“half the time they ding you for ‘hard braking’ when you’re just trying not to hit a moose or swerve around a crater in the road.”
Right? Those apps act like we’re all cruising on freshly paved highways, not dodging potholes the size of bathtubs and the occasional moose parade. I tried one for a week and it felt like I was being graded by someone who’s never seen black ice. I’m with you—keeping a clean record is about all you can do out here. Bundling sounds nice until you realize you need a small fleet of toys to make it worth it. Alaska insurance is its own beast.
“keeping a clean record is about all you can do out here. Bundling sounds nice until you realize you need a small fleet of toys to make it worth it.”
That’s pretty much it. I tried the “safe driver” app too and got dinged for “aggressive acceleration” just merging onto the highway in a snowstorm. If you’re looking for discounts, here’s what’s actually worked for me: 1) ask about low-mileage discounts—if you don’t drive much, some companies will cut you a break. 2) Defensive driving courses sometimes knock off a chunk, even if you’ve been driving forever. Bundling only made sense for me once I added my snowmachine, but otherwise, yeah... not worth it unless you’ve got a garage full of stuff.
“Bundling only made sense for me once I added my snowmachine, but otherwise, yeah... not worth it unless you’ve got a garage full of stuff.”
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. Bundling always sounds like a deal until you realize you’re just paying for stuff you barely use. I did get a small break for having anti-theft on my truck, though—worth asking about if your rig’s newer. The “safe driver” apps are a joke in Alaska weather... mine dinged me for “hard braking” dodging a moose.
Honestly, those safe driver apps stress me out more than anything. I get why they exist, but how are you supposed to avoid “hard braking” when a caribou decides to cross at the worst possible moment? I’ve wondered if it’s even worth signing up for those discounts if it just means getting penalized for stuff you can’t control. Has anyone actually seen a big difference from the anti-theft discount? I’m still debating if it’s worth adding a system to my old Subaru...
- I’ve looked into anti-theft discounts, but honestly, the savings on my policy were barely noticeable—like, a few bucks a month at best.
- Bundling home and auto got me a bigger break than any “device” ever did.
- I hear you on those apps. My last trip to Anchorage, I had to slam the brakes for a moose and the app dinged me for it... not exactly fair.
- Has anyone tried negotiating directly with their agent for better rates? Wondering if that’s more effective than chasing all these little discounts.
