Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing. My sedan’s from 2005 and those apps always flag my “hard braking,” even when I’m just dealing with the old brakes or the weird transmission lag. Here’s what I do: try to drive extra smooth for a week, then check the app to see if it helps my score at all. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It does feel like the tech expects everyone to have a car built in the last five years... kind of frustrating when you’re just trying to be safe, not flashy.
It does feel like the tech expects everyone to have a car built in the last five years... kind of frustrating when you’re just trying to be safe, not flashy.
That’s exactly it. My 2003 hatchback gets flagged for “aggressive acceleration” every time I try to merge onto the highway—honestly, it’s just doing its best. I get why the apps are trying to encourage safer driving, but they really don’t account for older cars with quirks. Sometimes I wonder if my insurance score would improve more if I just drove a newer car, but that kind of defeats the whole budget-friendly approach, right?
I hear you, but I’m not totally convinced it’s just the car. Those telematics apps can be a bit blunt, but they’re mostly tracking patterns—like how quickly you hit the gas or brake, regardless of model year. I’ve seen folks with older cars get decent scores if they ease up a bit, even if it means merging feels sluggish. Not saying it’s perfect, but sometimes a little adjustment helps more than we think… even if it’s not ideal for every situation.
Does anyone know if those telematics apps actually factor in rush hour traffic? I mean, sometimes you have to brake hard or speed up just to keep up with the flow, especially when everyone’s cutting in. I try to drive smooth, but city driving’s a whole different beast. Is it really worth dialing it back if it means getting honked at every morning?
Honestly, I’ve wondered the same thing about those apps. They say they’re “smart” and can tell the difference between normal city driving and reckless stuff, but I’m not totally convinced. Here’s how I try to handle it:
First, I keep in mind that the apps usually look for patterns over time, not just one-off hard brakes or quick accelerations. If you’re smooth most of the time, a few rough moments during rush hour probably won’t tank your score. Still, it’s tough when you’re in bumper-to-bumper traffic and people are cutting you off left and right.
I get nervous about getting honked at too, but honestly, I’d rather have a slightly lower telematics score than risk an accident just to avoid annoying someone behind me. Sometimes you just have to do what’s safest for the situation, even if it means a blip on your driving report.
It might not be perfect, but I figure as long as you’re not slamming on the brakes every block, you’re probably fine. City driving is just its own thing… I try not to stress too much about the app and focus more on not getting into fender benders.
