For years, Italy has stood out as a unique case in the global telematics landscape. While in many countries vehicle connectivity remained just a promise, in Italy the “black box” quickly became a widespread reality. Today, more than one in five car insurance policies in the country is based on telematics data — the outcome of economic, regulatory, and cultural factors that turned necessity into innovation.
High premiums, a high rate of fraud, and forward-thinking regulation created fertile ground for experimentation. Technology then accelerated the change. Pioneering players like OCTO transformed telematics into an advanced tool for analysis and prevention, delivering measurable value to both insurers and drivers. What started to control has evolved into a way to understand, prevent, and improve.
Europe: Trust as the New Driver of Growth
Across Europe, telematics adoption has been more cautious. Lower insurance premiums and strong privacy concerns slowed the expansion of usage-based models. But the momentum is shifting.
New priorities — sustainability, road safety, and emissions reduction — are redefining how telematics fits into the mobility ecosystem. No longer seen as a monitoring tool, it’s becoming a driver of trust and transparency between insurers and policyholders.
Insurance players are rediscovering the value of data: not only to assess risk, but to design more personalized and responsible mobility experiences. It’s a cultural transformation that follows the path Italy set years ago — now supported by advanced technology, data analytics, and a maturing European ecosystem.
United States: From “Pay How You Drive” to “Predict How You Drive”
In the U.S., the story took another route. The state-based insurance system encouraged lighter, app-driven solutions rather than physical devices. But with the rise of connected cars, electric mobility, and artificial intelligence, a new era is beginning.
American insurers are shifting from analyzing past behavior to predicting future driving patterns. The model is evolving — from pay how you drive to drive better through what we can predict. It’s a change that moves in the same direction Italy pioneered years ago: from information to prediction, from measurement to prevention.
With over 20 years of experience and billions of data points analyzed, OCTO is uniquely positioned to connect these worlds. The company adapts technology to different mobility cultures — from Italy to Northern Europe, from the U.S. to the connected cities of tomorrow.
Telematics is no longer a niche innovation. It’s the digital infrastructure of modern mobility. Italy made it possible. Today, Europe and the United States are making it global.