NEW REPORT FROM TELETRAC NAVMAN FINDS UNIQUE INSIGHT ABOUT DRIVING BEHAVIORS DURING FIRST WEEKS OF U.S. DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY

Review assesses more than 100 million miles driven by commercial fleets during critical period; increased speeding and failures to obey stop signs coincide with drop in traffic

Teletrac Navman, a global software-as-a-service provider that leverages location-based technology and services for managing mobile assets, has issued a unique report of driving behaviors across millions of miles driven by a sample of its connected vehicles in the U.S. during the first 36 days of the federal declaration of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data, taken from a national sampling of connected vehicles, found a 20 percent drop in the average distance driven and several key shifts in driving behavior. Among the findings were:

• 17 percent increase in speeding
• 10 percent increase in failures to stop at stop signs
• 15 percent increase in harsh-cornering events

“It wasn’t surprising to see the number of vehicles on the road drop drastically after the emergency and resulting economic slowdown, but it is interesting to see how those remaining drivers behaved with lighter traffic congestion,” said Ben Williams, director of marketing, digital and analytics for Teletrac Navman. “Fewer vehicles on the road should translate to safer driving conditions; however, these insights reveal that might not be the case.”

The data sample covers the period from March 13, 2020, which was the day President Trump signed the emergency declaration, to April 17, 2020. Over that time, each subsequent day registered fewer miles driven on average, but a direct correlation emerged showing more frequent speeding, more harsh turns and more ignored stop signs.

“These insights tell a story of how drivers, who are used to navigating congested roadways, responded to there being fewer vehicles on the road,” Williams said. “We hope these findings serve as a reminder that we should all follow safe driving practices whether the highway is full or empty.”

Category: Driver Stuff, Featured, General Update, News, Safety