As Part of PURE Promise™, PURE Provides Services to Help Members, Youthful Drivers, Lower Risk of Distracted Driving

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE), the member-owned property/casualty insurer dedicated to serving the needs of responsible owners of high-value homes, today announced a plan to help members (policyholders) avoid losses related to distracted driving. As part of the PURE Promise, the insurer's risk management philosophy, this new program is aimed at helping members lower their long-term cost of insurance by providing parents with resources to help young drivers in their household form smart, safe driving habits.

"The PURE Promise embodies PURE's ongoing commitment to helping our members reduce their long-term cost of risk, by working to identify common causes of loss, then providing resources and investing in proven methods to mitigate against those risks," said Martin Hartley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PURE. "As car accidents rank as the number one killer of teenagers in the U.S., and distracted driving contributes to more than 25% of all auto accidents, PURE is acting on our commitment by offering a number of tools geared at helping our members and their youthful drivers stay safe behind the wheel."

Empowering Parents to Engage with Teens
PURE's Member Advice Center, accessible through pureinsurance.com, offers tips and advice for members, as well as a Parent/Teen Driver Agreement that outlines specific behavior that young drivers should engage in and refrain from while operating a vehicle. "Parents play a huge role in influencing the types of drivers their children become, and are the first line of defense when it comes to instilling safe habits in young drivers," said Hartley. "Our goal is to facilitate constructive, educational conversations between our members and their young drivers about the real dangers they face as drivers and as passengers."

Curbing the Urge to Call, Text, Email and Surf the Web
In an effort to help members cut down on distracted driving, PURE's Risk Management team has researched and road tested a number of products that aim to eliminate the use of a cell phone while driving, and is pleased to announce a partnership with Cellcontrol. As part of their efforts to contribute to the cost of preventing losses, PURE has offered Cellcontrol devices at a discounted rate to all members, and, to encourage parents to promote safe driving habits among their teens, has provided 100 drivers under the age of 18 with a complimentary device and full year's subscription to Cellcontrol's service. In keeping with the company's commitment to reward responsibility and proactive loss prevention with savings and premium credits, PURE has also announced plans to introduce discounts for youthful drivers who use a cell phone-blocking device. 

Hands-on Experience in a Controlled Environment
PURE has also introduced a Young Driver Training Program, facilitated through a partnership with the BMW Performance Driving Center. Beginning in fall 2012, PURE members and their teen drivers will have the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art driving course and enroll in the Center's Teen School. There, from behind the wheel of a current model year BMW, drivers learn from and experience a range of driving conditions designed to simulate real-world situations, from panic stops to loss of tire grip during a wet skid. Certified instructors provide feedback to correct driving responses and better equip young drivers to face the challenges of the road.

About PURE
For promotional purposes, PURE refers to the members of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. PURE Group is rated "A-" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Insurance coverage is underwritten through Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange, a Florida-domiciled reciprocal insurance exchange and member of the PURE Group. PURE provides coverage for high-value homes, automobiles, jewelry, art, personal liability and watercraft to more than 14,000 successful families in 35 markets across the U.S. and is committed to helping its members (policyholders) reduce the price of insurance today while controlling their long-term cost of risk. In return for a fee, PURE Risk Management, LLC acts as Attorney-in-Fact for PURE.  For more information, visit pureinsurance.com.

Interviews with PURE's executives, agents and members may be coordinated
Copies of the A.M Best Company report are available

SOURCE Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE)