ scores and almost two third of customers enrolled (61%) have already been rewarded points for their driving behaviour.
Early data is also showing that driving behaviour improves over time among those using Drive Smart.
Why are we using Drive Smart for drivers under 30 and those new to the Scheme?
The technology used by Drive Smart helps manage risk and insurance costs in a fair and more inclusive way, focusing on how someone actually drives rather than proxy factors such as their postcode. That’s why Drive Smart is currently used with those who have the highest claims rates.
Younger drivers on the Scheme incur around 79% higher insurance costs than the wider customer base. This reflects wider industry trends, where younger drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents.
If there is an under 30 driver on the lease, all named drivers use Drive Smart. This ensures driving behaviour is accurately attributed to the person driving at the time and no one is unfairly impacted by another driver’s actions.
How do we use Drive Smart data?
Drive Smart only records journeys when the user is in their Motability Scheme vehicle and focuses on driving behaviour during that journey, not where someone is going.
We do not proactively share data externally and it would only be shared where required by law, for example in the context of a criminal investigation. All data is stored securely and used strictly for insurance purposes.
Andy Broadfield, Managing Director of Electric and Insurance at Motability Operations, said:
“The Motability Scheme keeps disabled people mobile, and reducing accidents is central to that. We also have to manage rising insurance costs responsibly, so it remains affordable and sustainable for everyone who relies on it. Drive Smart focuses on how someone is driving, not where they are going, and uses industry standard technology to improve road safety and reduce accidents. We understand customers’ concerns about telematics, which is why data is used proportionately, drivers receive tailored feedback and any decisions that could affect a lease are carefully reviewed.”
