Coupled with a 13.1 billion mile increase in vehicle-miles traveled (VMT), this brought the fatality rate down from 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT to 1.17. While at the lowest point since the pandemic, it’s still significantly above the 2019 H1 fatality rate of 1.07 per 100 million VMT.

Rhode Island had the largest decrease in fatality rates, moving from 1.06 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2023 to 0.48 in 2024 (-55%). The Ocean State was followed by Wyoming (-28%), Iowa (-21%), Delaware (-19%) and Kansas (-15%).

Maine saw the largest jump in fatality rate, moving from 0.65 fatalities per 100 million VMT to 1.08 (+66%). Maine’s roads saw 77 fatalities in the first half of 2024, up from 45 in the first part of 2023. The Northeastern-most state in the country was followed by Minnesota (+30%), Nebraska (+29%), New Jersey (+23%), and Nevada (+17%).

While the latest figures are a step in the right direction, America’s roads are still reeling from the sharp increase in fatalities through the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Automobile Association (AAA) released a study in June that found traffic fatalities were 17% higher during the pandemic than modeled pre-COVID trends. Time of day was a huge factor. They found that the overnight periods saw the largest increase in fatalities.

Speed continues to play a large role, as AAA’s study found that “speeding exceeded corresponding forecasts by 24%-28% in all three periods examined.” During the pandemic year 2020, the study found that “the increase in…speeding drivers in fatal crashes actually accounted for the majority of the overall increase in fatal crashes.”

Conclusion

It’s ‘all hands on deck’ for eliminating traffic fatalities. As kids go back to school, as micro-mobility use grows, and as our population ages, we need to explore every practical solution to reducing road fatalities. One way city and state Departments of Transportation are approaching this is by using pilot programs.

Instead of waiting months, if not years for a safety study, big data and analytics SaaS platforms like Safety View provide quick and accurate feedback on key safety metrics like speeds, speed distributions, and near-misses to quickly adjust the project before making it a fixture in the transportation network.

The post NHTSA Reports Traffic Fatalities Drop in H1 2024, But There’s Still More Work to Do appeared first on INRIX.

According to GHSA’s report published in June, pedestrian fatalities in 2023 fell 5.4% from 2022 levels. Yet, despite the decrease, pedestrian fatalities still sit more than 14% higher than pre-COVID, 2019 levels. Even though the largest increase has been during the nighttime (+23%), daytime pedestrian fatalities have continued to climb as well since 2019 (+9%).

Pedestrian safety is centered around many factors, including vehicle speeds, the weight of vehicles, reckless and impaired driving, street design, homelessness, distracted driving, lack of enforcement, and the built environment, to name a few. INRIX took a deep dive into the built environment when it released its “INRIX School Traffic Safety Study” that involved detailed analysis of the road network surrounding Washington D.C. schools.

Our analysis found that the school zone designation does help reduce fatalities and major injuries – with 13% fewer fatalities and 20% fewer major injuries occurring in school zones versus non-school zones. Collisions resulting in minor injuries were similar when adjusted for vehicle miles traveled.

We discovered signage near school zones is often confusing and conflicting, and results suggested that the built environment is a factor in speeding. Household income is also a factor – schools with a higher population of students on free and reduced lunches saw more speeding and crashes than schools with higher-income household students.

The findings should continue to inspire public officials, transportation experts, school staff and parents to bring pedestrian and cycling fatalities down. Strategies to curb excessive speeding in school zones could be to reduce traffic volumes near schools, boost enforcement where excessive speeding is occurring and creative treatments to the built environment to reduce pedestrian/vehicle conflicts.

Data-driven tools like Safety View provide insights even before serious crashes occur, leveraging the latest data points on True Near Miss Detection, demographics, and Vulnerable Road User statistics. It also allows public officials to conduct before and after studies on any project,  giving decision-makers the tools they need to reduce conflicts in school zones in their area, providing context-sensitive solutions to keep kids, and others, safe.

The post Back to School – Safety Top Concern as Kids Go Back to the Classroom appeared first on INRIX.

