Dedham Company Develops App That Rewards Safe Driving

DEDHAM, MA — Other parents know you as the safe driver. You carpool everyone's kids to soccer games and to school, but never get rewarded for it. Well an app that a local company helped develop may change that.

A local insurance company, the Norfolk & Dedham Group, has partnered with Cambridge Mobile Telematics to release N&Drive, a smartphone app that uses sensors to assess your driving and gives you tips on how to drive more safely . The app doesn't just monitor your driving, but rewards you for avoiding abrupt stops, driving the speed limit and more. The company said safe drivers earn points to redeem towards gift cards at Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and more.

“Our commitment to the communities in which we live and work is at the heart of our investment in N&Drive,” said the Norfolk & Dedham Group’s chief operating officer, Victor Pepin. “With telematics proven to lead to sustained improvement in driving habits, we are excited to see the positive impact to our book of business. I have enjoyed using the app myself.”

The app also allows for family sharing with linked accounts. According to the Norfolk & Dedham group, families can share driving scores, trip histories and locations. the developers hope the driving score sharing will foster some competition to see who the safest driving is. Parents can also use the data to coach their teens on how to avoid aggressive and distracted driving habits.

Screenshot photo by Jimmy Bentley