I’m right there with you—these trackers just don’t get the context. I had one mark me for “rapid acceleration” last winter when I was just trying to merge onto an icy highway before a semi barreled past. You can’t win sometimes.
Here’s what I’ve learned poking around:
- Some companies still offer policies without the tracking, but it’s getting harder to find them, or they’ll quietly jack up the base rates if you opt out.
- A few let you try the tracker for a while and then decide, but if you say no, you lose out on any “safe driver” discount they dangle in front of you.
- I’ve heard from a couple neighbors that local agents (not the big online ones) have more flexibility. They’ll actually listen if you explain why you don’t want the device, and sometimes they can find a policy that doesn’t require it.
It’s honestly starting to feel like a trade-off: either pay more for privacy and less hassle, or play along with the tech and hope it doesn’t misinterpret your driving. Not sure which is worse. Has anyone had luck pushing back on those black marks? Like, does keeping your own log actually help if you end up disputing a rate hike? I like the idea but wonder how much sway it really has when it comes down to it...
I’m also curious if anyone’s seen age factor into this—do these trackers ding us more as we get older? Or is that just my paranoia talking?
I hear you on the trackers—mine dinged me for “hard braking” last month when a deer shot out in front of me. Like, what was I supposed to do, let Bambi hitch a ride? Sometimes it feels like these things are just looking for reasons to judge us.
About keeping your own log, I actually tried that once. Had a little notebook in the glove box and jotted down anything weird that happened, thinking it’d help if I needed to dispute something. When my rate went up for “aggressive driving,” I called the company and tried to explain. They were polite, but honestly, I don’t think they even looked at my notes. Maybe it depends on the agent, but it felt pretty futile.
As for age, I swear the rates started creeping up right after I hit 65. Not sure if the tracker is harsher or if it’s just the usual insurance math, but it does feel like we get penalized twice—once for age, once for “tech errors.” It’s enough to make you want to trade in the car for a horse... though knowing my luck, they’d find a way to track that too.
Honestly, I kind of get where the trackers are coming from, even if it feels unfair sometimes. I mean, yeah, they ding you for stuff that’s out of your control—like wildlife—but at the same time, I’ve seen people slam on their brakes for no reason or take corners way too fast. I guess the tech’s not perfect, but I’d rather have them flag risky stuff than just go off age alone. Still, the notebook idea seems smart. Even if the insurance folks don’t care, at least you know you’re not losing your mind. Rates jumping at 65 stings though... feels like there’s no winning.
I get what you’re saying about the trackers, but honestly, I think they’re just another way for insurance companies to squeeze more out of us. Here’s how I see it:
- The tech flags stuff that isn’t even dangerous half the time. Hit a pothole? Hard brake. Swerve for a deer? Hard turn. It’s like, what do they expect—just plow into stuff?
- I’ve had my tracker ding me for “speeding” when I was literally keeping up with traffic on the highway. Not weaving, not tailgating, just driving with everyone else.
- The age thing is a joke too. Rates go up at 65 no matter how clean your record is. My uncle’s never had a ticket in his life and his premium still shot up last year.
- Writing everything down in a notebook sounds good in theory, but when push comes to shove, the insurance company doesn’t care. They’ll just say “the data doesn’t lie.” Never mind that the data is garbage half the time.
I get that some people drive like maniacs and need to be reined in, but lumping everyone together based on age or some glitchy device isn’t fair either. If they really wanted safer roads, they’d look at actual accident reports and tickets—not just some app that can’t tell the difference between a squirrel and reckless driving.
Maybe I’m jaded because my rates have been sky-high since my last fender bender (which wasn’t even my fault), but it feels like there’s no way to win unless you just stop driving altogether. And that’s not realistic for most of us.
Just my two cents... I’d rather deal with an agent who actually knows me than trust some algorithm that thinks it knows how I drive better than I do.
I totally get the frustration with those trackers. I tried one for a few months and it dinged me for “aggressive acceleration” when I was just merging onto the highway like everyone else. It’s like, what do they expect us to do—crawl along and hope nobody rear-ends us? I’m all for safer roads, but sometimes these devices seem more interested in catching you out than actually understanding real-world driving.
The age-based rate hikes are rough too. My dad’s in his late 60s, never had a claim, and his premium still jumped last year. It feels like once you hit a certain age, they just assume you’re suddenly a risk, no matter your record. Makes no sense.
I do wonder if anyone’s actually had luck appealing those tracker results or getting their agent to override them. Has anyone managed to get a rate lowered after challenging the data? Or is it just a lost cause once the algorithm decides you’re “risky”?
