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INSURANCE

The new app that gives you money for driving well

Germany’s largest insurance company is offering an app which allows you to win money back on your car insurance if it records you driving safely.

The new app that gives you money for driving well
Photo: DPA

The app – called BonusDrive – is being offered by Allianz and tracks drivers’ acceleration and braking patterns, how they take corners and their general speed. At the end of the journey it will then give feedback on the trip.

“With BonusDrive we’re bringing car insurance into the digital age,” Frank Sommerfeld, a member of the Allianz board, said in a statement.

“And the app is simply fun to use. I use it myself and I find it exciting to after every journey to get an immediate feedback report,” he added.

The company say they are aiming the app at young people up to the age of 28, who often have to pay high insurance charges, and are offering people of this age who use the app 10 percent off their premium once they have used it for over 100 kilometres.

Responsible drivers are then rewarded depending on how well the app rates them to have driven, with awards of gold, silver and bronze medals at the end of every journey.

MUST READ: Eight things you never knew about the German Autobahn

At the end of a year’s insurance, the app will then rate the driver overall. ‘Gold drivers’ are promised a lucrative 30 percent back on their insurance payment. Silver drivers will receive 20 percent back, and bronze drivers get 10 percent.

So the company is promising those young drivers who are grade A students a reduction of 40 percent of their first year’s insurance costs.

“Especially for young people this is a fair offer,” Sommerfeld said. “Firstly, customers can actively influence their driving behaviour. Secondly, they can save costs through safe driving.”

“Those who pay high premiums because they belong to the high risk group of young drivers will in the future be split into those who drive more considerately and those who drive less so,” he added.

The company also claims that the app, which became available from Google and Apple app stores this month, doesn’t pose a disadvantage, as customers will not be punished with higher premiums if they do not win medals for their driving.

It also seems that the driver doesn't always need to play by the rules that Allianz sets. The company says that the data belongs only to the customer, who can switch off the data collection for periods of time if he wishes.

So those young drivers who want to make the most of Germany having some of the only roads in the world with no speed limits can still have a bit of fun when they want to too.

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DRIVING

What you should do if you lose your driver’s licence in Germany

Non-EU nationals who live in Germany can often exchange their old licences for German ones. But what do you do if you happen to lose your German licence - or if it gets stolen? Here's a step-by-step guide.

What you should do if you lose your driver's licence in Germany

Losing an important document can be a nightmare scenario for foreigners in Germany – especially if it’s the one you rely on to get around. So if you search for your driver’s licence one day and suddenly realise it’s missing, you may feel the urge to panic. 

Luckily, there’s a two-step process to follow to get a replacement and ensure nobody else can misuse your licence in the meantime. However, German law requires you to act quickly.

Call the lost and found and/or file a police report

If your driver’s licence is lost or stolen in Germany, you’re required to let the police know as soon as possible. You can do this at any police station in Germany. 

There may be one place you should try first though before going straight to the police.

If you think your licence may simply have been misplaced, rather than stolen, you can call your local Fundbüro – which deals with lost property – to see if someone has returned it. Many of these are at local city halls, while many public transport companies have their own. Deutsche Bahn also runs one of these for things that are lost on long-distance trains in Germany.

If you still can’t find it, whether you’ve lost your licence or it’s been stolen, you’re required to file a police report. 

Once you’ve filed the report, the police will give you a confirmation letter. You can use this to apply for a replacement licence.

READ ALSO: How to get a German driver’s licence as a third-country national

Get in touch with the traffic office

Once you’ve filed a police report, you’ll need to get in touch with your local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde – or “traffic licencing authority” – to get a replacement licence. In Berlin, for example, you can go online and book an appointment for this.

You’ll need to bring a few documents with for your appointment to get a replacement licence. These include a biometric passport photo, the loss or theft report from the police, and a piece of legal ID. You’ll also need to pay a fee – which can vary depending on your local authority.

READ ALSO: What you should do if you lose your residence permit in Germany

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