EQS-News: Swiss Re enters partnership with BlaBlaCar and L'olivier Assurance to launch innovative digital motor product in France

Zurich, 14 September 2021 - Swiss Re has entered into a partnership with BlaBlaCar, the world's leading community-based travel platform, and motor insurance specialist L'olivier Assurance, the French branch of Admiral Group. The partnership has enabled the creation of BlaBlaCar Coach, an innovative smartphone app that offers drivers personalised coaching and tips for safer driving and is available with an annual car insurance. This collaboration will advance innovation in the French mobility market, with the aim of improving road safety and making mobility more sustainable.

According to the French Road Safety Observatory, more than 70 000 people were injured in road traffic accidents in France and more than 3 200 lives were lost in 2019, with one in five victims being under 25 years of age[1]. Besides the tragedy of seeing lives curtailed, road accidents cost the French economy about 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

The partnership announced today has enabled the creation of BlaBlaCar Coach, an innovative smartphone app that offers drivers personalised coaching and tips for safer driving. Powered by Coloride, Swiss Re's cutting-edge technology for driver coaching and assessment, the BlaBlaCar Coach app can be activated when a new driving journey starts. The app then analyses the driver's conduct at the wheel, including phone usage and other distractions, without any additional equipment having to be installed. At the end of the ride, the app provides the driver with recommendations to develop a safer driving style. The solution is an essential tool for drivers seeking to improve their driving behaviour and contributes to making roads safer.

The BlaBlaCar Coach app is available with a co-branded annual car insurance named 'BlaBlaCar Assurance par L'olivier'. Thanks to this, the product also leads to insurance savings for users.

Partnering for a safer and more sustainable future

Swiss Re's vision to make the world more resilient matches with BlaBlaCar's long-term ambition to improve road safety and reduce the environmental costs of transportation. The digital brand L'olivier Assurance was the perfect fit for this partnership. Over the years, the company has built a reputation in the market for delivering quality products at competitive rates and a track record of superior customer service. It combines agility and digitalisation expertise to deliver an unmatched customer experience to those seeking to purchase insurance.

Walter Eraud, CEO France, Belgium and Luxembourg at Swiss Re, said: 'We are delighted to have the privilege to initiate this collaboration with the global leader in alternative mobility, BlaBlaCar, and an insurance partner of the calibre of L'olivier Assurance. The powerful combination of BlaBlaCar's mobility tech expertise and reach, L'olivier Assurance's ability to devise an attractive motor product and Swiss Re's superior scoring and analytics capabilities have the potential to transform this important segment of the motor industry. We are excited about the product launch.'

Nicolas Brusson, co-founder and CEO of BlaBlaCar, said: 'With millions of people in our community sharing cars and buses every day, BlaBlaCar has a responsibility in making the road a safer place. We have always leveraged technology to transform the way people travel. Creating a new and improved driving experience, the BlaBlaCar Coach app, together with its insurance offer, is a way to put Swiss Re and L'olivier Assurance's expertise into practice at the service of drivers. Every driver engaged in this process will have a direct impact on their own safety and savings, and, at a larger scale, an even bigger impact on road safety and sustainability.'

Pascal Gonzalvez, CEO France at L'olivier Assurance, said: 'At L'olivier Assurance, the client is always at the heart of everything we do. That is why we are very proud of joining forces with BlaBlaCar and Swiss Re for the launch of a novel and innovative product that responds to the market needs with a sustainable approach that is also good for our planet.'