USAA SafePilot Review: Should you buy in 2023?
USAA SafePilot is a usage-based insurance program that offers a discount for practicing safe driving habits. Drivers who don’t like their data being tracked shouldn’t sign up.
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Cynthia Lanctot
Licensed Agent
Cynthia Lanctot is an insurance professional with ten years of industry experience. Cynthia is licensed in several states, and holds an associate in claims law, as well as a bachelor’s degree in English. Cynthia’s experience includes the New England and Northeast states. She currently works as a liability claims professional and an occasional online contributor.
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UPDATED: Jan 12, 2023
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Jan 12, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our auto insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different auto insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Drivers can earn up to 10% off just for signing up with the program
- USAA SafePilot may use your data for claim or crash investigations
- Not all drivers on the policy need to use the app, but the discount will be lower
USAA SafePilot is a program designed to save USAA policyholders money on their auto insurance coverages for safe driving habits. The program isn’t beneficial for every driver, so if you are on the fence about whether to download the USAA SafePilot app, read on.
We will review the USAA SafePilot app and how it tracks data and determines savings to help you decide if the program is right for you.
Review of USAA SafePilot
To give a full review of the USAA SafePilot app and military and veterans auto insurance discounts, we are going to go over all the pros and cons. This is the best way to determine if the insurance discount program is the right one for you.
Pros of USAA SafePilot
There are a number of pros to the USAA SafePilot program and app. Take a look at the full list of pros below.
- App has decent ratings. The app has decent ratings on both the Apple store (for Apple users) and Google Play (for android users).
- Can cancel enrollment at any time. You can cancel USAA SafePilot at any time. You will no longer earn a discount, however, when you cancel. See
- Can earn up to 30% off your policy. You can earn up to 30% off of your policy through the app.
- Free to download and use. The app and program are free for users.
- Initial discount. USAA SafePilot offers a discount just for signing up.
- Won’t affect drivers’ rates or insurable status. USAA says it won’t penalize drivers for poor scores on the app by raising rates or canceling insurance.
USAA SafePilot also helps encourage safe driving techniques and encourages people to put their phones down while driving. See how texting and driving affects you, your community, and your insurance policy for more details.
There are a number of great pros to the USAA SafePilot app. Because it’s free and easy to cancel enrollment, there is no chance of you losing money by signing up for the program. However, there are still cons to the program, which you can read about in the next section.
Cons of USAA SafePilot
While there are mostly pros to the USAA SafePilot program, there are also a few cons. Take a look at the cons of the USAA SafePilot program below.
- App has glitches and can improperly record data. Users have complained that the app incorrectly records them hard-braking or speeding.
- Discount is lower if not all drivers participate. If not all drivers on the policy sign up for the app, then USAA will give a lower discount. For example, if only two out of four drivers sign up, USAA will likely only give a 5% sign-up discount.
- Only available in 37 states. If you move to a new state, you may not be able to continue participating in the program.
- Penalizes drivers for hand-free usage. The app will penalize you for a hands-free phone call when you are driving.
- Uses data from the app if you are in a collision and for claims investigation. The terms and agreements state that your data from the app might be used for collision and claims investigations to determine fault or fraud.
USAA SafePilot has a number of cons, with the biggest one being that your data can be used for collisions. Any claimed accident can have a big impact on your insurance rates. For more information, see cheap auto insurance companies that accept drivers with multiple accidents.
In addition, you get a lower discount if not everyone on your insurance policy uses the app. Of course, all these cons don’t mean you should forgo the program. Read on to learn more about the data the app tracks and how to decide if it’s right for you.
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How the App Tracks Data and Determines Savings
USAA SafePilot uses a third party to track drivers’ data, but it does not specify in its terms and conditions the third party it is partnered with. However, we know that the app tracks the following data:
- Date and time
- Speed and acceleration
- Braking
- Swerving and cornering
- Distance driven
- Location
- Handheld and hands-free calling
- Phone handling
USAA says that it tracks other driving-related data but doesn’t specify exactly what. However, the main data tracked will be what is listed above.
If you are concerned about being monitored while driving, consider looking for auto insurance companies that don’t use monitoring techniques. See cheap auto insurance companies that don’t monitor your driving for some options.
How to Decide if USAA SafePilot is Right for You
If you aren’t comfortable with your data being tracked and aren’t the safest driver, then the USAA SafePilot program probably isn’t for you. The percentage saved also won’t be high if not all drivers on your USAA insurance policy participate in the program.
On the other hand, if you are a safe driver, all drivers on your insurance policy are participating in the program, and you are comfortable with your data being tracked, then it is worth it to sign up with the program. You can earn up to 10% off your first policy term just for signing up and up to 30% off after that. Because the app is free to download and easy to unenroll, it is usually worth it to give it a try.
You can also see how this app stacks up against the best auto insurance apps reviewed.
The Final Word on USAA SafePilot
USAA SafePilot is worth it for most drivers, as it is free to sign up for, and USAA policyholders can earn up to 10% off their policy just for signing up. If you aren’t a safe driver, however, and aren’t comfortable with your data being tracked, then you should stay away from the program.
For more information on USAA insurance, see the USAA auto insurance review.
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Cynthia Lanctot
Licensed Agent
Cynthia Lanctot is an insurance professional with ten years of industry experience. Cynthia is licensed in several states, and holds an associate in claims law, as well as a bachelor’s degree in English. Cynthia’s experience includes the New England and Northeast states. She currently works as a liability claims professional and an occasional online contributor.
Licensed Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.