The black box is increasingly popular among Italian motorists. At the end of 2014, there will be three million devices installed in cars in our country, one million more than at the end of 2013 and more than double the 1,2 million devices recorded at the end of 2012. The estimate was released by the National Association of Insurance Companies, which specified that "Italy confirms its role as world leader in this technology".
The black box is an electronic tool that detects information useful for establishing the causes of accidents. It is a decisive weapon to combat the phenomenon of scams to insurance companies, which in fact guarantee significant discounts on motor liability insurance to their customers who choose to adopt the device.
“To promote the development of the market there is therefore no need to impose predefined discounts compared to traditional contracts – writes ANIA -. Provisions of this type would take away the flexibility that the market needs. And there would be the risk of slowing down the diffusion of new telematic tools instead of promoting it. This does not mean that, in general, the use of black boxes does not lead to tariff reductions, even substantial ones, for the benefit of consumers, especially the younger ones”.
According to an ANIA survey of last October on new drivers aged between 18 and 25 classified in the best bonus-malus classes (between the first and fourth), in most of the provinces there was a significant drop in the pure premium insurance, i.e. the premium necessary to cover the average cost of claims. Compared to policies without a black box, the pure premium was around 38% lower in Rome, over 40% in Naples and Bologna, and even over 60% in Palermo.
The use of insurance contracts with black boxes therefore represents a useful tool "to bring down the prices of motor liability in areas with a high risk of fraud", recently acknowledged the president of the Antitrust, Giovanni Pitruzzella, who hoped for greater diffusion .
“The main change we are observing with the introduction of black boxes – observes the president of ANIA, Aldo Minucci – concerns the driving styles of motorists. Where the policies provide for an additional reward system in terms of price for virtuous conduct monitored by telematic devices, Italians react positively. They respect the rules, they become more prudent motorists. In short, we are witnessing a sort of cultural revolution which is also accompanied by a lower cost of insurance coverage".
