Better Drivers in Maine Pay Less for Car Insurance with One-of-a-Kind Program from Progressive

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OH--February 22, 2011: Business travelers who park their cars at the airport several days a week. Families with an extra car they only drive occasionally. Drivers who avoid slamming on the brakes. They're all less likely to be in an accident and can save money on their car insurance with a new program from Progressive.

"More than 100,000 customers countrywide get personalized car insurance rates by sharing a picture of how, how much, and when they drive. Now, Maine customers are just 30 days away from saving with the Snapshot program."

With Progressive's Snapshot ^SM , customers can save up to 30 percent on their car insurance based on how, how much, and when they drive.

How it Works: After drivers sign up for the Snapshot program, we send them a device that fits in the palm of their hand and plugs into the on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of their car. The device records and sends the driving data to us. After 30 days, customers will find out if they're eligible for a discount; up to 30 percent, based on their driving habits and will see that discount applied to their policy. People who drive less, in safer ways and during safer times of day are more likely to get a discount. At the end of the six-month policy term we determine the renewal discount and the customer returns the device to us. We may periodically check in with customers to get an updated picture of their driving by asking them to plug in the device again.

Other Facts: The Snapshot program is available to Maine drivers who buy policies directly from Progressive. Customers can log in to their policy on progressive.com during the six-month period the device is plugged in to see how their driving habits affect their rate, and, if they choose, make changes that could lead to greater savings. Customers will also see whether they are on track for a discount after 30 days. Snapshot is voluntary and customers can opt out at any time. It won't make customers' rates go up. The Snapshot device measures how, how much and when customers drive their vehicle. It doesn't have GPS, so it doesn't track a vehicle's location.

Richard Hutchinson, Progressive's general manager of usage-based insurance says,"More than 100,000 customers countrywide get personalized car insurance rates by sharing a picture of how, how much, and when they drive. Now, Maine customers are just 30 days away from saving with the Snapshot program." He continues, "The Snapshot Discount is transforming auto insurance because, for the first time, drivers can pay for car insurance based on how they drive."