Root Insurance is an insurtech company taking the insurance industry by storm with its unique approach leveraging technology to determine whether it’ll insure a driver. This rapidly growing company, founded in 2015, is promising a simple way to buy and use car insurance based on how you drive. Root advertises that with its unique process to determine your insurance coverage and cost, it can save you up to 52 percent on your car insurance.

Root sells insurance on the basis that good drivers deserve better insurance rates by using data science to reward good drivers. Taking a modern approach, it operates entirely in an app. Before you can buy insurance from Root, you must complete a test drive period so Root can assess your driving habits and determine if its insurance coverage is a good fit for you.

How it works

The first step to getting Root Insurance is to download the app to your phone and take the Root Test Drive. During the 2-3 week test drive, you will allow the app to run in the background using GPS and motion sensors to monitor your driving. The artificial intelligence can tell when you’re driving and differentiate when you are a passenger, so you will only be measured when you’re behind the wheel.

Driving behavior heavily influences your Root policy, so the test drive is very important. Since Root’s goal is to reward good drivers with lower rates, driving behavior influences your Root policy 35 percent whereas the company says it only influences other companies by 3 percent. The test measures your braking, the hours you drive at, how smooth and safe your turns are, and your consistency of ease on the gas and brakes.

If you’re worried about taking the test drive because you have a rough and traffic-filled work commute, the app takes your location into consideration when rating your test. Additionally, your current insurance carrier will have no idea that you are testing the waters with Root, and Root says it will never sell your data.

Once Root has analyzed your driving behavior and determines it can offer you effective auto insurance, you can customize your coverage. After you receive a quote, you can choose the coverage you want and need based on state laws and personal needs.

The Root app

Root’s app is your go-to place for anything you need related to your insurance. You can have on-demand service to request roadside assistance, view your insurance card, report a claim and much more. You can also pay your bill in the app using a credit card or Apple Pay. If you have an issue, Root has claims support available 24/7 by phone.

Is Root for me?

Everyone has different insurance needs, and part of the process of choosing a company is deciding if it’s right for you. Root isn’t afraid to deny you a quote if it determines that its model will not work for you. If they don’t provide you with a quote, it means Root believes you can get coverage for a lower cost with a different carrier.

As of August 1, Root offers car insurance in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. Root is rapidly expanding and the states that are up next to see coverage soon are Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington D.C. Find out where Root ranks in your state.

What Clearsurance users say about Root

Root Insurance reviews on Clearsurance are from real policyholders who have had an experience with Root to share. As of July 2019, Root Insurance has earned a Clearsurance score of 3.46 from 182 reviews, which is based on customers’ ratings on the company. You can learn more about policyholders’ specific experiences with Root by reading Root Insurance reviews on Clearsurance.

Have you had an experience with Root Insurance or another car insurance company? Write a review to share your insight and help other consumers like you make smarter insurance decisions.

The image in this article was provided by Root's website.

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