The number of fatalities caused by vehicle crashes climbed in 2021.
According to preliminary semiannual estimates from the National Safety Council, collision fatalities in 2021 totaled 46,020, up 9% from 2020 and 18% from 2019, and on average eight people are killed in driver distraction-affected crashes daily.
"Distracted driving accounts for nearly 10% of fatal crashes in the U.S.," said Noah Budnick, executive director for Together for Safer Roads. "Adding to this heartbreak is that these crashes are preventable. Distracted driving is a public health epidemic that we must address."
Video telematics providers like Lytx and Samsara, among others, are working to do just that, and according to data, it’s working – at least among commercial fleets that adopt such technology.
Gary Johnson, director of safety services at Lytx, said it’s important for fleets to adopt driver self-coaching technology that can help prevent crashes instead of waiting until an accident occurs to have a safety manager train them, especially as crashes reduce uptime which has an even harsher effect during supply chain disruptions and driver shortages.
“Our clients who have embraced the technology really have seen a decrease in those overall crashes,” Johnson said.
Samsara has had the same experience and, following a recent survey of its enterprise customers, found that 72% saw a decrease in distracted driving when using Samsara technology.
