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SmartIQ Beat, is our blog focusing on a range of transportation industry insights and trends from safety and operations to technology and regulatory compliance, from a unique analytics-oriented viewpoint. Smart IQ Beat Snapshots provide in-depth analysis and metrics of top fleet performance trends based on SmartDrive’s database of over 140 million analyzed and scored driving events. The inaugural SmartIQ Beat Snapshot examines one of the major cost drivers for fleets today, collisions.

The SmartDrive Collision Snapshot for trucking illuminates key observations that distinguish collision drivers (those involved in at least one collision during the analysis period) from non-collision drivers. Notably, data analysis clearly demonstrates that collision drivers are less safe, consume more fuel and are more distracted across the board when compared to non-collision drivers. Furthermore, it is evident that near-miss collisions—particularly those involving a pedestrian—are a key indicator of future collisions. The full Collision Snapshot is available online. Significant findings related to collision drivers, by the numbers, include:

• 7 percent higher safety score as compared to non-collision drivers
• 5 percent lower MPG than non-collision drivers
• Two times higher near collision rate
• More distracted across all categories

When fleets can leverage insights like these developed from their own individual fleet performance data, company executives and operational managers can identify relevant and predictive trends and develop targeted strategies to improve performance and gain competitive advantage. This study was conducted by analyzing the SmartDrive database of over 140 million analyzed driving events and the accompanying continuous telematics data.  Only the Trucking Industry Vertical customers were included in this study.  Data presented covers the period from August 2015 through July 2016.

With veteran fleet safety expert Don Osterberg aptly noting that, “safety is about big understanding, not big data,” SmartIQ Beat offers opinion and outlook on the challenges fleets face in harnessing the power of expanding quantities of data as well as the value of analytics-driven insights to address a variety of operational priorities. Future SmartIQ Beat Snapshots will focus on topics ranging from distracted drivers to tenured versus new drivers, active safety system performance and fuel consumption.