Illinois, United States — A new report by a software development firm warns more drivers in the United States are speeding or distracted, with accident severity and auto claims rates outpacing pre-pandemic levels by 3.7 percent.
According to the 2023 Crash Course report by software development firm CCC Intelligent Solutions, the pandemic has prompted several changes in the collision repair industry, commuting patterns and driver behaviour.
Notable changes include traffic delays exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 39 percent in urbanized parts of the United States, driver mileage steadily increasing, and the average weight of American passenger vehicles growing from 3,200 pounds for MY1981 vehicles to 4,300 pounds for MY2021.
Besides the return to work increasing miles driven and traffic congestion, technological developments over the past few years has resulted in vehicles becoming more complex, integrating more system monitors, onboard computers and similar components.
Additionally, the report warns that 65 percent of American drivers reported engaging in distracted driving. Of these, 74.1 percent of distracted American drivers drove daily, with drive frequency correlating to distracted driving.
Distracted driving was not mitigated by the introduction of partial vehicle autonomy or ADAS systems, and were especially prevalent in the evening and late night.
To download the original 172-page report, register here.
