Anyone here used Hastings YouDrive or other app-only telemat
Discussion
Hey folks,
My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I’ve found is around £1800.
However, I’ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive — a telematics policy that doesn’t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I’ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I’d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I’m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it’s gone for others — especially long-term users or anyone who’s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance 🙏
My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I’ve found is around £1800.
However, I’ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive — a telematics policy that doesn’t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I’ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I’d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I’m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it’s gone for others — especially long-term users or anyone who’s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance 🙏
I have Hastings Direct YouDrive on an Ineos Grenadier; they sent a little box to fix to the windscreen that uses BlueTooth to connect to my phone. A short setting up session and it logs each drive as it happens and feeds back in the app.
I'm good to excellent on phone use, speeding, much less good on braking, OK on acceleration and cornering, I have currently got a score of 71, where I understand less than 55 is an issue. I do not have a reputation for driving slowly, but I do have a lifetime clean licence, ( and i'm over 60).
It is a definate spy in the cab, but not really a spy elsewhere.
As for your questions,
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips? No, the little stick on box and BlueTooth tie it to the car.
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)? They will get really mardy at 30mph above the speed limit, (it is in the blurb, read the fine print).
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too? Apparently not, you can flag trips where you are the passenger.
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery? It's BlueTooth, so if BlueTooth is on, then so is the app. The overhead has made no difference to my phone.
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings? Not so far, but I am not a maniac - they do warn about exceed 30mph over the speed limit and getting the driving score down to 55.
I'm good to excellent on phone use, speeding, much less good on braking, OK on acceleration and cornering, I have currently got a score of 71, where I understand less than 55 is an issue. I do not have a reputation for driving slowly, but I do have a lifetime clean licence, ( and i'm over 60).
It is a definate spy in the cab, but not really a spy elsewhere.
As for your questions,
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips? No, the little stick on box and BlueTooth tie it to the car.
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)? They will get really mardy at 30mph above the speed limit, (it is in the blurb, read the fine print).
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too? Apparently not, you can flag trips where you are the passenger.
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery? It's BlueTooth, so if BlueTooth is on, then so is the app. The overhead has made no difference to my phone.
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings? Not so far, but I am not a maniac - they do warn about exceed 30mph over the speed limit and getting the driving score down to 55.
Edited by jeremy996 on Friday 27th June 23:39
BFerman77 said:
Hey folks,
My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I ve found is around £1800.
However, I ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive a telematics policy that doesn t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it s gone for others especially long-term users or anyone who s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance ?
My wife had it last year. In answer to your questions My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I ve found is around £1800.
However, I ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive a telematics policy that doesn t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it s gone for others especially long-term users or anyone who s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance ?
There’s a little gadget that you stick in the dashboard which tracks the car movements. It assumes the policyholder is driving when the policyholder’s phone is in the car
Trip tracking is very accurate.
It doesn’t log walking (the tracker is in the car) . When the policyholder is a passenger it gives you an option in the app to ignore that trip. This is useful because it recognises when the phone is being used and marks the policyholder down if they were supposedly driving
Only the policyholder needs the app.
No noticeable effect on battery
It’s pretty sharp on identifying harsh acceleration, braking, fast cornering but, unless you’re driving everywhere at 9/10ths you should be fine. I was easily getting 95+ and my wife was getting over 85
That being said neither of us generally breaks the speed limit.
Bill said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
Buying any telematics insurance policy is akin to doing a deal with Satan
Occasionally fun??“Hell isn’t all that bad you know, it’s just for people who like different things, like the looting, the pillaging, the murdering…. you know, that sort of thing “
georgeyboy12345 said:
I d sooner pay the £450
My son was the same when he insured his first car a few weeks ago after passing his test, though the difference was £1,000, so he paid £2,700 instead of £1,700. His money, his choice. I got a bit of a slating on her for this. Effectively he pays approx £80/month for the freedom of not being monitored
Do a search for 'telematics' on here and online - I am sure there have been various stories of apps not working properly and companies cancelling based on spurious reasons.
At £10/week extra for not having Big Brother looking over your shoulder and tracking your every input and action with the intention of using any mistakes against you, I'd be paying the extra.
At £10/week extra for not having Big Brother looking over your shoulder and tracking your every input and action with the intention of using any mistakes against you, I'd be paying the extra.
Countdown said:
BFerman77 said:
Hey folks,
My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I ve found is around £1800.
However, I ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive a telematics policy that doesn t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it s gone for others especially long-term users or anyone who s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance ?
My wife had it last year. In answer to your questions My car insurance renewal came in at a ridiculous £2800 this year. The next cheapest non-telematics quote I ve found is around £1800.
However, I ve just been quoted £1300 with Hastings YouDrive a telematics policy that doesn t require a black box but instead uses a smartphone app to track your driving. Massive saving, but I ve got some concerns.
