App Frequently Asked Questions

I have the Guardian Angel on Call benefit on my 1st for Women app. What has changed?

Previously the Guardian Angel on Call benefit only consisted of Mobile Crash Detection available to comprehensive and off-road vehicle policies. From 1 August 2018 new benefits are available on the 1st for Women app.

Additional benefits available on the app from 1 August 2018:

Policyholders; regular drivers; and/or nominated family/household member(s) will be able to request the following services on the 1st for Women app:

• Emergency Medical Assistance
• Accident Assistance
• Roadside Assistance
• Stand-by-me
• A lift
• Panic Button

The new Guardian Angel on Call benefits are now available to Third Party, Fire & Theft; Motorcycle and Third Party only policies. However, the Mobile Crash Detection benefit remains available to only comprehensive and off-road vehicle policies.

Please note: Accident and Roadside assistance will only be covered if it is the insured vehicle that requires assistance and if the insured vehicle has cover with 1st for Women for either one of the following: comprehensive; off-road; third party, fire & theft; or motorcycle.

Where can I access the product terms and conditions?

They will be available on the 1st for Women website and on the app.

On the 1st for Women website, you will find the terms and conditions by clicking on the Benefits tab in the menu bar. You will then select Guardian Angel on Call from the dropdown menu.

On the 1st for Women app, open the side menu, click on Terms and Conditions to access this information.

What is the Guardian Angel on Call benefit?

The Guardian Angel on Call benefit on the 1^st for Women app is there to help keep you safe on the road, in any vehicle.

Guardian Angel on Call is available to comprehensive; off-road; third party, fire and theft; motorcycle; and third party only policies, but offers a different set of benefits for each of the cover types:

- Comprehensive & Off-road cover:

Guardian Angel on Call offers:

• A mobile crash detector that detects if you were in a severe accident and sends help immediately to your location.

• An ambulance if you need emergency medical assistance.

• An authorised tow-truck that you can track to your exact location.

• A roadside assistance provider that you can track to your exact location if your vehicle is out of fuel, has a flat battery, or a flat tyre.

• A lift to wherever you need to go if your vehicle was towed.

• Someone to wait with you until help arrives.

• Our claims team will be notified immediately of your accident.

• Guardian Angel on Call can be shared with the regular drivers on the policy and up to 5 family and household members.
  
  

- Third Party, Fire & Theft; Motorcycle cover:

Guardian Angel on Call is only available to the policyholder and offers:

• An ambulance if you need emergency medical assistance.

• An authorised tow-truck that you can track to your exact location.

• A roadside assistance provider that you can track to your exact location if your vehicle is out of fuel, has a flat battery, or a flat tyre.

• A lift to wherever you need to go if your vehicle was towed.

• Someone to wait with you until help arrives.

• Our claims team will be notified immediately of your accident.
  
  

- Third Party Only policies:

Guardian Angel on Call is only available to the policyholder and offers:

• An ambulance if you need emergency medical assistance.

• A lift to wherever you need to go if your vehicle was towed.
  
  

Will this benefit also be available outside the borders of South Africa?

No, the services are only offered within the borders of South Africa.

Who can benefit from using the Guardian Angel on Call?

- Comprehensive & Off-road vehicle cover:

This benefit is available to the policyholder, regular drivers and/or nominated family/household member(s).

- Third Party, Fire & Theft; Motorcycle policies:

This benefit is only available to the policyholder.

- Third Party Only policies:

This benefit is only available to the policyholder.

Will my profile automatically be loaded onto the application?

No, your profile is not automatically loaded to the app. Anyone using the app needs to sign in to their profile after the app has downloaded on their phone.

Thereafter, from within the app, policyholders that have comprehensive or off-road vehicle cover can send a link to the regular driver via SMS.

The regular driver would then use that link to download and register on the app and accept the application’s Terms and Conditions.

Policyholders that have comprehensive or off-road vehicle cover can also nominate up to 5 family/household members from within the app and send them a link via SMS, along with a benefits code. The family/household members would use the link to download the app, register and insert the benefits code. They would also need to accept the application’s Terms and Conditions.

If I already have an online website profile, do I need to register on the application?

No, you can sign into the application using your valid SA ID number/passport number.

How do I download the application?

The policyholder, regular driver/s and nominated family/household members can download the 1st for Women app from the relevant App store (iOS and Android) on her/his smartphone. The regular driver would download the app, sign in using either their ID/passport number and register. If we have their details on our system if not, the policyholder would have to nominate them as a regular driver on the website. The nominated family/household members would download the app, sign in and then register using the benefits code sent to them by the policyholder via SMS.

How many phones can I link the application to?

The application can be installed on multiple devices, but the user can only be signed in on one device at a time.

