Lytx 2025 Road Safety Report: trends and risks for commercial fleets

Road risks and trends for commercial fleets

This year’s report highlights the latest trends in collisions, risky driving behaviors, the most dangerous times and locations for driving, as well as the positive impact of safe driving and the growing need for fleets to address these emerging risks, according to Lytx. Among the risk trends analyzed, Lytx found the following:

Collision and near-collision rates

Collision rates per vehicle rose 24% across the industry from Q3 2023 to Q4 2024. However, Lytx data shows a significant improvement in the severity of these incidents. Level 1 collisions (the most severe) decreased by 6%, and Level 2 collisions (moderate severity) fell by 59%. This decline is attributed to the use of proactive driver coaching and technology, according to Lytx.

On the other hand, the number of near-collisions (incidents that almost resulted in a crash) increased by 52% when comparing Q4 2024 with the same period in 2023. This rise reflects the impact of increasingly congested roads across the country.

Risky driving behaviors

Among the most notable changes between 2023 and 2024, Lytx found a 9% increase in speeding violations and a 7% increase in eating or drinking while driving. Meanwhile, seatbelt non-use decreased by 13%, and handheld device use dropped by 9%.

Following distance

There was a 2% increase in drivers maintaining a 1-to-2-second following distance, while those following at less than 1 second increased by 19%. These figures emphasize the need to reinforce safe following distance policies through coaching and ongoing communication, Lytx stressed.

Impact of weather conditions

In addition to driver behavior, weather conditions play a significant role in vehicle crashes. Lytx reported that driving too fast for weather conditions makes drivers four times more likely to be involved in a Level 1 collision. Fog was identified as the most dangerous weather condition, increasing the risk of a severe crash by 2.8 times. Winter, overall, doubles the risk of collisions compared to other seasons.