A new road safety report has proved that driver behaviour and not road condition is the dominant factor in collisions.
The report, from AI-powered fleet technology specialist Motive, shows that drowsiness, distraction and aggressive driving consistently precede incidents, reinforcing the need for fleet chiefs to take action on distracted and unsafe behaviour.
The report analyses safety events captured in 1.2 billion hours of dashcam video to identify when, where and why collisions occurred from 2024 to 2025.
Other key findings include that mobile phone use is among the top five risky behaviours linked to collisions, with use peaking in late afternoons. Among truck fleets, drivers in agriculture show the highest rates of mobile phone use.
The data also reveals that late-night driving is more dangerous than rush hour. Collision risk peaks at 3am, when it triples compared to mid-day.
Motive said the research showed the pressing need for driving analytics and why we need technology more than ever to help fleet managers and drivers tackle challenges leading to collisions.
Nyanya Joof, head of UK at Motive, said: “Our data shows that collision rates climb steadily as days get shorter, weather becomes more unpredictable and traffic volumes increase ahead of the holidays.
“But professional drivers don’t have the option to stay home – deliveries have to continue in all conditions. That’s where AI can make a real difference. When organisations have real-time alerts and hands-free communication built directly into their vehicles, they can detect danger sooner, respond to risk instantly and keep drivers safe, even when conditions are at their worst.”