- Comprehensive and off-road vehicle cover:

Policyholders, regular drivers and the nominated family/household members linked to the policy have access to the benefits of the application.

- Third party, fire & theft; Motorcycle; Third Party Only cover:

The benefits of the application is only available to the policyholder.

What happens if I cancel my policy?

The Guardian Angel on Call benefit on the 1st for Women app will automatically stop functioning on the agreed cancellation date for the policyholder, regular driver and nominated family/household members.

What happens if I remove a vehicle from my policy?

If there is only one insured vehicle on the policy the Guardian Angel on Call benefit will automatically stop functioning on the agreed cancellation date for the policyholder, regular driver and nominated family/household members.
If there is more than one insured vehicle on the policy and only one is removed, then only the regular driver of that vehicle would lose the benefit on the agreed cancellation date.

What happens if I downgrade my cover from comprehensive to third party, fire and theft or third party only?

If there is only one comprehensively insured vehicle on the policy and unless the regular driver is also noted on another vehicle that is comprehensively insured, Mobile Crash Detection will automatically stop functioning on the agreed cancellation date for the policyholder, regular driver and nominated family/household members. All other Guardian Angel on Call benefits (except for the Mobile Crash Detection will remain available on the app.

If there is more than one comprehensively insured vehicle and only one is downgraded, then only the regular driver of that vehicle would lose the Mobile Crash Detection benefit on the agreed cancellation date.

How much data do I need for the application to function? What is the average data usage per day?

The application uses approximately the same data as a map or navigation application. For the application to properly run and send notifications, you would need approximately 1MB of data per day.

What happens if I run out of data?

Depending on your mobile operator and type of account, you might start to incur costs in ‘out of bundle’ rates. If you run out of data the application will stop functioning and you will not be able to benefit from the Guardian Angel on Call benefit.

What operating system does my phone require?

For Apple devices, the application requires iOS version 8.1 and above.

For Android devices, the application requires Android 4.4 and above.

What is the minimum phone specs required?

Your phone must have the relevant operating systems i.e. iOS version 8.1 and above for Apple devices and 4.4 “Gingerbread” and above for Android.

It must be GPS enabled for monitoring of trips.

Will the app drain my battery?

The application has approximately the same battery usage as map or navigation applications while monitoring trips.

What happens if my phone’s battery runs out? 

- Mobile Crash Detection:

If your phone’s battery runs out during a trip, the trip will not be monitored and the application will not be aware of or be able to trace any incident.

- Accident or Roadside Assist:

If you have requested accident or roadside assistance and have received a notification that the assist provider is dispatched, you will still receive assistance.

If you have requested accident or roadside assistance and your phone’s battery ran out before you received a notification that the assist provider is dispatched we cannot guarantee that an assist provider received your request or location in-time.

Will the Mobile Crash Detector data from my application affect my claim?

No it won’t, this data is only used to determine the severity of the accident and your location to enable us to dispatch the nearest EMS/assist providers to the correct location.

Is the application compatible with smart watches?

The application is not compatible with smart watches or similar devices.

Is the application compatible with a tablet?

The application is not compatible with tablets.

Who can share the application benefit?

Only customers with comprehensive or off-road vehicle cover can share the app with the regular drivers on their policy and up to 5 family/household members.

Who has access to the Mobile Crash Detection benefit?
 
Mobile Crash Detection is a benefit that is included in all comprehensive and off-road vehicle 1st for Women policies. The benefit is available to the regular driver.

How does Mobile Crash Detection work?

Through the 1st for Women app, the mobile crash detector can detect movement and speed by using the smartphone’s GPS and accelerometer. From here the embedded algorithm understands when the regular driver is in motion. Should she/he be in an accident, it can calculate the likelihood of impact and will automatically trigger an alert if the algorithm measures a force equal to a severe accident.

A medically trained emergency assist consultant will then phone the regular driver to confirm if she/he needs emergency medical assistance. If she/he confirms the need for assistance or does not answer her/his phone, the consultant will immediately dispatch the nearest emergency medical service (EMS) to the exact accident location recorded by the app at the time of the accident.

How do I know that the Mobile Crash Detection is working on the app and is there a way of testing if it’s working?

The app was designed to run silently in the background without interfering with your mobile device usage. To test if this feature is running correctly, you can open the app menu, tap the Guardian Angel on Call button on the home page, and then select Mobile Crash Detection.

The policyholder can see if the regular driver details are updated via the 1st for Women app. If the policyholder would like to make a change or update the details of the regular driver, they can contact the call centre or update them on their online profile on the 1st for Women website.

When does the Mobile Crash Detection benefit on the app work?

