"Sometimes it'd log trips when I wasn't even driving (like riding shotgun with friends), and other times it'd miss entire drives."
Yeah, those apps can be pretty flaky. But honestly, I've had decent luck with mine lately. I think it really depends on the phone model and how sensitive the GPS is. My wife's older phone was a disaster—logging random trips or missing half her drives—but since she upgraded, it's been pretty spot-on. Might be worth giving it another shot if you've changed phones recently...could save you a few bucks.
I've noticed a couple things that help with accuracy:
- Make sure your location permissions are set to "always allow," not just "while using."
- Keep Bluetooth on—it helps the app distinguish when you're actually driving vs. just riding along.
- Restarting your phone every now and then seems to help too...no idea why, but it does.
Good tips, especially the Bluetooth one—I hadn't thought of that. I've been using one of those insurance apps for a while now, and honestly, it's saved me a decent chunk each month. Couple things I've noticed:
- Keeping your phone plugged in or charged seems to help accuracy too. Maybe it keeps the GPS from going into battery-saving mode or something?
- I also found that if you drive mostly during off-peak hours (like avoiding rush hour), some apps give you better scores and discounts.
- Weirdly enough, my app penalized me once when I had to brake hard to avoid hitting a deer...so there's definitely room for improvement there.
Has anyone figured out if certain insurance companies in Delaware offer better discounts or rewards specifically for safe driving apps? I'm always looking to squeeze a few extra bucks out of my monthly bills...
"Weirdly enough, my app penalized me once when I had to brake hard to avoid hitting a deer...so there's definitely room for improvement there."
Yeah, that's exactly why I've been hesitant about these apps. Had a similar experience—had to slam the brakes when someone cut me off, and my score tanked for a week. But your point about off-peak driving is interesting; never thought about timing my errands differently. Might give it another shot if Delaware insurers offer decent incentives...guess it's time to do some digging around again.
Had the same issue with one of those apps—had to brake suddenly when a cyclist swerved into my lane, and my rating dropped noticeably. Kind of frustrating since it was actually defensive driving. Still, the off-peak driving thing does make sense; fewer cars means fewer unpredictable moments. Might experiment with timing errands differently, see if it helps...assuming Delaware insurers actually reward that kind of thing.
