Safest Illinois Drivers Save With New Allstate Drive Wise

NORTHBROOK, IL, January 06, 2011 (Press-News.org) Allstate (NYSE:ALL) today announced the launch of Drive Wise, a voluntary program that rewards safe and low-mileage Illinois drivers with discounts of up to 30 percent. The company plans to expand Drive Wise to other states as early as Q2 2011. Consumers can learn more and sign up for the program by visiting http://www.allstate.com/DriveWise or by contacting their local Allstate agent.

"Seat belts, air bags, teen and distracted driving - they're all examples of Allstate's leadership as a safe driving advocate. That legacy continues with the introduction of Drive Wise," said Alice Byrne, field vice president, Midwest region for Allstate. "By rewarding drivers on a variety of safety factors, the roads become safer for everyone and the safest drivers reap the most benefits."

Drive Wise rewards begin immediately when participating customers receive a 10 percent discount just for joining during the first policy term. Subsequent policy terms shift to a performance rating approach, where customers' driving behavior and total mileage driven over the course of the policy term determine the discount. Rates will not go up based on driving scores, but savings of up to 30 percent can be earned by drivers with the safest driving and low mileage scores.

Program enrollees receive a small, wireless telematics device that plugs into their vehicle's onboard computer via the diagnostic port - under the dash in most car models. No GPS data is collected. The device tracks only those factors used to calculate a performance rating, including:

* Mileage
* Driving time of day
* Hard/extreme braking
* Maximum speed (speeds over 80 mph affect ratings)

The design of Drive Wise is the result of extensive consumer research and hundreds of employee volunteers logging almost two million test miles. In one employee test measuring hard stops, aggressive starts and swerving, the percentage of participants scoring in the ideal "safe zone" tripled from 25 to 75 percent over the course of the test. Adopted broadly, Allstate believes Drive Wise has the potential to save thousands of lives and millions of dollars in injury losses and property damage each year.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via http://www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate.