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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the car Black Box people (Admiral) are lying.

28 replies

CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 21:40

Dd has a black box, I pay the insurance and get a weekly report on her driving broken down into smoothness, night driving and speeding. Her smoothness score is always crap and I’m forever telling her it needs to improve.

Shes been away for a month and the car hasn’t been driven apart from me taking it for a ten mile drive in the middle the day. I purposefully drove it to see if I could improve the smoothness score so I drove for the entire time like there was a box of eggs on the roof. Rural country roads, minimal junctions and turns, empty roads. I came home smug in the knowledge the score would be good.

got the report and it’s 1/5 for smoothness and very interestingly 4/5 for night time driving. The only journey in the period covered is this one daytime drive!

I feel like emailing them!

OP posts:
Boreded · 02/05/2025 21:42

Maybe you’re a crap driver

Original poster
CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 21:43

Well I’m not 🤣

OP posts:
NannyPlum7 · 02/05/2025 21:43

…what is smoothness??

Original poster
CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 21:44

NannyPlum7 · 02/05/2025 21:43

…what is smoothness??

It’s related to (lack of) harsh braking and rapid acceleration.

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 02/05/2025 21:44

I think black boxes are a scam, dd didn’t get one for this reason.

Original poster
CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 21:45

And I can promise there was no harsh braking or rapid acceleration during the journey. I drove out the village, 5 miles along a straight rural road with no traffic, parked at a Starbucks, drove home along the same road.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 02/05/2025 21:46

I’d ask how they scored a nighttime drive that never happened?

or maybe why a nighttime drive was only 4/5 when surely if no one actually drove at night it should be perfect?!

overworkedmuma · 02/05/2025 21:46

I had this!
but worked out that someone had rummaged where box was and the box was on an angle so moved every bend I went around!
as for smoothness, just think potholes, they are rife near me so nothing much I could do, although I do think the box realised the same daily rough journey.
i am hoping that I get a better price next insurance quote but it was cheaper to have black box so am happy.

Alexandra2001 · 02/05/2025 21:48

CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 21:44

It’s related to (lack of) harsh braking and rapid acceleration.

Show quote history

You should ask for another unit if its the plug in type.... if its an app on the phone, not much you can do about that.

londongirl12 · 02/05/2025 21:48

There’s clearly an issue if its given you a night time score but you didn’t drive at night. I’d be contacting them!

GRex · 02/05/2025 21:50

These devices usually create an average score. If you've only driven once then it is probable it lacked data points, and used data from the previous month to complete the profile.

humptydumptyfelloff · 02/05/2025 21:50

Yep
oP We had the same with my eldest years ago.
we would get the email report and everytime it would say the same as yours.

I used her car for a week when she was away and the report came back the same and I know I didn’t break excessively etc and again had similar whereby it scored a night drive even though the car didn’t leave the drive after 4 pm that week.

in the end I rang them and got it removed and paid extra on insurance because we were told due to the reports her insurance wouldn’t probably go down the next time it was due so I’m fairly sure it’s done deliberately.

as soon as her insurance was due for renewal I went elsewhere and halved the cost

Balloonhearts · 02/05/2025 22:00

Some cars you cannot drive smoothly. I used to silently judge my friends driving as she would brake so hard. Then I had to move her car across the carpark and within a nanosecond of touching the brake, nearly knocked myself out on the steering wheel! I've never felt brakes so sharp, idk how she drives it like that.

FatherFrosty · 02/05/2025 22:03

I’ve known so many dodgy black boxes. Honestly, if they are going to penalise her ring up and ask for a new one

Original poster
CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 22:06

In fairness I don’t think they’re going to penalise her because she’s had the same scores for 4 years and her insurance goes down every year.

OP posts:
Original poster
CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 22:07

Alexandra2001 · 02/05/2025 21:48

You should ask for another unit if its the plug in type.... if its an app on the phone, not much you can do about that.

Show quote history

Yes, it’s a plug in one. I don’t even know where it is but maybe it’s not secure and is rattling around somewhere jerking about 😁

OP posts:
Newname71 · 02/05/2025 22:15

I’d never have one again!! I had one for 12 months, my premium was £600 a year. My driving scores were excellent and nearing renewal date I got an email saying I was in the top 20% of drivers and I may be in line for a big discount. When I got the renewal the premium was £1600!!

wwyd2021medicine · 02/05/2025 22:27

overworkedmuma · 02/05/2025 21:46

I had this!
but worked out that someone had rummaged where box was and the box was on an angle so moved every bend I went around!
as for smoothness, just think potholes, they are rife near me so nothing much I could do, although I do think the box realised the same daily rough journey.
i am hoping that I get a better price next insurance quote but it was cheaper to have black box so am happy.

The box jiggling around in the mug holder inDD's car gave much better scores once it was secured on the advice of the insurance man who said it was a common problem

BlondiePortz · 02/05/2025 23:42

Yes it is all one big conspiracy

Alexandra2001 · 03/05/2025 06:13

CamillaMacauley · 02/05/2025 22:07

Yes, it’s a plug in one. I don’t even know where it is but maybe it’s not secure and is rattling around somewhere jerking about 😁

Show quote history

Goes into the OBD2 port, usually under the steering wheel, or to one side, might have a red LED on it when ignition first goes on, there are 2 types, one that monitors all engine functions and movement sensors and one that just does movement.
Her first one used to flatten the battery :(

Kuretake · 03/05/2025 06:18

There are definitely issues with them. They can't tell if you're going uphill for one thing so getting up a steep incline can read as harsh acceleration.

DragonCity · 03/05/2025 06:33

If they are anything like the Life360 type apps then I wouldn't trust them. It constantly lists numerous events of phone usage on my drive, despite the fact that I have Bluetooth and never touch my phone whilst driving. Only get calls once in a blue moon anyway. Although I notice now you have to pay to see this info, it's not on the free app, so many people won't even realise they are holding this data.
It would worry me if the police ever looked at my phone after a crash.

Theunamedcat · 03/05/2025 06:41

I refuse to have one the town I live in is full of people who think it's OK to pull out stop for ghosts etc my score would be dreadful the amount of times I need to brake fast

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 03/05/2025 06:42

Balloonhearts · 02/05/2025 22:00

Some cars you cannot drive smoothly. I used to silently judge my friends driving as she would brake so hard. Then I had to move her car across the carpark and within a nanosecond of touching the brake, nearly knocked myself out on the steering wheel! I've never felt brakes so sharp, idk how she drives it like that.

'Some cars' is a bit of a stretch when your representative sample is one car that you drove for 20 metres

Balloonhearts · 03/05/2025 09:43

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 03/05/2025 06:42

'Some cars' is a bit of a stretch when your representative sample is one car that you drove for 20 metres

Show quote history

Others with the same car have said the same. They're sharp. Presumably it isn't a one off that was only built once.

What crawled up your arse and didn't die?