A New Era of Road Safety

jeff_legner

By Jeff Legner, Vice President of Property & Casualty Claims

The recent deployment of enhanced mobile accident detection and response technology from State Farm® marks one of the most promising initiatives of its kind in the insurance industry. With rising claims resulting from distracted driving and severe weather collisions, insurers like State Farm are redefining how they support drivers in real time, setting new standards for responsiveness and risk management in an increasingly connected digital world.

Accident Assistance is a feature available at no additional cost to any customers enrolled in Drive Safe & Save®. And in Illinois, Florida, and Ohio, it’s also available to eligible auto policy customers through the State Farm app regardless of Drive Safe & Save enrollment. In 2025, State Farm introduced the technology as a pilot program to millions of customers across these states by integrating it into the revamped State Farm app. 

The program offers real-time accident detection, police response service requests, and a streamlined claims filing experience. These features were designed to greatly reduce response times after a detected collision and provide you the support you need during the most critical moments - when every second matters.
 

An Emerging Need

The timing of this rollout isn’t coincidental. We’re seeing road conditions become increasingly dangerous. For example, a 2025 study from State Farm revealed 80% of drivers admit to engaging in at least one distracting behavior while driving and roughly 65% of drivers believe it’s okay to take their eyes off the road for 2 or more seconds.

As an industry leader in auto safety, State Farm has spent decades helping keep people safe From Car Seat to Driver’s Seat™.
 

How the Technology Works for You

The enhanced Accident Assistance program automatically detects when an accident occurs and can:

• Initiate contact with police response services when the driver is unresponsive to the notifications or the vehicle does not resume driving and a severe accident is detected 
   
• Pinpoint exact accident locations using GPS technology
   
• Begin claims processing once a service tow is requested; drivers can also file a claim in the app
   
• Connect drivers with available roadside services for non-emergency situations

Once an eligible driver opts into the program, users consent to data and location sharing, in addition to the use of their smartphone’s sensors to detect movement forces that indicate an accident. Privacy is a priority for State Farm, so we use encrypted data transmission and let you control the app’s access to your phone’s sensors to properly safeguard your information.
 

Expanding Access and Road Safety Outcomes

This technology exemplifies the expanding collaboration across the telematics and insurance industries to leverage advanced data to reinforce customer safety and deliver exceptional service. While launching initially in Illinois, Florida and Ohio, we plan additional rollouts in 2026 to promote driver safety across more regions and better assist the driving journeys of all road users.

Accident Assistance, previously limited to customers enrolled in Drive Safe & Save via the State Farm app, will soon be available to all eligible State Farm auto policyholders who have downloaded the app, regardless of enrollment in the Drive Safe & Save program.

As vehicle technologies continue to evolve and driving behaviors shift in the years ahead, we are dedicated to supporting your well-being in critical moments of need and prioritizing your safety on our shared roadways. As we progress further, we look forward to sharing more developments with you.