As people across the United States looked up to the heavens during the solar eclipse this Monday, there was an unexpected result down on Earth. During the 10 minutes around the totality, distracted driving dropped. Phone motion, where the driver is handling their phone, fell by 4.9% compared to the same time frame on March 25, the Monday two weeks earlier. Screen interaction, where the driver is tapping their phone screen to text, check social media, change a song, and more, fell by 8%. Speeding also fell by 7.1%. To conduct the analysis, CMT created a bounding box around the path and time of ..read more

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program has helped the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) work towards eliminating roadway fatalities and injuries across thousands of communities. Counties, cities, towns, transit agencies, and planning organizations can apply for SS4A grants to create and improve their safe driving initiatives. With the SS4A application period in full swing, CMT recently hosted a virtual panel discussion to help representatives understand what they should think about to secure funding. The discussion featured former USDOT leaders and Miami-Dade County’s Comm ..read more

Cambridge, MA, April 4, 2024 — Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics service provider, today announced the release of its annual report on distracted driving and road safety, “The State of US Road Risk in 2024.” The report, which includes analyses from over one billion car trips across millions of US drivers, shows that distracted driving fell by 4.5% in 2023, the first decrease since 2020. The report evaluates the various factors that can reduce distracted driving, including consent-driven usage-based insurance (UBI) programs, hands-free legislation, and increased ..read more

Washington, D.C. & Cambridge, MA, March 28th, 2024  – The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) today released a new report addressing the growing concern over smartphone-induced distracted driving. The report proposes states implement a multi-faceted approach to improve road safety that includes the adoption of strong and clear laws, which CMT research confirms have a positive impact on distraction rates. As part of a recent Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for advanced impaired driving prevention technologies, the National Highway Tr ..read more

JEFFERSON CITY, MO & CAMBRIDGE, MA, March 27, 2024 — The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety (MCRS), Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), Missouri Employers Mutual (MEM), and AAA Missouri invite Missouri businesses to take on the “Show Me Your Score Safest Driver Challenge.” With over $15,000 in prizes, the safe driving challenge engages Missouri drivers, with qualified Missouri businesses, in a statewide effort to improve driving habits and reduce crashes. Safest driver programs like Missouri’s “Show Me Your Score Safest Driver Challenge” have proven to reduce road risk. In prior safe dri ..read more

Easter ushers in a time of joy, with families across Britain coming together for egg hunts and long dinners. However, amidst this seasonal cheer, we mustn’t overlook road safety, which can crack under the holiday rush. As we prepare to celebrate, many forget to ensure their journey is as safe as the festivities are delightful. To understand the trends in driving behaviour during Easter, CMT analysed the driving patterns of UK drivers two weeks before and after Easter over the last two years. The study reveals a significant lift in distracted driving during Easter Sunday, making it one of the ..read more

Easter Sunday in the U.S. is a day of family gatherings and chocolate bunnies. But it also brings a sharp increase in distracted driving and speeding. Easter morning, in particular, sees an uptick in screen interaction. In 2023, there was a surge of distraction from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. compared to other Sundays, rising 8.3%, a 9-second-per-hour increase. This higher rate of screen interaction carries throughout the morning. This elevated distraction activity is likely due to increased social interactions as people go to holiday gatherings and Easter egg hunts. Screen interaction levels normalize ..read more

A year ago, CMT acquired Amodo to strengthen its European team and presence. Today, we have more than 120 telematics experts supporting our partners across Europe. In celebration of this milestone, we sat down with Marijan Mumdziev, Managing Director for Europe, to talk about the last 12 months. He explores the team’s successes, discusses the benefits CMT delivers to European drivers, reviews how trends are shaping the insurance market, and looks to the year ahead.   [The interview has been edited for length and clarity. CMT: What key milestones defined the last 12 months for you? It has ..read more

As Hollywood’s biggest night captures the world’s attention, risky driving behavior increases. The Oscars, celebrated for its cinematic achievements, has a less advertised cost – a significant spike in distracted driving. We recently published an analysis on the rise in distracted driving on Super Bowl Sunday. With the Oscars airing this weekend, we wanted to take a closer look at the data to see if there’s a similar increase. In 2023, the Oscars garnered 19.9 million viewers. Though viewership has declined over the years, the show typically generates 15-20 million viewers. Like the Super Bowl ..read more

In 2018, Bank of America launched an AI-driven virtual assistant called ‘Erica’ in its mobile app. The goal was to bring a more personalized experience to its customers. Since its launch, ‘Erica’ has significantly boosted Bank of America’s digital engagement and revenue. The company reports that 27% of customers engage with Erica monthly. Since its launch, Erica has seen 1.5 billion customer interactions. As a result, Bank of America saw engagement jump 35% from 2022 to 2023, leading to this 2023 headline in Fortune: “How ‘Erica’ helped power a 19% spike in earnings at Bank of America.” The 19 ..read more