BLACK BOX INSURANCE

Anyone can benefit from black box car insurance. It’s popular with new and young drivers, who have less experience behind the wheel which means they often pay higher insurance prices. But it can also help more experienced drivers to reduce their insurance costs.

Anyone who has a full or provisional UK driving licence can get black box car insurance. If you’re still learning to drive, you may want to consider specialist learner driver car insurance.

By driving safely over the first year of your cover, you can earn a higher driver score. This could help you pay less for your insurance when you renew.

Your driver score is based on how well you keep to the speed limit, how severely you speed up and slow down, and some other factors – you can find out more about how driver scores work.

Driving more safely and efficiently can also save you money on fuel, tyres and vehicle maintenance.

And, if you don’t make a claim within the year, you’ll build up a no claims discount, which will also reduce your premium.

Telematics insurance monitors the way you drive through a black box installed in your car. It tracks things like your speed, acceleration and braking to calculate how safe a driver you are. And your insurance premium is based on this.

Yes. As with other car insurance, you can earn a year’s no claims discount (NCD) by completing the full 12 months of insurance without making a claim. We’ll apply your NCD to your quote at renewal.

If you’re not driving much at the moment, please read our advice on how to maintain your battery. If you’re unable to keep your battery charged, please contact the team to confirm that your black box is still connected but your battery is flat.

If they’re insured to drive your car, then yes. But remember – the black box won’t be able to tell who’s driving, so their driving will affect your Driver Score.

You may get a warning or a penalty charge. Your Driver Score will be seriously impacted – which may mean you have to pay more for your insurance next year.

At the end of a black box policy, your insurer will deactivate your box and may ask you to return it. With RAC Black Box Insurance, you can remove the box if you fitted it yourself, or we’ll send someone to remove it for you.

Yes, we’re here to help.

If you think you may be unable to maintain your regular policy payments, please contact us via live chat as soon as possible to discuss. Our opening hours are Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm and Sundays – closed.

We have specialists on hand who can discuss your individual circumstances and agree how we can help with your financial situation. There are several ways we may be able to help including; moving your payment dates, agreeing partial payments or payment holidays in the short term and removing any fees applied to your policy.

Don’t wait until you miss a payment as we can help you in advance. We ask that you don’t cancel your payments or direct debits as this can result in your policy being cancelled and we don’t want you to be left uninsured, please get in touch with us in the first instance.

Q. Does the black box restrict where and when I can drive?

No. With the RAC, you can choose your own mileage limit when you get a quote. Just make sure you provide a realistic annual mileage. If you go over your limit, your premium could increase, or we could cancel your policy.

There are no curfews either, so you can drive wherever and whenever you want.

Q. What if my car already has a black box or I change my car?

Even if you already have a black box from another provider, you'll still need to install an RAC Black Box in your car when you take out a policy with us.

If you decide to change your car while you're insured with us, your RAC Black Box (self-fit) will need to be transferred across to your new car within 14 days of the change.

If your box was professionally fitted by our team when you took out your policy, we can move the box to the new car for you. You just need to get in touch to arrange an appointment. There may be a small charge.

Q. What data does a black box collect about me?

The black box collects this information: your speed, acceleration, braking and how you drive around corners or bends. Don’t forget, the black box tracks the driving behaviour of everyone driving the car, not just you.

We also collect data about what time of day you drive, as this may increase your ‘risk’ as a driver. For example, if you drive mainly at night (between 7pm and 6am) or in rush hour traffic. You can read more about the way in which your personal data will be used when you purchase RAC Black Box Insurance in our Privacy Policy.

Q. What happens with the data that a black box collects?

We use the data from your black box to assess your driving style and alert you if we think you need to drive more safely and responsibly. Going forward, we can then price your premium based on how safely you’ve driven during the year.

As the policyholder, you can access your journey data and Driver Score online. As your insurance provider, we can also access this data for administration purposes. Your driving data isn’t shared with anyone else (for example, parents or guardians).

Q. What if I need to unplug my black box?

It’s fine for a mechanic to unplug the black box as part of a service or check-up. Just make sure you ask them to plug it back in. It’s best to let the garage know you have a black box when you get there.

Likewise, if you’re carrying out checks yourself, don’t forget to plug the black box back in before you start driving again.

If your black box isn’t plugged back in, we’ll get in touch to ask you to reconnect it. If you don’t, your policy may be cancelled.

Q. How do I fit my RAC Black Box?

Once you’ve bought your RAC Black Box Insurance, we’ll send you a telematics box in the post along with instructions on how to fit it. You’ll need to install the box within 14 days of your cover starting or we will need to cancel your policy. Read our box fitting FAQs to find out more.

