3 tips to accurately keep track of mileage

As a driver, it is essential to track your mileage. This gives you more visibility into your petrol consumption so you can plan more efficient ways to use your vehicle. The rate at which your car consumes petrol against its mileage will indicate whether your car is as fuel-efficient as it used to be, or if maintenance is required.

Keeping track of your mileage is also crucial for car insurance tracking, particularly if you are using a mileage-based car insurance plan. Since the premium for pay-per-kilometre car insurance is based on how much you drive, tracking your mileage allows you to know when it’s time to purchase a top-up or when to drive less, so you don’t exceed your limit.

To get the most bang for your buck, here are some tips to more accurately keep track of mileage:

Tips for keeping track of mileage

1. Use your odometer
   • Depending on the age of your vehicle, you either have a mechanical or digital odometer. An odometer is an instrument attached to your vehicle’s dashboard that measures the distance you have travelled. While it sounds reliable, your odometer can easily be reset at any time, which may ruin your maintenance and car insurance schedules. You can avoid this problem by marking the mileage cap on the car window decal sticker
      
2. Download a mile tracker app
   • Another option is to download a mile tracker app. Apps like Fuel Buddy help you record mileage, car maintenance expenses, and petrol consumption for better petrol control. It has an automatic trip logging function that removes the hassle of logging trips manually. Once you start driving, the distance will be detected until your vehicle stops. This app is also free for iOS and Android, making it easily accessible.
     
     Another app is Fuelly, which helps calculate your vehicle’s petrol economy and assesses your real petrol mileage so you can change driving habits accordingly.
      
3. Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze
   • Alternatively, you can make use of a map application to do your tracking. All you need to do is input your destination, and it will calculate the total travelled distance for you. However, the downside is that you would have to keep track of your trips manually if it’s a round trip. For example, if you were to travel to the supermarket from your house and back home, you’ll have to multiply the same distance by two to calculate the whole journey, which can be troublesome for some.
     
     Waze is another excellent resource for drivers as the GPS navigation software application works on any smartphone or tablet computer that has GPS support. To track your mileage, you have to let the app run on your screen. After your drive, you can then go into your account to view your tracked mileage. It downloads location-dependent information over a mobile telephone network while providing navigation information, user-submitted travel times, and route details, making it more convenient for drivers.

Take charge of your mileage

Your car’s mileage is an important metric to track. It can tell you a lot about your driving habits and influence better decision-making. Moreover, it helps you save on unnecessary expenditure on your vehicle.

If you’re a low-mileage driver, you would benefit from lower petrol consumption, lower vehicle maintenance, and a mileage-based car insurance plan. Chubb’s MY Smart Car Insurance plan offers you more cash savings to insure your car at a capped mileage compared to traditional auto insurance plans. Once you are more familiar with your monthly mileage, you can choose the plan that is right for you.

Are you ready to switch to a more flexible, affordable, and comprehensive car insurance plan? Get in touch with us here.