Root car insurance can keep its rates low because it rejects coverage for risky drivers. So, if you have a clean driving record and are looking for an auto insurance provider, Root could be an option for you.
This review covers Roots’ discounts, premium costs, financial standings, and customer satisfaction. Read on to see if Root is right for you.
Root offers the basic coverage options that other companies do. However, their auto insurance policies work differently than most other car insurance companies.
As mentioned, Root bases its auto insurance rates primarily on your driving behavior. Consequently, you must first go on a test drive when you decide to use Root as your auto insurance provider. This test drive will be a two-to-three-week period during which you will allow the company’s app to track how you drive. If they determine you are a safe driver, you will pay a lower rate.
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Root offers additional options to its traditional liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. These add-ons include:
Root also provides a Lyft on Us option, which covers the cost of rides with the service on certain holidays. This way, you can enjoy a free ride without having to figure out how to get home if you decide to drink a few glasses of wine. Root will also provide you with an SR-22 form without hassle. You can obtain the form quickly through Root’s app.
Root Insurance caters to good drivers with its low rates. They claim they can save you as much as $900 a year on car insurance.
Other benefits that can lower your rates include:
Although it’s challenging to get an exact quote from Root initially because they want to know your driving habits, research from Savvy shows the average monthly premium for Root insurance costs $153.
Savvy collects data from consumers’ current policies, including rate information, age, marital status, and other demographics. The statistics offer a representative sample used as a general guide. See more about Savvy’s methodology.
See how their average annual rates stack up in the below table.
| Age Group | Gender | Marital Status | Average Annual Rate |
| 18 to 24 | female | single | $2,929.93 |
| 18 to 24 | male | single | $2,279.66 |
| 18 to 24 | female | married | $2,934.33 |
| 18 to 24 | male | married | $3,110.16 |
| 25 to 34 | female | single | $1,904.19 |
| 25 to 34 | male | single | $2,046.67 |
| 25 to 34 | female | married | $1,996.16 |
| 25 to 34 | male | married | $1,808.45 |
| 35 to 49 | female | single | $1,902.58 |
| 35 to 49 | male | single | $1,769.67 |
| 35 to 49 | female | married | $1,943.87 |
| 35 to 49 | male | married | Not available |
| 50 to 69 | female | single | $2,403.44 |
| 50 to 69 | male | single | Not available |
| 50 to 69 | female | married | $2,532.39 |
| 50 to 69 | male | married | $2,706.97 |
Source: Savvy
Root relies more heavily on your driving habits than other insurance companies to develop your quote. During your two-week test period, there will be a heavy emphasis on your driving abilities. Insurance companies also rely on your driving record and, in most states, your credit score when they come up with a quote. Let’s take a closer look at how each of these factors will likely impact your insurance quote from Root.
The NHTSA reports that drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol cause one-third of all car deaths. As a result, insurance companies check past driving records for these and other types of infractions. As Root favors good drivers, those with DUIs may want to seek insurance quotes from several providers to see which meets their needs.
As Root formulates its quotes heavily based on how you drive, you’ll likely get a higher quote if you have recently been in an at-fault car accident. Specifically, drivers can expect insurance premiums to increase by 50% per year over five years, according to The Zebra.
According to The Zebra, drivers with poor credit scores pay 115% more for auto insurance than drivers with exceptional credit. However, keep Root on your list if your credit score is below average. Root does not use credit scores in its premium price calculation. Instead, Root relies heavily on driving history.
Root says using credit scores to determine insurance is “biased” and explains on its website, “We believe that your price should be determined by how you drive, not who you are. That’s why Root has committed to removing credit scores from our premium price calculation — becoming the first car insurance company to do so.”
Researching complaints about an insurer can help drivers know if the insurer is right for them.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compiles consumer complaints about insurers. It sets the industry average complaints at 1.0, meaning a company with a score of 0.5 has half the number of complaints as the average. According to the NAIC, Root’s score is 3.98, meaning the company receives nearly four times the average number of complaints compared with the industry average.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Root was founded in 2015 and began writing premiums in 2016. While not yet available in all states, Root auto insurance coverage is expanding with availability in at least 32 states.
Rating services like Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and A.M. Best have not yet given Root financial ratings. As a result, not much is known about the financial state of Root insurance.
However, the insurer is not flying entirely under the radar. A 2019 report by Standard & Poor’s stated that the company is “growing like a weed” and has generated a steep spike in premiums from $4 million in 2017 to $106.4 million in 2018. According to the report, Root was the third-fastest-growing auto insurer in 2018. Additionally, the report noted that Root widened its losses in 2018 to $58.3 million in 2018, up from $15.6 million in 2017.
