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New ORCHID ACCIDENTCARE initiative offers total on-board telematics and post-accident support
- Includes crash detection, navigation assistance and immediate despatch of free hire car from under £20 monthly
- Total 24-hour care for driver and passengers
Global Telematics, developers of Orchid - the world's leading vehicle telematics service, has launched a unique new end-to-end support and customer care service in partnership with leading accident management company,
Accidentcare Group PLC. The new Orchid Accidentcare accident management service is available from just £18.50 per month, and provides motorists with a comprehensive range of accident support services, including
instant remote accident detection and 'black box' crash information that enables immediate despatch of a free hire car and national vehicle recovery, as well as full accident claims management. Orchid Accidentcare
subscribers will have an Orchid DX50 telematics unit fitted in their vehicles, and can access the new incident support service via a simple 1505 emergency dialling code, which provides a fast, friendly and efficient information and navigational service based on the recently enhanced Orchid bureau service. This gives access to comprehensive assistance and route direction links for motorists, as well as travel information, road conditions, weather, re-routing assistance and turn-by-turn address seeking. The Orchid DX50 also supports 'track and trace' capabilities in the event of theft, helping to ensure comprehensive security and support for any eventuality.
Roy Kent, Chairman and Managing Director, Accidentcare Group PLC: "What you can't put a price on is peace of mind and the knowledge that the instant an accident happens – whether to you or a loved one - immediate support ranging
from a free hire car to emergency services despatch is available, and all aspects of an accident are then handled until its resolution. Car hire will be provided 24hrs a day from National Car Rental, the U.K's largest vehicle
rental company who have more than 30,000 vehicles on their fleet. Statistically, accidents are seven times more likely than breakdowns, yet to date there has been very little accident-focussed support for motorists. This new joint
initiative is totally unique because it's the first to bring such a comprehensive bundle of services into the cost range of the UK's 19 million private motorists." "Orchid Accidentcare
is an ideal example of how our industry-leading range of telematics solutions can combine with specialist service providers such as Accidentcare to create powerful new end-to-end services," commented Richard Horsman, Orchid Commercial Director, Global Telematics. "The comprehensive nature of this new service will help reassure motorists that, once they get behind the wheel, they will have the best possible support for any eventuality."
Because the Orchid DX50 On-Board Telematics unit can also provide comprehensive and immediate information about any third-party involved in an accident, Accidentcare can also pro-actively control any claims against the policy
holder, control expenditure and immediately despatch competitively-priced hire cars, helping to significantly reduce overall charges for any accident involving a third-party. "The time it takes for insurers to hear about claims
is currently costing the industry a fortune, and third party insurance claims are one of the biggest costs in running a fleet," said Roy Kent, Chairman and Managing Director, Accidentcare Group PLC. "The Orchid Accidentcare
service is also intended to help the insurance industry reduce the ever rising costs of injury claims, credit hire and associated legal costs, with the intention of reducing insurance premiums and increasing insurer profitability. Our eventual aim is to have a service that insurance companies are confident to promote to policy holders, to start bringing down the cost of insurance claims for all involved.
"Working with Orchid gives us far greater control over the incident management process, and our joint service will help insurance companies more quickly address genuine injury claims and simultaneously reduce the number of
escalated claims. Immediate notification of an incident will allow Accidentcare to handle all aspects of any claim from the outset, and as a result we estimate that we can reduce associated costs by up to 20 per cent overall," Roy
Kent added. About the ORCHID ACCIDENTCARE accident management service
The Orchid Accidentcare accident management service features:
- An Orchid DX50 in-vehicle telematics unit with in-built crash sensor including battery back-up.
- 'black box' functionality recording the last 20 seconds prior to deployment of crash or other such sensor; time stamped information on latitude, longitude, speed and heading generated at one second intervals
- 'track and trace' in the event of theft
The service also includes either the Accidentcare Gold service or the Accidentcare Platinum service. The Accidentcare Gold service provides the following benefits:
- Free ten-day Car Hire Following an Immobilising Incident
- Free National Vehicle Recovery
- Optional Overnight Hotel Accommodation
- Claims Assistance & Total Accident Management
- Uninsured Loss Recovery & £50,000 Legal Expenses Cover
- Replacement Car for Duration of Repairs
- Free Vehicle Storage
- 24 hour Glass/Audio Service
- Total Loss Negotiation Service
- National/International Car & Van Hire Discounts
- Motoring Discounts
In addition, the Accidentcare Platinum service will provide the following benefits:
- Free 14-day Car Hire Following an Immobilising Incident
- Free 14-day Car Hire Following theft and non recovery of members vehicle
About the Orchid DX50 telematics unit The Orchid DX50 in-vehicle telematics unit
supports SMS Short Message Service data transmission and reception via the GSM cellular mobile telephone network, and features an integral GPS Global Positioning Receiver, accurate to under ten metres with differential correction.
Housed within a robust enclosure and covertly installed for security, the DX50 unit offers intelligent, remotely configurable data control, a back-up battery and power management facilities, and delivers a substantial increase in
on-board intelligence over current products, moving the decision-making process away from the central hub to the vehicle itself. About Accidentcare Group PLC Accidentcare provides, for an annual fee added to a motor insurance premium, a total accident management service for clients of motor insurance brokers, a service
provided regardless of fault. It is Britain's leading operator in this specialist field and since the company was established, the membership has grown from 500 to 85,000. Accidentcare was established in 1992 and successfully
floated on Ofex in August 1999 at 50p per share – the price currently stands at over £1 and the company intends to move up to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) shortly. |
