The University of Waterloo has identified speed as the best predictor of crashes after analyzing data from onboard devices in vehicles. The research examined four aggressive driving behaviours, speeding, hard braking, hard acceleration and hard cornering for possible links and the likelihood of crashes. Of the four, only speed was statistically significant as a strong predictor of crashes.
From the article's abstract:
Usage-based insurance schemes provide new opportunities for insurers to accurately price and manage risk. These schemes have the potential to better identify risky drivers which not only allows insurance compa- nies to better price their products but it allows drivers to modify their behaviour to make roads safer and driving more efficient. However, for Usage-based insurance products, we need to better understand how driver behaviours influence the risk of a crash or an insurance claim. In this ar- ticle, we present our analysis of automotive telematics data from over 28 million trips. We use a case control methodology to study the rela- tionship between crash drivers and crash-free drivers and introduce an innovative method for determining control (crash-free) drivers. We fit a logistic regression model to our data and found that speeding was the most important driver behaviour linking driver behaviour to crash risk.
Link:
Is there not a contradiction here?
In one article we read that intersections are high on the list of accidents, injuries and deaths. Then we see that speeding is the biggest indicator of at risk driving.
From the article it does not seem that they broke down where the speeding occurred. Is it in heavy traffic or open highways? There is a big difference in my opinion.
There also was no indication how many of the drivers who did not display any of the four aggressive behaviour had been involved in accidents. Or whether the speeding driver was at fault. Just that the vehicle had been in an accident. And as they pointed out in the article they had no way to determine if the speeding driver was the one involved in the accident or someone else using the vehicle.
I saw a report once where ICBC had gone through the driving records of those that were receiving the maximum discount for safe driving (should actually say accident free) and it turned out that a percentage had one or more speeding tickets.
Until the day the police start ticketing all infractions will there be a significant reduction in accidents.
- Log in to post comments
- Log in to post comments
Is there not a contradiction