Crash Detection

Crash detection is one of several helpful car safety features insurers like Lemonade include when you drive with your location services enabled. It senses when you’ve been in a car accident and alerts Lemonade that you may need emergency services.

What is crash detection?

Car crash detection is a safety feature that’s available on a safety app, or can also be built into your car to help protect you and your loved ones. It’s able to sense when you’ve been in a car accident, either as a driver or passenger, and will quickly notify your insurance company, and could also alert your family members or emergency services. Technology! 

How does crash detection work? 

Motion sensors in your phone or car sense when you’re in a car accident. A personal safety app might also rely on your GPS, motion sensors, or accelerometer to tell, in real-time, when you’ve come to an abrupt halt or accelerated sharply.  

What does car crash detection do? 

The functionality of car crash detection depends on what type you have installed—either as a safety app on your Android or iPhone, or built into your car itself. Each app and service has different functionality but they all work to help you after a car accident.

Crash detection systems, like On-Star, enable a dispatcher to talk to you directly to determine if they should send out emergency services. Others, like the Lemonade app, have a dispatcher contact you through a phone call, or via a text. If you fail to respond, they’ll initiate an emergency response. 

We hope it’s never relevant for you, but having your exact location available to our team in an emergency could be a game changer for you and your loved ones in the case of an accident. 

How do you get car crash detection?

When you buy a Lemonade Car policy you’ll go through a flow to help you set up the Lemonade app and enable location services. After just a few taps and a couple of minutes you’ll have crash detection set up. 

If you’re not using Lemonade Car, you’ll have to sign up for and download a personal safety app from the Apple Store or Google Play, or enable built in features on your Android or Samsung Galaxy phone. Most third-party personal safety apps charge a monthly or yearly monitoring fee (but this feature is included with your Lemonade Car policy). 

Is crash detection worth it? 

The cost of personal safety apps range from $4.99 to $15 a month, with yearly memberships offering discounts. Sometimes your usage of these apps, or features in your car, can help to lower your car insurance rates. And as we mentioned, if you’re a Lemonade Car policyholder, you’ll get crash detection functionality free of charge.  

If you have a young, new driver, knowing that they’re safer on the road probably matters to you. If you drive in rural areas where emergency services might be slow to respond, or difficult to reach, a personal safety app may increase the likelihood of getting help faster.