WA risky driving behaviors analyzed

OLYMPIA — The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has announced a partnership with Cambridge Mobile Telematics and Michelin Mobility Intelligence to utilize large-scale telematics data aimed at assessing and improving roadway safety across the state. This collaboration employs data collected via mobile phone applications and vehicle equipment to analyze risky driving behaviors without identifying individual drivers. 

CMT's driver behavior analysis, which reviewed 1.12 million hours of driving data from June 2022 and 1.47 million hours from June 2023, revealed trends across all 39 counties in Washington, including urban centers like Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver.  

“Our collaboration with CMT and Michelin Mobility Intelligence is helping us better understand and address risky driving behaviors in Washington,” said Staci Hoff, WTSC research director. “These findings help us pinpoint problem areas and focus our safety efforts where they’re needed most, especially in underserved communities.” 

The analysis indicated a statewide increase in risky driving behaviors during the study period. Approximately 25% of trips in Washington involved some form of cell phone distraction. Furthermore, instances of egregious speeding — defined as exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 15 mph — were particularly prevalent on roads with speed limits of 60 mph, where half of the drivers exceeded this limit at least once during their journeys. 

In a parallel effort, MMI, in partnership with the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, utilized telematics data and machine learning algorithms to identify high-risk driving zones in South King County and Yakima County, regions historically underinvested. This analysis, covering 2 million driving hours in Yakima County and 7 million hours in South King County from October 2023 to March 2024, also did not identify individual drivers. 

MMI's findings highlighted 1.2 million hard-braking events in Yakima County and 5 million in South King County, alongside the identification of approximately 2,700 hotspots for atypical driving behavior in South King County and 1,400 in Yakima County. Notably, the analysis revealed that crash risks significantly increased between midnight and 6 a.m., particularly on rural roads. 

Reports from both the study are open to the public at https://bit.ly/SaferRoadsWA.