Monitoring apparatus for providing vehicle telematics data, the apparatus comprising: means (10, 12) for sensing vehicle and engine motion induced vibration in part of a vehicle and for generating vibration associated data, the sensing means (10, 12) being adapted to be coupled to said part of said vehicle; means for processing said vehicle and engine motion induced vibration associated data to generate processed data representing at least one characteristic of said vehicle or engine; and means for communicating said processed data representing at least one characteristic of said vehicle or engine to a communication device for use in compiling telematics data for said vehicle; wherein the apparatus has a first data acquisition mode and a second data acquisition mode, the power consumption of the device being relatively higher in the second data acquisition mode than the first data acquisition mode; wherein said processing means is configured to: identify at least one vehicle related event from said vehicle and engine motion induced vibration associated data; to determine a respective vehicle related event type for each identified event; to determine whether a change from one of the first and second data acquisition modes to the other of said first and second data acquisition modes should be triggered based on said determination of a respective event type for each identified event; and to trigger said change from said one of the first and second data acquisition modes to the other of said first and second data acquisition modes when it is determined that said change should be triggered; and wherein, in the second data acquisition mode, the apparatus is configured to do at least one of: read sensor data at an increased rate relative to the first data acquisition mode in order to gather sensor data; send a communication signal at an increased rate relative to the first data acquisition mode for establishing a connection for transmitting data; select a different power-management algorithm relative to the first data acquisition mode; and/or choose an alternative service flow or communication protocol method relative to the first data acquisition mode. means (10, 12) for sensing vehicle and engine motion induced vibration in part of a vehicle and for generating vibration associated data, the sensing means (10, 12) being adapted to be coupled to said part of said vehicle; means for processing said vehicle and engine motion induced vibration associated data to generate processed data representing at least one characteristic of said vehicle or engine; and means for communicating said processed data representing at least one characteristic of said vehicle or engine to a communication device for use in compiling telematics data for said vehicle; wherein the apparatus has a first data acquisition mode and a second data acquisition mode, the power consumption of the device being relatively higher in the second data acquisition mode than the first data acquisition mode; wherein said processing means is configured to: identify at least one vehicle related event from said vehicle and engine motion induced vibration associated data; to determine a respective vehicle related event type for each identified event; to determine whether a change from one of the first and second data acquisition modes to the other of said first and second data acquisition modes should be triggered based on said determination of a respective event type for each identified event; and to trigger said change from said one of the first and second data acquisition modes to the other of said first and second data acquisition modes when it is determined that said change should be triggered; and wherein, in the second data acquisition mode, the apparatus is configured to do at least one of: read sensor data at an increased rate relative to the first data acquisition mode in order to gather sensor data; send a communication signal at an increased rate relative to the first data acquisition mode for establishing a connection for transmitting data; select a different power-management algorithm relative to the first data acquisition mode; and/or choose an alternative service flow or communication protocol method relative to the first data acquisition mode.