Lytx's 2024 "State of the Data" Report Highlights Increased Road Risks and Key Safety Trends

Annual Driving Insights Report Identifies How Fleets Can Minimize Risk as Roadways Become More Dangerous

SAN DIEGO, May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lytx^® Inc., a global leader in video safety and video telematics, today released its annual "State of the Data" report on vehicle fleets and the increased risks that drivers face on roadways. Powered by 40 billion miles of new driving data from 2023, Lytx's 2024 "State of the Data" report identifies heightened levels of risk on the roads and a greater urgency for fleets to decrease unsafe driving behaviors. Notable findings from this year's report highlight how as roadway risk increases, the importance of knowing how to drive safely, as well as the understanding of the risks associated with when and where to drive, become more vital and can play a significant role in overall fleet safety.

"Road travel surged to record highs in 2023, and with more vehicles come more risks, as well as increased logistical complexity," said Brandon Nixon, Chairman and CEO of Lytx. "It's crystal clear that the need for safety and efficiency amid increasingly congested roadways has never been stronger. Despite an overall rise in road risk, our data indicates that companies that have implemented fleet safety programs are seeing the results across a number of success metrics – from lower claims costs and more efficient fuel use to improved collision avoidance."

Among the report's findings is a significant difference in risk between morning and afternoon commute hours. Despite similar congestion patterns, afternoon commute hours were three times riskier than morning commute times.

"The data around commute hours was one of the more interesting and surprising insights to emerge from this year's analysis," said Erin Baucum, Director of Lytx Client Intelligence. "This type of finding is extremely valuable for us as we build and refine our safety tools and programs, as well as for fleets to take into account as they plan their routes."

To view and download Lytx's 2024 "State of The Data" report, go here. 

More miles, more risk
Roadway risk captured by Lytx marched up 9.5% in 2023 from the previous year as traffic volume on U.S. roads swelled to a record 3.26 trillion miles, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Correspondingly, Lytx identified more than 18 million risky driving incidents in 2023. Using the proprietary Lytx Risk Score, which calculates behavior averages across a variety of industries using learnings from 261 billion miles of driving data from Lytx's global database, the report found:

• Captured driving risk per vehicle increased 9.5%, from 2022 to 2023
• Captured Lytx Risk Score per vehicle increased to 13.4 in 2023, from 12.9 in 2022
• Collisions per vehicle increased 3%, from 2022 to 2023

Top 10 behaviors contributing to risk in the U.S.

1. Following distance (1-2 seconds)
2. Handheld device
3. No seat belt
4. Posted speed violation
5. Following distance (less than 1 second)
6. Incomplete stop
7. Food or drink
8. Failed to stop
9. Inattentive
10. Late response

Speeding, distraction, not wearing a seat belt, and following too closely continue to top the list of risky behaviors in 2023. New to the top 10 list this year is incomplete stop. As roads become more congested, what once seemed like minor, habitual infractions are now resulting in more frequent—and severe—incidents. The silver lining is that all top 10 behaviors can be addressed through consistent coaching.

Top five riskiest U.S. cities for driving (risk per vehicle)

For the third year in a row, in 2023, New York held the No. 1 spot as the nation's riskiest driving city and was twice as risky as the next-riskiest city (Los Angeles). Atlanta, which dropped to No. 7 in 2022, returned to the top five as the fourth riskiest city in 2023. Philadelphia, which ranked second in 2022, made the biggest improvement by moving down six spots to No. 8 in 2023.

Top five riskiest U.S. states for driving (risk per vehicle)

In 2023, California has secured the top position as the nation's riskiest state for driving for the third time in four years. More than two times riskier than the fifth-ranked state (Pennsylvania), California continues to have the most-hazardous roads overall, likely due to its large population, numerous metropolitan areas, and high traffic volumes.

Top five riskiest U.S. public roadways (risk per vehicle)

1. I-678 into JFK International Airport (Jamaica, NY)
2. I-10 into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Phoenix, AZ)
3. I-580 into Reno-Tahoe International Airport (Reno, NV)
4. N 3rd St. and E. Monroe St. near the Phoenix Convention Center (Phoenix, AZ)
5. N 3rd St. and E. Nationwide Blvd. near the Columbus Convention Center (Columbus, OH)

"Convention centers have joined airports as risky areas for collisions," said Kyle Warlick, Senior Analyst, Lytx Client Intelligence. "The combination of congestion, frequent passenger drop-offs and pick-ups, and visitors who may be less familiar with the roads make these areas especially hazardous."

Riskiest time to drive in the U.S.

