Northern Ireland

Drivers in Newry, Mourne and Down safest in Northern Ireland according to smartphone driving app

The ChilliDrive app analyses various aspects of driving and includes an accident reporter and a SOS button directly linked to a 24/7 claims service
The ChilliDrive app analyses various aspects of driving and includes an accident reporter and a SOS button directly linked to a 24/7 claims service The ChilliDrive app analyses various aspects of driving and includes an accident reporter and a SOS button directly linked to a 24/7 claims service

DRIVERS in Newry, Mourne and Down are the safest in Northern Ireland, according to a new smartphone app which analyses driving skills.

A pilot scheme of the app amongst several thousand motorists across the north tracked drivers' speed, acceleration, braking and cornering.

The results have some unsurprising findings - women scoring higher in the safety stakes than men, for example - but also show that poor corner taking and excessive braking are the most common driving faults.

Its safety analysis scores put drivers in Newry, Mourne and Down on top with 70%, with motorists in Ards and North Down the lowest ranked at 65%.

Female drivers were ranked 2% higher than men in the safety scores.

The smartphone app is called ChilliDrive and has been produced by insurance firm Autoline.

The app uses satellite imagery to physically locate where problems such as cornering occur and includes an accident reporter and a SOS button directly linked to a 24/7 claims service.

Michael Blaney, Autoline's CEO, said: "The aim is to enhance driving skills, reduce car insurance premiums and, ultimately, improve road safety."

"Users can see which areas need improvement and, interestingly, the most common fault - by a long way - is poor cornering followed by excessive braking. Speeding is actually the measure which drivers score best on. The positive news, though, is that the standard of driving across Northern Ireland is good."