Cheaper car insurance for gamers

Have you got what it takes as a gamer? You could qualify for reduced car insurance premiums, according to one insurer. There is a catch though.

A US insurer is offering discounts to drivers over 50 who score highly in brain-training computer games. Here's some more ways the gaming industry could make buying insurance cheaper and more pleasurable.

Discounts for playing computer games sounds like the kind of concept you would only encounter in a Will Ferrell movie, but US insurer Allstate is giving it a go nonetheless, trying out games which are claimed to "reverse age related cognitive decline", which we think is a nice way of saying "forgetful Grandpa driving syndrome".

Before you throw your control across the room in order to sign up to test it out, there's a bunch of fine print. Crucically, you need to be over 50 and live in Pennsylvania, in which case frankly anything might be good to relieve the boredom. "If using the software is successful in reducing accident rates among customers 50 years and older, Allstate hopes to begin offering discounts to drivers who use the computer-based exercises to help improve their mental sharpness," a statement from the insurer notes.

Sadly, even this doesn't mean your Gran Turismo skillz will score you some savings. The games have been developed by Posit Science, which proclaims itself the "leading provider of clinically validated brain fitness products and services". In real world terms, this translates as "We're trying to look less shonky than people who think they can improve their IQ with Dr Kawashima's Brain Training" rather than "We're going to make Halo look duller than televised golf".Continued...