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The USAA SafePilot program rewards drivers with 10% off their premium for signing up and a discount of up to 30% at their next policy renewal, depending on their driving habits. The only catch is that you have to be a USAA member to qualify, which means you’ll need to be associated with the United States military.

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is known for offering competitive

car insurance

rates to members of the military and their family members. But just like many other car insurance companies, USAA still offers plenty more opportunities for its members to save on their auto insurance premiums—like with the SafePilot discounts!

USAA SafePilot is generally worth it for current USAA policyholders, but everyday citizens looking for affordable coverage will have to look elsewhere. Luckily,

we’re here to help! Read on to learn how to l

ower your USAA car insurance rates

with USAA SafePilot—and how to lower your premium no matter where you get your coverage!

MORE:

USAA car insurance quotes: What you need to know

What is USAA SafePilot

USAA SafePilot is a usage-based

telematics

program that tracks your driving behaviors and rewards safe driving habits with a

car insurance discount

The safer you drive, the better your discount will be—which can be up to 30% for participating members.

However, USAA SafePilot discounts are only available to current USAA auto insurance customers, and both eligibility and availability may vary by state.

MORE:

What is a safe driver discount?

What is USAA insurance?

USAA is a

military insurance

provider that exclusively offers policies to service members and their families. USAA car insurance rates tend to be affordable, but you will only qualify for USAA coverage if you meet their strict eligibility requirements.

Likewise, you will only be able to use SafePilot if you already have a policy with USAA. Since USAA coverage isn’t available to most people, your access to the SafePilot program may be limited.

Pros and cons of SafePilot

Pros	Cons
Great option for current or retired military members and their families	Continuous monitoring and access to your location
Generous discounts available	Doesn’t allow for hands-free calling
Rates won’t increase for risky driving	Limited availability

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How does USAA SafePilot work?

To enroll in USAA Safepilot, current policyholders can download the free mobile app for iOS or Android from the

App Store

Google Play.

Once you’ve downloaded the USAA SafePilot App, the insurance program will monitor your driving habits throughout a 14-day trial period. During this time, you’ll be presented with valuable

safe driving tips

and insights to give you an idea of the safe driving behaviors that the app will be looking for.

Once the trial period is over, the app will begin to score your driving for the remainder of your policy period. Your driving score will continue updating as you drive, and will be used to calculate a discount at your next policy renewal.

The best part? Unlike telematics programs like

GEICO DriveEasy

and

Progressive Snapshot

, USAA will not increase your rates for poor driving behaviors tracked by SafePilot. That said, USAA could use data to raise your rates for other reasons. For example, USAA might use collision data from the app to determine your degree of fault if you’re involved in an accident.

What does the SafePilot app monitor?

USAA SafePilot will lower your driving score if it detects harsh braking or

cell phone use while driving

. And yes, this means all kinds of phone usage, from touching your phone screen to using voice commands to place hands-free phone calls.

Like all mobile telematics apps, SafePilot follows the driver and not the car, meaning USAA can always access your location as long as you are signed up for the program. If you're uncomfortable with this degree of access, consider using

Jerry

to find car insurance savings instead! We only need a little information to find competitive offers, and we’ll never sell your data or share your contact information with third parties.

USAA also keeps tabs on additional factors that won’t necessarily affect your driving score, including the following:

Time of day

Driving speeds

Swerving or harsh braking

Cornering behavior

Mileage

Whether you are a driver or passenger

MORE:

Good driving record discounts, explained

What is the USAA SafePilot discount?

The USAA SafePilot driving discount includes a 10% discount for signing up and up to 30% off your next policy renewal.

Keep in mind that the maximum discounts may vary from state to state. USAA will re-evaluate your discount every time your policy renews, meaning that your car insurance rates could change according to your driving score.

You should also be wary that having more people on your policy could negatively affect your chances to save. For example, if you have six people on your policy but only three sign up, your discount will be reduced by half.

Is SafePilot worth it?

If you are already a USAA car insurance customer, SafePilot is worth a try so long as you’re ok with sharing your data. You might get better availability and more lenient evaluations from other usage-based insurance programs, though.

If you are confident in your driving abilities, SafePilot is an easy way to save on your auto insurance policy. And unlike some telematics programs, USAA won’t penalize you with a higher rate for risky driving behaviors.

That said, SafePilot is not ideal if you like to use hands-free calling or choose your music while you drive. Any phone handling will cause your SafePilot driving score to drop, resulting in a lower discount. By contrast, most other usage-based systems do not deduct points for hands-free phone usage.

Lastly, one of the major caveats about Safepilot is that it is only available to USAA insurance customers—and USAA insurance is only available to military personnel and their dependents. Even then, the USAA SafePilot program is not available in all states.

MORE:

How to cancel USAA insurance

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