Hungarian police launch app rewarding responsible drivers

OBBPoint, billed as the first of its kind in the world, offers redeemable reward points for driving within speed limits

The Hungarian police are launching an application that will reward drivers who are wary of overspeeding, police.hu reports. The scheme, billed as “the world's first speed-based loyalty point system”, offers reward points to those who travel regularly within the speed limits. The collected points can be later redeemed for discounts and gifts at various stores and service providers.

Free download and no personal data collection

The OBBPoint app will be available from the beginning of August for free download in both Android and IOS versions. Users will have to register to download it.

When activated, the app will monitor the speed of the vehicle and accumulate credits for journeys if the speed limits have not been broken. Based on location coordinates, the smart software knows which speed limits apply to a given route and is able to identify periodic restrictions. Exceeding the maximum speed for short periods of time, for example when overtaking another vehicle, is not considered an offense, provided that the driver slows down after the manoeuvre.

Police assures that no personal data will be retained either during registration, or when points are collected, or when the credits are used for purchases.

OBBPoint can be switched on and off by the driver at any time. Moreover, the app can run in parallel on two phones within a car. So, adults and kids (using an age-friendly version) can compete in a traffic police-themed game based on the points collected with a chance to win a smartphone or even a car.    

Lowest road fatality numbers on record

A statistical survey on road safety in the European Union in 2020 commissioned by the European Commission found Hungary with 46 road fatalities per million inhabitants. This is slightly above the EU average but the country’s progress in lowering the number of people killed in traffic accidents is notable.

Following a 25 percent reduction in 2020, Hungary recorded its lowest number of road deaths ever, according to the survey. This is indicative of a stable downward trend, given that over the last decade, the number of road fatalities has dropped by 39 percent.

This progress in lowering traffic mortality can be attributed to Hungary’s zero-tolerance law regarding drunk driving, but reduced traffic flows due to the pandemic could have played a part, too.