One feature of Turkey is its high rate of road accidents. Road safety measures (public or private) and their impact on driver awareness are still limited. Unfortunately, the news is often filled with serious accidents with casualties and fatalities, in particular many one-sided accidents, including HGV and luxury cars.

It is a massive issue across the country

Groupama Sigorta is the eighth largest motor insurer in Turkey. Keeping control over claims is based on various factors, including reducing the costs of large claims (including write-offs of luxury vehicles, HGVs, etc.) and those related to young drivers.

The pre-launch phase in 2020 consisted of building a partnership with an advanced driving centre run by the firm Intercity, located actually inside the Istanbul Park F1 circuit. This driving centre is the most famous in Turkey, with conditions and courses similar to those run by Centaure in France for saloon cars, and it also offers courses for HGV and minibus drivers. Groupama Sigorta launched its Driving Academy on 15 December 2020, using the centre’s structure, logistics and professional drivers. Intercity is paid by Groupama Sigorta by the number of courses, at a negotiated price. In terms of communication, our logo and slogan are widely and permanently displayed on the site (reception, classrooms, on all documents, on the trainers’ clothes, on the tracks) which is an important component of the partnership.

Groupama offers a free one-day driving course to its employees, agents and 4-wheel motor policyholders.

The teaching objective is to teach attendees about how accidents occur, by placing them, safely and in their own vehicles, in exercise conditions simulating extreme driving conditions.

Amongst policyholders, the priority targets are luxury car drivers, young drivers and lorry drivers. The Intercity centre does in fact offer the possibility to practise driving a loaded heavy goods vehicle with simulations including falling over on its side.

Groupama is the first insurer in Turkey to offer free courses in responsible driving to its employees, agents and 4-wheel motor policyholders.

The courses are very much appreciated by attendees. It is a differentiating factor for agents (most of whom are non-exclusive), who are then the main promoters of these courses in their portfolios, and it is a factor in policyholder retention.

The HGV and minibus courses are an innovation that Groupama Sigorta intends to expand.