If you've used Hastings YouDrive or any similar app-based telematics policy (no black box), I d love your thoughts on:
How accurate is the trip tracking?
Does it wrongly log walking, public transport or passenger trips?
How strict are they with things like speed (e.g. 75-80mph on motorway)?
Do both drivers (my wife is a named driver) need the app too?
Does it run constantly in the background and drain your battery?
Any issues with privacy, missed journeys, or policy warnings?
I like the idea of the savings, but I m worried about being tracked 24/7 or penalised for things outside my control.
Would really appreciate hearing how it s gone for others especially long-term users or anyone who s claimed while on it!
Thanks in advance ?
There s a little gadget that you stick in the dashboard which tracks the car movements. It assumes the policyholder is driving when the policyholder s phone is in the car
Trip tracking is very accurate.
It doesn t log walking (the tracker is in the car) . When the policyholder is a passenger it gives you an option in the app to ignore that trip. This is useful because it recognises when the phone is being used and marks the policyholder down if they were supposedly driving
Only the policyholder needs the app.
No noticeable effect on battery
It s pretty sharp on identifying harsh acceleration, braking, fast cornering but, unless you re driving everywhere at 9/10ths you should be fine. I was easily getting 95+ and my wife was getting over 85
That being said neither of us generally breaks the speed limit.
Does this cause issues if the named drivers are frequent users of the car and the journeys aren’t logged on the app?
Thanks
Gavmac said:
Im trying to understand how it would work if my wife (who will be the the policy holder / main driver) has the app on her phone,- if I or my daughter (named drivers on the policy) drive the car but my wife is not in the car as a passenger with her phone?
Does this cause issues if the named drivers are frequent users of the car and the journeys aren t logged on the app?
Thanks
To be honest I don't know, the situation never came up.Does this cause issues if the named drivers are frequent users of the car and the journeys aren t logged on the app?
Thanks
When i drove the car without my wife the app still recorded it (the GPS tracker is permanently in the car) but it showed differently on the App because my wife's phone wasn't in the car when it was beingd riven (it didn't count towards my wife's "scores"). However, on average, we drove the car roughly the same number of times so I assume it didn't create any issues.
In your case where your driving + your daughter's driving exceeds the number of times your wife is recorded as driving I guess they could possibly argue that you were "fronting" but I think it's a long shot.
Gavmac said:
[
Im trying to understand how it would work if my wife (who will be the the policy holder / main driver) has the app on her phone,- if I or my daughter (named drivers on the policy) drive the car but my wife is not in the car as a passenger with her phone?
Does this cause issues if the named drivers are frequent users of the car and the journeys aren t logged on the app?
Thanks
BlueTooth is a short range radio system, so if your wife is not in the car, the dongle will not be able to talk to her phone, (with the app), and the trip will not be logged.Im trying to understand how it would work if my wife (who will be the the policy holder / main driver) has the app on her phone,- if I or my daughter (named drivers on the policy) drive the car but my wife is not in the car as a passenger with her phone?
Does this cause issues if the named drivers are frequent users of the car and the journeys aren t logged on the app?
Thanks
Baldchap said:
If paying a fine for doing 0-20 in six seconds is your bag, go for it.
That was the day we cancelled the Boy's policy and paid for a proper one.
Utter scam once we got into the detail of what was considered fineable driving. Wouldn't touch again with yours.
My daughter has it. Never had a problem, current score is 91. Not sure they fine you. Are you making that up? I suspect your 'boy' has more to hide. That was the day we cancelled the Boy's policy and paid for a proper one.
Utter scam once we got into the detail of what was considered fineable driving. Wouldn't touch again with yours.
Baldchap said:
If paying a fine for doing 0-20 in six seconds is your bag, go for it.
That was the day we cancelled the Boy's policy and paid for a proper one.
Utter scam once we got into the detail of what was considered fineable driving. Wouldn't touch again with yours.
I have to be honest I didn't find them particularly intrusive. IIRC Mrs C got a warning once when she braked hard (after somebody cut her up) but her driving was generally scored in the high 90's (and even she wouldn't claim to be an amazing driver). In short I think you would have to be pretty regularly braking and accelerating sharply for them to get stroppy with you.That was the day we cancelled the Boy's policy and paid for a proper one.
Utter scam once we got into the detail of what was considered fineable driving. Wouldn't touch again with yours.
The savings for Mrs C were about £300pa, for my eldest daughter when she started driving a telematics policy was £1,600 and the cheapest non-telematics was £3,500. It's a no-brainer. However YMMV
jeremy996 said:
BlueTooth is a short range radio system, so if your wife is not in the car, the dongle will not be able to talk to her phone, (with the app), and the trip will not be logged.
The trip is still logged and still appears on the App - but it's not "scored" against the Main Policyholder. So if the main Policyholder wanted to drive it like they stole it they'd need to leave their phone at home.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff