A new study has revealed that vehicle telematics programmes improve driving safety for all concerned.
The 14-page study The Importance of Engagement in Safe Driving Programmes conducted by telematics service provider Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) was presented to the UK Transportation Research Board in January 2024.
The study offers a comprehensive look at the crucial role user engagement in telematics programmes plays in reducing road risk. It found that the riskiest drivers with the highest engagement reduced their likelihood of a bodily injury claim by 5.5%.
The study follows the driving performance of 100,000 drivers enrolled in usage-based insurance programmes in the US over the course of three months. CMT researchers divided the drivers into risk groups based on driving score, with 20% falling into the riskiest driving population. They then analysed how often drivers open their telematics app throughout the programme’s first three months, finding that 12% of drivers were highly engaged, opening the app over 20 times in a four-week period.
Unlike prior research, the present study evaluates multiple risky driving behaviours, including hard braking, distracted driving and speeding while controlling for mileage.
Of the riskiest drivers, CMT researchers found that the most engaged dramatically improved their driving performance. From month one to month three, the riskiest drivers with the highest engagement improved distracted driving by 20%, hard braking by 9% and speeding by 27%.
This research shows that not only will well-designed programmes focus on generating engagement, they will also help insurers segment risk and reduce it. More importantly, this research provides insurers and mobility companies with a roadmap to prevent road injuries and fatalities.
While the study focuses on the improvements of the riskiest drivers because of their impact on overall road safety, the data shows that drivers of all risk levels improve with higher programme engagement.
Beyond the results themselves, the new study shows the kind of road safety research that is possible with telematics. M