I've thought about giving those tracking apps a try, but honestly, I'm still on the fence. A buddy of mine used one and said it penalized him pretty hard for braking suddenly—even though it was to avoid hitting a deer. Makes me wonder how accurately these things can judge context, you know? Have you noticed if it affects your driving habits in general, like making you more cautious or hesitant behind the wheel?
Honestly, I've steered clear of those tracking apps for pretty much the same reason. Seems like they're great in theory, but not so much in practice. I'd rather just stick to defensive driving and shopping around every renewal to keep my rates reasonable...works for me so far.
Tried one of those tracking apps a while back—felt like it penalized me for normal driving situations (like braking at yellow lights). Dropped it pretty quick. Defensive driving and regular comparison shopping have done way more to keep my premiums manageable.
- Yeah, those tracking apps can be weirdly judgmental... I once got dinged for braking hard when a chicken darted onto the road (true Hawaii moment right there).
- Honestly, defensive driving and shopping around every 6 months or so has saved me way more than any app ever did.
- Curious though, anyone find that taking a defensive driving course actually made a noticeable dent in their premiums here? Or is it mostly just peace of mind?
"Curious though, anyone find that taking a defensive driving course actually made a noticeable dent in their premiums here? Or is it mostly just peace of mind?"
I was skeptical about the whole defensive driving course thing too, but figured I'd give it a shot after my insurance labeled me "high-risk" (long story involving a rental Jeep and some questionable off-roading decisions...). Honestly, the class itself was pretty basic—mostly stuff you'd already know if you've been driving a while. But surprisingly, it did shave a bit off my premium. Nothing huge, but enough to notice when the bill came around.
Still, I agree with you about shopping around every few months. Those tracking apps never worked for me either. Got dinged once for "late-night driving," like it's my fault I prefer empty roads at midnight over rush-hour traffic. Anyway, the course might be worth it if you're borderline on rates, but don't expect miracles.
