Getting into an accident often leads to higher auto insurance rates. However, insurers like Safeco Insurance offer accident forgiveness.
Safeco’s RightTrack program combines driver monitoring technology with accident forgiveness. The program can’t turn back time or pay your traffic ticket, but it can prevent a mishap from increasing your car insurance premium
It’s a free pass with conditions — a sort of car insurance parole.
Safeco in the news- On March 4, Liberty Mutual announced plans to retire its Safeco brand starting in 2026. Existing Safeco policies will remain unaffected, and policyholders will continue working with their agents. Safeco, which operates in 48 states and offers personal and business insurance, including home and auto coverage, was acquired by Liberty Mutual in 2008.
- According to a January 2025 AM Best report, Liberty Mutual ranks among the world’s 25 largest insurance companies. It is the U.S.’s fifth-largest writer of property and casualty insurance, based on net written premiums.
How does Safeco’s RightTrack program work?
When you enroll in the RightTrack program, you’ll agree to have your driving monitored for a few months. In return, you might be able to tap into a lower car insurance premium.
The program kicks off with a 10% enrollment discount for signing up. From there, Safeco’s app will monitor your driving habits over a three-month period. The app tracks when and where you drive, your speed, acceleration and mileage, and sends the information to a database. You can confirm your trips and check how you’re driving by logging onto the app or website.
After the evaluation period, typically three months, you’re given a driving safety score based on the number of unsafe driving moves made per mile. Those include speeding, quick starts, hard stops and driving between midnight and 4 a.m. Safeco will then let you know the results.
If you get a good safety score, you’ll likely see your premium decrease.
Key benefits of the RightTrack program
The standout features of the RightTrack program include:
- Potential discounts for safe driving: Drivers with good habits can expect to tap into lower car insurance premiums.
- Big discounts: Depending on your score, you might save 5% to 30% on your car insurance costs.
- Your rate won’t increase: Unlike some other monitoring programs, you won’t see your rates rise due to your participation in this program.
What is accident forgiveness under RightTrack?
Safeco offers accident forgiveness in your car insurance policy. If you cause an at-fault collision or violation, the first incident is waived after a set number of years without an incident with Safeco.
Committing to safe driving habits could result in a discount for Safeco drivers who enroll in the RightTrack program.
A new twist on accident forgiveness
Accident forgiveness is nothing new. Many insurance companies offer the benefit to customers with good driving records.
Here are a few examples:
- Allstate’s accident forgiveness program may be the best known.
- Geico customers who haven’t had an accident in at least five years qualify on some policies to get a free pass on their first at-fault accidents. They escape a premium surcharge and keep their five-year good driver discounts.
- Progressive customers who have been with the company for at least five years and stayed accident-free for at least five consecutive years qualify for its accident forgiveness program.
With the addition of telematics technology, Safeco’s accident forgiveness program has a new twist. Initially, insurers rolled out usage-based programs based strictly on mileage, providing discounts to drivers who put relatively few miles on their cars. Then, the programs expanded to monitoring driving behavior and rewarded drivers who avoided risky maneuvers, such as swerving and sudden starts and stops.
Praveen Chandrasekar, vice president of Automotive MarketsandMarkets, sees Safeco’s Rewind as part of the evolving usage-based insurance market, another way to use the data to reach customers.
“One-size-fits-all will never work,” he says. “That’s why insurance companies are coming out with different programs.”
Impact of accident forgiveness on your insurance premiums
The impact of accident forgiveness on your insurance premiums varies from company to company.
Greg Martin, president of Think Safe Insurance in Brandon, Florida, says if accident forgiveness is in a package, there would be the additional cost of the package itself.
“If you use accident forgiveness due to a claim, you won’t receive the surcharge on the policy that you normally would from the accident,” Martin says. “However, for some carriers, the accident may still impact some of the discounts you qualify for. Pricing will vary a lot based on the location, drivers, etc.”
What’s the catch with Safeco’s accident forgiveness?
Safeco’s accident forgiveness policies vary from state to state. For example, California drivers are not eligible for accident forgiveness.
Additionally, this is typically a one-time thing. If you cause multiple accidents within a few years, accident forgiveness will only apply to the first incident.
How does Safeco’s RightTrack compare to other insurance programs?
On the surface, Safeco’s RightTrack program is similar to good driver savings programs other car insurance companies offer. One big difference is that Safeco’s RightTrack program won’t penalize drivers with bad driving habits. Although bad habits won’t lead to a discount with Safeco, these also won’t increase your insurance premiums.
Frequently asked questions
How does Safeco’s RightTrack monitor my driving?
Safeco’s RightTrack program considers your driving habits, including the number of miles you drive, your nighttime driving hours and your braking and acceleration. The app monitors your habits for 90 days. Although the app tracks your location, it doesn’t use where you drive as a metric.
Can I use Safeco’s RightTrack with an existing auto insurance policy?
When you sign up for a Safeco auto insurance policy, you can opt-in to the RightTrack program. If you already have a policy and want to sign up, you can register by downloading the Safeco mobile app and enrolling in the program.
Will my rates go up if I don’t qualify for accident forgiveness?
If you get in an accident and don’t qualify for accident forgiveness, the new incident on your record will likely lead to higher car insurance costs.
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