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Included free
Roadside assistance
New car protection
Accident forgiveness
| States served | Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Roadside assistance | Included free |
| Pay schedule | monthly |
| Claims methods | online |
| New car protection | No |
| Accident forgiveness | Yes |
| Anti-theft device discount | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bundling discount | Yes |
| Defensive driving discount | Yes |
| Good student discount | No |
| Loyalty discount | Yes |
| Homeowner discount | Yes |
| Military discount | No |
| Safety device discount | Yes |
| Special employment discount | No |
| Usage-based discount | No |
| Other discounts |
| Rideshare coverage | No |
|---|---|
| SR-22 coverage | |
| Temporary & short term coverage | Yes |
Root plans to launch in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and West Virginia soon. Root added three new states in two months at the time of writing, so the company is growing quickly and plans to continue to expand its availability. To learn about availability for your own state, sign up for notifications online.
Yes, Root Insurance is a legitimate insurance company accredited by the BBB and backed by state insurance funds,, just like big national insurers. Root’s a startup company founded in 2015
The company’s not out to scam drivers or pull a bait and switch with low rates you can’t actually qualify for. You won’t get personalized support from an agent, but you can call customer support almost any time, and the easy claims process is all done online.
Root’s innovative app determines your rates based on how you actually drive. Using your smartphone’s accelerometer and GPS, the Root app can determine your speed, mileage, hours driven, braking distance and more.
Safe, low-mileage drivers often report in customer reviews that they save a lot of money by switching to Root. Drivers who can’t get good rates with other insurance companies are also good candidates for Root, including high risk drivers, young drivers and drivers with sports cars.
Your test drive is the largest factor that Root considers when putting together your policy and price, except in California where telematics-based rates are illegal. But, to a lesser extent, Root also considers your driving record, general demographics and your overall credit history — factors more traditional insurers use too.
If your driving doesn’t meet Root’s requirements, Root will decline offering a quote. You won’t be able to retake your test drive to sign up for a policy.
Yes, Root offers flexible options depending on whether you’re currently insured or need same-day coverage. To get insured from day one, you’ll get a temporary 60-day policy and rate. After your 30-day test drive, you’ll see your final rate and have 30 days to decide whether to sign up.
If you’re already insured and are still considering options, stick with your current insurer until after you’ve completed your test drive and gotten your final quote. Then you can decide whether to make the switch. You can even cancel your current insurance and let your lender know you’ve switched through the Root app.
Root offers a full range of liability, collision and comprehensive coverage. The app also allows you to see how limits can affect your monthly rate, which comes in handy when narrowing down the coverage you want at a rate that fits your budget. Many drivers who switch to Root report that they can increase their limits for less than the cost of their current insurance, according to several Reddit threads.
For qualifying customers, Root Insurance offers a string of discounts and rewards.
Root’s whole premise is rewarding good drivers with low rates. And so it doesn’t offer the discounts that mainstream car insurance providers do, like those for good students.
Like many other startups, Root provides special referral discounts, except in California. If you love the savings you’re getting with Root, invite your friends to sign up through a personalized referral link. Depending on where you live, you could make anywhere from $10 to $100 for each successful referral.
Overall, customer have good things to say about their experience with Root Insurance, especially the rates they’ve gotten with this startup — a few saying they’ve saved over $100 a month. Negative reviews focus on inaccurate driving scores on the test drive and billing issues.
At the time of writing, Root earns 4.1 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), where it’s accredited since January 2017. A good sign of solid support: Root reps have so far replied to every negative complaint on the site.
If you’re not able to get the help you need through the app’s support menu, you have options to speak with a representative, depending on your needs:
Root Insurance runs all business through its smartphone app or online account management. You’re not assigned a dedicated agent, and you won’t have the opportunity to visit an office to discuss your policy or claim.
Only pay for how much you drive with the Metromile app. Get rates from $29/month plus pennies per mile.
Quality auto insurance with good coverage doesn’t have to cost a pretty penny — especially if you’re a responsible driver. But Root Insurance asks you to prove it, requiring you to sign up for a test drive that monitors a few weeks of your driving on the road.
If you’re up for the test, this startup may reward your good driving behaviors with lower rates than you’ll find elsewhere. And so far, its policyholders like what it offers.
If your driving record isn’t as clean as you’d like it to be or you need specialized coverage compare your car insurance options to find a provider that meets your needs.
