Phone Distraction: Now part of your Sense driver rating
Most Zego drivers already drive hands-free. If you're one of them, this update is good news — it's now recognised in your driver rating.
We've added Phone Distraction as a new factor in your Sense driver rating. Not to penalise, but because it's one of the clearest signals of safe driving, and safe driving is what earns you a better driver rating and better rewards.
Why is it one of the most straightforward factors to improve?
Unlike speed or cornering – which depend on road conditions, traffic, and circumstances outside your control – phone distraction is almost entirely within your hands. Literally. Keeping your phone secure while you drive is something you can act on from your very next trip.
And for most drivers, it will already be working in their favour.
What do we measure?
We don't flag your phone just for being on. We know you rely on it for navigation, music, and hands-free calls. What we look at is physical handling — picking up or holding your phone while the vehicle is moving, and how long the screen is active in your hand while you drive.
Using Google Maps or Waze in a mount? Doesn't count. Apple CarPlay or a Bluetooth call? Doesn't count either. It's only when you're actually handling your phone that it becomes relevant.
What good looks like
There's no complex formula here. A phone that stays secure – in a mount or a tray – while you're driving is all it takes. You don't need to change how you use your phone before or after a trip. Just while the wheels are turning.
A few things that make it easy:
- Set your navigation before you set off
- Queue your music or podcasts in advance
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or Driving Mode
- If something genuinely can't wait, pull over safely
How it fits into your overall driver rating
Your driver rating reflects how you drive across many trips over time – not any single moment. One difficult journey won't define it. What moves your driver rating is consistent behaviour, which means there's always an opportunity to improve, and always credit given for doing well.
You'll be able to see your Phone Distraction rating in the app's Insights tab in the coming weeks.