An acceleration characterization telematics system, comprising: an acceleration sensor; a storage device, where the storage device stores an acceleration event characterization application; and a processor; wherein the acceleration event characterization application directs the processor to: receive acceleration information using the acceleration sensor wherein the received acceleration information comprises a signal comprising a first leading edge, a first trailing edge, and a first amplitude; determine short interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the short interval filter utilizes a first number of acceleration samples; and the short interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge, and a second amplitude; determine long interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the long interval filter utilizes a second number of acceleration samples; the second number of acceleration samples is greater than the first number of acceleration samples; and the long interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a third leading edge, a third trailing edge, and a third amplitude; and characterize an acceleration event in the received acceleration information using the first leading edge, the second leading edge, the third leading edge, the first trailing edge, the second trailing edge, the third trailing edge, the first amplitude, the second amplitude, and the third amplitude. an acceleration sensor; a storage device, where the storage device stores an acceleration event characterization application; and a processor; wherein the acceleration event characterization application directs the processor to: receive acceleration information using the acceleration sensor wherein the received acceleration information comprises a signal comprising a first leading edge, a first trailing edge, and a first amplitude; determine short interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the short interval filter utilizes a first number of acceleration samples; and the short interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge, and a second amplitude; determine long interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the long interval filter utilizes a second number of acceleration samples; the second number of acceleration samples is greater than the first number of acceleration samples; and the long interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a third leading edge, a third trailing edge, and a third amplitude; and characterize an acceleration event in the received acceleration information using the first leading edge, the second leading edge, the third leading edge, the first trailing edge, the second trailing edge, the third trailing edge, the first amplitude, the second amplitude, and the third amplitude. receive acceleration information using the acceleration sensor wherein the received acceleration information comprises a signal comprising a first leading edge, a first trailing edge, and a first amplitude; determine short interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the short interval filter utilizes a first number of acceleration samples; and the short interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge, and a second amplitude; the short interval filter utilizes a first number of acceleration samples; and the short interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge, and a second amplitude; determine long interval filter information using the received acceleration information wherein: the long interval filter utilizes a second number of acceleration samples; the second number of acceleration samples is greater than the first number of acceleration samples; and the long interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a third leading edge, a third trailing edge, and a third amplitude; and the long interval filter utilizes a second number of acceleration samples; the second number of acceleration samples is greater than the first number of acceleration samples; and the long interval filter information comprises a signal comprising a third leading edge, a third trailing edge, and a third amplitude; and characterize an acceleration event in the received acceleration information using the first leading edge, the second leading edge, the third leading edge, the first trailing edge, the second trailing edge, the third trailing edge, the first amplitude, the second amplitude, and the third amplitude.