The app uses smart drive-detection technology to automatically switch on when you start driving and begin monitoring your trip. It will automatically detect a severe vehicle accident and instantly alert the 1st for Women emergency assist provider, who will phone the relevant user to confirm if she/he needs emergency medical assistance.

If the regular driver confirms the need for assistance or does not answer her/his phone, the nearest emergency medical services (EMS) will be dispatched to the accident location recorded by the app. Please note that the app must be running with the driver signed in, and with the location services switched on for the Mobile Crash Detection benefit to work.

Who will respond to my emergency?

The emergency contact centre consultant can immediately dispatch the nearest emergency medical services (EMS) and supply them with the registered user’s medical information, if received from the regular driver.

If I need medical assistance where will I be taken?

The 1st for Women Mobile Crash Detection benefit is only an early alert system for emergency medical services (EMS) to be dispatched to your location. The standard EMS’ processes and procedures will determine the medical treatment provided and the medical facilities used.

What will your response times be?

This app was designed to minimise the time-consuming factors that could possibly delay the emergency medical services’ (EMS) response times. While impossible to give an exact response time, it would be accurate to say that there is an immediate responding call once an alert is triggered.

Why do you need my medical information, and is my information safe with you?

By completing your medical information on the app, we can assist the EMS in responding to your accident with relevant information to give you the best possible medical care.

Your information will be stored on the app’s server and will only be accessed and shared with the selected EMS when the system has alerted them of a severe accident.

If my nominated drivers’ medical information changes, how do I update it?

By installing and logging into the 1st for Women app, you will have instant access to update and save your medical aid details and medical conditions as frequently as needed. Each user must update their medical information through the Mobile Crash Detection section on the app.

What constitutes a severe accident?

We use an algorithm that monitors a variety of sensors on your phone. This algorithm activates only when the vehicle is in motion. Through understanding this, we can eliminate "false positives" such as accidentally dropping the phone and only monitor the sensors of a mobile phone when driving. 

If I don’t want this product, can it be excluded?

The product is provided as part of our assist offerings and is included as a benefit to your 1st for Women policy. If the regular driver decides not to download, register, or use the app, they will not benefit from this assist offering.

Is Mobile Crash Detection different from my Accident Assist / Medical Assist?

Yes, this is an early alert system that is designed to automatically detect a severe vehicle accident. Its main goal is to minimize the EMS response times by accurately identifying the location of the accident. Additionally, it also ensures appropriate medical attention by providing vital patient information directly to the first responder.

Will I be able to capture my next of kin details to contact in case of an emergency?

No, we will send your information and location directly to the relevant EMS who will determine the severity of the accident. It is part of the EMS service to then get hold of your next of kin, if needed.

Will the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) be dispatched in the event of an accident in which I am driving someone else’s vehicle or if I am a passenger in another vehicle?

Yes. If you are the regular driver, signed into the app with your smartphone and all relevant settings switched on, emergency medical services (EMS) will be dispatched. All occupants of the vehicle will receive assistance according to standard emergency medical service procedures.

Where do I position my phone when driving?

Preferably on a flat, stable surface where the phone will not move around.

How do I request accident / roadside assistance?

Open the 1st for Women application, tap the Guardian Angel on Call button. You then have the option to select accident or roadside assistance.

Will I be able to request accident / roadside assistance even if my vehicle is not on the policy?

Yes, you will be able to request roadside assistance for a vehicle not insured on your 1st for Women policy, however it will be at your own expense. Our call centre will discuss the cost with you.

Where will you tow my vehicle to?

If your vehicle was towed as result of an accident, it will be towed to one of our approved towing destinations. If your vehicle was towed as result of a breakdown, it will be towed to the nearest dealer.

Do I need to notify the claims team if my vehicle was towed?

No, you don’t have to notify us, provided your vehicle was towed by one of our approved assist providers. In the event of an accident tow, our claims team will automatically be notified and will get in touch with you during office hours the following day to register the claim.

When can I request a lift?

If the insured vehicle was towed due to an accident or breakdown.

Where will the lift take me?

To a destination of your choice / the nearest place of safety, but it will be limited to the metro area where the incident occurred.

How many lifts do I qualify for?

We will only arrange one lift per incident. The lift will be arranged to take you from the assistance location to a place of safety after the insured vehicle has been towed due to an accident or breakdown.

What will happen if I request medical assistance on the app?

Our emergency medical assist provider’s contact number will appear on your screen and you will be asked to make the phone call to their contact centre. A trained and qualified emergency medical agent will answer your call and assist you. They will assess the situation and will dispatch EMS to assist you if necessary.

What will happen if I let you know that I feel unsafe?

The contact centre will provide safety tips and will send the closest available Guardian Angel to wait with you until help arrives.