Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) touts itself as having “The Most Advanced Telematics Platform” that collects sensor data from millions of smartphones, connected vehicles, dashcams, and other types of technology. The objective is to create combined views of both driver and vehicle behavior.
Statistics tell a troubling tale
A recent report paints a grim picture when it comes to driving with their smartphones and other devices accessible in their vehicles. Various statistics confirm the “cause and effect” when it comes to smartphone use and motor vehicle collisions. Overall, interactions with phones are 240 percent more likely to be involved in collisions, according to CMT.
The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 resulted in 4,6600 pedestrians dying that year. Ten years later, when smart phones were in 77 percent of households, those deaths jumped 30 percent to more than 6,000.
In 2022, nearly 60 percent of their travels saw them interacting with distracting technology, an increase from 54 percent in 2020. Not surprising is the overall amount of time spent using devices increasing by 23 percent compared to 2020.
Fatalities by cyclists are also going in the same direction as motor vehicles, accounting for nearly 1,000 deaths in 2020, the highest level since 1990. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported close to 43,000 people losing their lives in 2021, representing the most deaths in 16 years.
A grim trend
Perhaps the most startling statistic comes from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, revealing that sending or receiving a text creates distractions lasting 4.6 seconds, the same time span it takes to drive 100 yards at 55 miles per hour.
A split-second can become life-changing. The traumatic aftermath of a motor vehicle accident caused by a distracted driver can leave victims seriously injured and facing an uncertain future.