Q. When do I need to have the RAC Black Box fitted?

You’ll need to fit your RAC Black Box within 14 days of your policy start date. Devices are shipped within 3 working days of your policy start date, using Royal Mail 48hr delivery. If your policy is due to start before your box has arrived, you’re still insured to drive as long as you fit the box as soon as it arrives. It should only take a few minutes to plug in.

Q. How do I install my RAC Black Box device?

We issue two types of self-fit devices, dependent on your car make and model.

OBD-ll devices are plugged into your cars 'On Board Diagnostic' Port. 12 volt devices can be plugged directly into your cars 12V/DC port. Read more about the box types and how to fit them.

Once installed, your device must remain in your car for the duration of your policy.

Q. Can I amend my policy online?

Yes. If you purchased your insurance with us after 30/03/2021 you can log in to your online account any time to make these changes to your policy:

Just so you’re aware, here are our fees and charges for amendments:

Change made online yourself: £15.00

Change made via the call centre: £35.00

For existing customers who purchased their insurance prior to the 30/03/2021, please contact the customer service team to discuss our fees and charges and make a change.

Q. Can I drive at night?

Yes. There are no night-time curfews and we won’t charge you extra for driving at night.

Just so you know, driving between 7pm and 6am on a regular basis will have an effect on your Driver Score. This is because the chances of having an accident increase during these hours. So it could reduce any discount you may be offered when you renew your policy.

Q. Am I insured to drive my car before the box is fitted?

Yes. If your policy is due to start before your box has arrived, you’re still insured to drive it temporarily. Just make sure you fit the box within 14 days of this date. Otherwise, your policy will be cancelled, and you’ll have to pay a cancellation fee. It should only take a few minutes to plug it in.

Q. Does black box car insurance work with any car?

Yes. We have two types of RAC Black Box - an OBD device and a 12 volt device. We will decide which device to send you based on your car’s make and model. You can read more about the box types and how to fit them here.

Q. I don’t have my car anymore – what should I do?

Let us know by speaking to a member of our customer service team. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am to 1pm.

If you have a new car, you can update your policy with your new car details via your online account. Online policy management is only available for customers who purchased their policy on or after 30/03/2021. Alternatively, if you no longer have a vehicle, you can cancel your insurance by speaking to a member of our team via live chat.

If you’ve declared your vehicle as off-road (with a SORN), or it’s been stolen or written-off, you also need to let us know.

Q. How do I renew my black box insurance policy?

Your renewal invitation quote is generated around 25 days before the renewal date. Your renewal quote will be loaded into your online account where you can view and accept your renewal. If you chose to receive your documents by post, it may take up to 7 working days to reach you. Once you've received your renewal pack, check all the details are still correct. If you would like to make any changes, or to discuss your renewal with a member of the team, contact us via live chat.

Q. Is there a RAC Black Box app?

Yes. If you have RAC Black Box Car Insurance, you need to download the RAC Black Box app to monitor your driving behaviour as soon as your policy starts.

It’s a quick and easy way to check your Driver Score, as well as your car’s health and journey details. Find out how to download the driver app.

Q. How do you calculate my Driver Score?

You’ll receive a Driver Score on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher your score, the safer your driving.

Your Driver Score is based on 5 elements:

Each of the above is weighted and then scored in line with the amount of driving you do within a 7-day period, or when you’ve driven 200 miles.

Q. Why is my driver data missing from the app?

There could be a number of reasons for this. For example:

If you can’t see your journey in the app after an hour or so, it’s worth double checking that your black box is still connected. If it is, please contact the team to discuss. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am-1pm and Sundays – closed.

Q. Why has my Driver Score changed when I haven’t driven my vehicle recently?

Your Driver Score is a rolling 7-day score. It can change even when your vehicle isn’t being used. This happens as time passes and journeys are no longer included in the driver score calculation.

This will still apply even if the vehicle has not been driven as the score is calculated against the distance travelled.

Q. The road speed limit is incorrect – can this be changed?

We use UK and European mapping databases to make sure we have the most up to date and accurate platform. We update the database at least every 6 months. Sometimes, road limits can change before our database is updated. If the speed limit you’re reporting has changed, we can amend that limit for future use.

Q. Will you tell the police if I speed?

If you drive over the speed limit, we don’t automatically share telematics data with the police. If we receive a request for the data from the police, or other authorities, we may disclose information collected by the RAC Black Box if it is lawful to do so.

Q. What happens if my car is stolen?

If your car is stolen, you should always report this to the police. If we can, we’ll provide you with the last known location of your RAC Black Box.