• In 2023, the riskiest time to drive occurred during the afternoon commute hours from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
• The safest time to drive was during the morning hours from 5:00-8:00 a.m.

"Lytx data from 2023 shows that afternoon commute times are three times riskier than morning commute times," Baucum said. "This is likely the result of weekday commuters being tired after a long day at work, which can lead to them being less alert while on the road."

Riskiest days to drive

• In 2023, the highest collisions per vehicle in the U.S. occurred on Wednesdays, with Thursdays being the second highest.
• Alternatively, Sunday was the safest day of the week in the U.S., with Saturdays being the next safest.
• In the U.K., Fridays proved to be the riskiest day to drive, with Sundays being the safest.

"The U.S. data here suggests that increased congestion on roadways midweek and end of week contributed to the increased risk, while weekend drivers likely experience less traffic," Warlick said.

Holiday driving in the U.S.

• Including all U.S. holidays, Christmas Day (Dec. 25) proved to be the riskiest, with Halloween (Oct. 31) being the safest.

"On Christmas Day, roads can be busy with holiday travelers rushing to reach their destinations in time, with winter weather potentially playing a role, too," Warlick said. "On the other hand, those who celebrate Halloween tend to want to be home and stay off the roads."   

Close calls: Near collision trends

• Near collisions were up 97% from 2022 to 2023
• Actual collisions were up 3% from 2022 to 2023

Although near collisions per mile were up 97% in 2023, collisions themselves were up only 3%. This suggests that, as roads got more congested, commercial drivers seemed to be getting better at avoiding collisions on a per mile basis through defensive driving skills and/or more attentive driving.

Collision trends by industry

Across the board, all industries saw an increase in near collisions from 2022 to 2023.

• The biggest increases came from the Automotive (+226%), Concrete (+148%), and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (+131%) industries.

Collision frequency and severity varied by industry in 2023.

• Concrete (+49%) and Utilities (+14%) showed the biggest increases from 2022 to 2023, while Services (-8%) and EMS (-5%) saw the biggest decreases in collision frequency and severity in 2023.  

Efficiency and sustainability

• Lytx clients decreased their vehicle idling time and fuel waste by 12% in 2023. Per vehicle, this equated to an 8.3% drop in unnecessary idling time.
• More than 416 million pounds of CO² emissions and nearly $88 million in wasted fuel were prevented as a result of decreased idling in 2023.

For fleets interested in moving to more sustainable operations, a combination of efficient vehicles, optimized logistics, and better driver training can reduce up to 50% in emissions.¹ Lytx solutions can help with coaching for more efficient driving habits, proactively maintaining vehicle health, reducing "empty miles," and tracking vehicle emissions for future sustainability goals.

The Lytx impact
In 2023, Lytx helped customers save an estimated:² 

• $1.7 billion on claims (including workers' compensation and insurance claims)
• $493 million on vehicle maintenance
• $678 million on fuel

About the data
Lytx's 2024 "State of the Data" report was developed using its global driving database, which includes 3.4 million drivers across 89 countries. Findings were derived by analyzing more than 183.2 million driving events and over 129 billion minutes of video from more than 1 million vehicles around the world using Lytx's DriveCam^® event recorders. The Lytx platform added 40 billion miles of driving data in 2023, bringing its cumulative database to 261 billion miles and making it the largest driving database of its kind. To help improve driver skills and behaviors and decrease future risk, Lytx clients coached their drivers on over 24 million events last year using the Lytx Driver Safety Program.

About Lytx
Lytx is a global leader in video safety and video telematics. Our solutions harness the power of video to empower drivers and fleets to be safer and more efficient, productive, and profitable so they can thrive in today's competitive environment. Through the Lytx platform, direct and reseller clients access our customizable services and programs spanning driver safety, risk detection, fleet tracking, ELD compliance, preventative maintenance, and fuel management. Using the world's largest driving database of its kind, along with proprietary machine vision and artificial intelligence technology, we help protect and connect thousands of fleets and 3.4 million drivers worldwide. Lytx's Surfsight^™ dash cam for resellers was built from the ground up as a premium product to help fleet managers with their operational challenges. For more information about Lytx, visit www.lytx.com, @lytx on X, LinkedIn, our Facebook page, or our YouTube channel.

¹ IRU, "Green Compact: The Road to Net Zero," July 2023.
² Results not guaranteed and vary by client. These numbers are Lytx internal, based on a sampling of client claims and driving data.

Contact:
Jason Andersen
[email protected] 

SOURCE Lytx, Inc.