Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, has introduced Safety Score by Autoliv, a smartphone application with the goal to make people of all ages become safer drivers.

Once downloaded and when active, Safety Score monitors real-time driver behaviour and compares it against Autoliv’s proprietary data algorithms and known causes of accidents and provides the user with a personalised 3-digit safe driver score.

The higher the score the more safe-driving behaviour the driver exhibited over an array of data points including turning, acceleration, braking, speed and distractions. The app also collects and compares data on weather, type of roads driven on, time of day and trip duration.

“Today, nearly 1.4 million people die in traffic fatalities every year and that number is expected to increase,” said Cecilia Sunnevång, Ph.D., Autoliv Vice President of Research. “Autoliv has been collecting, studying and acting on accident data for 65 years and we believe the road to saving more lives includes improving driver behaviour. Safety Score, when used regularly provides a unique understanding of an individual’s safe-driving patterns and provides a framework for coaching and improving safe-driving habits.”

Christoffer Malm, Autoliv Director of Digital and Mobility, added that having a personalized safety score based on individual driving behaviour could also be used by ride-hailing, taxi, limousine and other fleet and professional driving companies to provide an objective picture of a user’s safe-driving habits and provide a platform for evaluating and improving driving behavior. Additionally, a personalised Safety Score based on individual driving behaviour could also be used to reduce insurance costs.

“Many usage-based insurance programs collect vehicle data and score based on the performance of a vehicle, which often has multiple drivers, so driving behavior reported back to the insurance company isn’t personalised,” he said. “Safety Score assesses individual driving behaviour – regardless of the vehicle driven – and provides a personalised score that could be used to determine an individual’s safe-driving behavior. The individual could then share this information with the insurance company to reduce costs.”