Change all your bad driving traits with a phone app

SOUTH African drivers have always had a bad rap but a new smartphone app could change that.

Discovery Insure has released a free download that monitors driving behaviour and how to change it by offering incentives for improvement.

These include a trip to watch the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix.

The intention is to improve the nation's driving habits and reduce the annual road death toll, which is about 13000.

The app was launched on June 1 as part of a challenge, which runs until August 31.

So far, 18000 users have joined.

Company driver behaviour head Marty Epstein said the app was already revealing a great deal about South African motorists.

"We find that women are better drivers, and the best drivers are in the Western Cape," Epstein said.

According to the data, the worst drivers are in KwaZulu-Natal.

The app works by using the smartphone's GPS, an accelerometer and gyroscope. After a trip has been completed, the data is uploaded for analysis.

Behaviour like harsh braking, hard cornering and speeding is noted. The driver gets a rating of between one star (bad) and five stars (excellent), and driving tips. So far, about 40% of drivers are getting five stars a trip, according to the company.

There is also a function that ranks scores against friends and other app users.

Together with the major prize of the Monaco trip for four, there are weekly draws for a share of R1-million in petrol vouchers. - Shaun Smillie