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The Impacts of Telematics on Competition and Consumer Behavior in Insurance

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  • Imke Reimers
  • Benjamin R. Shiller

Abstract

Recent technological innovations allow insurance providers to closely monitor and collect detailed data on their customers’ behaviors. Such innovations offer potential benefits by mitigating moral-hazard problems but may provide the incumbent with a lasting first-mover advantage, which may harm consumers. We investigate these outcomes in the context of pay-how-you-drive (PHYD) auto insurance, which offers tailored discounts to drivers monitored by telematics devices. We exploit the staggered entry of PHYD insurance across states and insurers in a difference-in-differences framework. While innovating firms experience initial profit increases, the profits are eroded by entry, which suggests that this innovation does not raise novel antitrust concerns. Furthermore, we find a meaningful impact of PHYD programs on fatal car accidents. Our findings are consistent with impacts implied by canonical theoretical models.

Suggested Citation

  • Imke Reimers & Benjamin R. Shiller, 2019. "The Impacts of Telematics on Competition and Consumer Behavior in Insurance," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 62(4), pages 613-632.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:doi:10.1086/705119
    DOI: 10.1086/705119
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dirk Bergemann & Marco Ottaviani, 2021. "Information Markets and Nonmarkets," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2296, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    2. Benjamin Reed Shiller, 2020. "Approximating Purchase Propensities And Reservation Prices From Broad Consumer Tracking," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(2), pages 847-870, May.
    3. David A. Cather, 2020. "Reconsidering insurance discrimination and adverse selection in an era of data analytics," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(3), pages 426-456, July.
    4. Benjamin R. Shiller, 2022. "Discreet Personalized Pricing," CESifo Working Paper Series 10025, CESifo.
    5. Nemanja Milanović & Miloš Milosavljević & Slađana Benković & Dušan Starčević & Željko Spasenić, 2020. "An Acceptance Approach for Novel Technologies in Car Insurance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Meng Liu & Erik Brynjolfsson & Jason Dowlatabadi, 2021. "Do Digital Platforms Reduce Moral Hazard? The Case of Uber and Taxis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(8), pages 4665-4685, August.
    7. Siqi Liu & Bhoomija Ranjan & Benjamin Reed Shiller, 2020. "Are Coarse Ratings Fine? Applications to Crashworthiness Ratings," Working Papers 132, Brandeis University, Department of Economics and International Business School.
    8. Christian Peukert & Imke Reimers, 2022. "Digitization, Prediction, and Market Efficiency: Evidence from Book Publishing Deals," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(9), pages 6907-6924, September.

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