With the addition of this OEM vehicle data, INRIX captures detailed real-time information on speeds, trips and road conditions, providing unparalleled visibility and insights into high fidelity road dynamics. Along with bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, carshare, and micromobility freight data from our acquisition of Ride Report, we now offer another dimension of comprehensive set of mobility insights to help agencies better manage the public right-of-way and enterprises better operate their businesses. Finally, adding high-quality, first party mobile device data helps reveal trends and preferences often missed by other data sources such as adjust for biases of new connected vehicle trips and updating our vulnerable road user index accounting for pedestrians and pedal bikes.

For the last two decades, integrating diverse, multi-modal and state-of-the-art data has been a cornerstone for INRIX. Over the last year, bankruptcies, quality issues and privacy concerns created uncertainty in the transportation data market. By diversifying data sources and enhancing data processing techniques, INRIX took proactive steps to mitigate the impact of these market forces while continuing to pursue additional high-frequency, high-volume data sources. Our efforts over the last 12 months have more than doubled our daily ingested datapoints, adding an incredible number of diverse insights to our already industry-leading 50 petabyte data lake.

Integrating high-quality data sources is only part of the equation. We have also advanced numerous internal algorithms, enhancing their ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data faster and cheaper. Moreover, we have implemented robust mechanisms that leverage our industry leading Incidents product to identify and filter out unreliable data. In an era where data integrity is paramount, detecting and eliminating erroneous or deceptive information is crucial. By maintaining a clean and reliable data set, we ensure our insights remain trustworthy and credible.

The combination of diverse and high-quality data sources, coupled with advancements in algorithms and data validation, has revolutionized INRIX’s approach to transportation analytics and is poised to lead the way in transforming mobility for the better. Our comprehensive and accurate insights empower both public agencies and businesses to make data-driven decisions that will help pave the way for smarter, safer, and more efficient transportation solutions.

The post New OEM Connected Vehicle Data Adds More Granularity & Insights to Robust INRIX Data Lake appeared first on INRIX.

Traffic congestion occurs when travel demand for roads exceeds the supply of available roadway. While typically viewed in a negative light, traffic congestion is an externality of economic growth and population movement. As more people and economic activity move into urban areas, it places strain on available road capacity, requiring intervention if there is a desire to ameliorate it.

Additionally, increased levels of traffic congestion mean more people, deliveries, employees, service workers and truckers, among others, losing time to traffic. It means more carbon emitted into the atmosphere, a reduction in air quality, and lost productivity and economic growth.

While congestion is one barometer of growth, it can also hinder it. Fewer on-time deliveries, fewer goods to market, and a shrinking labor pool are just some outcomes when the impact of traffic congestion hits a certain threshold. While cities, DOTs, road authorities and transit operators work within constrained budgets and red tape, maintenance backlogs grow and key transportation bottlenecks grow more intense.

Here are the key trends from this year’s Global Traffic Scorecard:

Trip patterns reveal massive midday “10-4” peak continues. Travel patterns have continued to push toward a midday “new-normal,” first noted by INRIX back in 2021, that shows morning peak periods have shed some traffic to the midday hours, indicating a more “hybrid work” commute pattern.

INRIX estimates that during the midday travel period, nearly 72 million trips occur per hour, up nearly 23% since 2019, while the evening peak has dropped -9% to 73 million trips per hour. The typical hour during the morning peak sees -12% fewer trips.

This should continue to be a key focus of DOT officials and road authorities. Whether adjusting signal timing, adjusting transit schedules or allocating incident response vehicles, the move from the morning peak hours to the midday provides an interesting opportunity reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

Traffic congestion continues to climb. 2023 saw increases in traffic congestion in 78% of the areas analyzed, fell in 19% and stayed the same in 3%. Yet despite the growth, just 54% of areas analyzed have reached their pre-COVID level of traffic congestion.

More Time and Economic Impact. The New York Urban Area tops the list, as the typical drivers lost 101 hours to traffic in 2023. This equates to $1,762 in lost time per driver, or $9.1 billion to the urban area. New York is followed by Mexico City (96 hours lost), London (99), Paris (97) and Chicago (96).

The typical U.S. driver lost 42 hours to congestion, equal to $733 per driver and $70.4 to the nation as a whole. U.K. drivers lost 61 hours on average, equal to £558 per driver and £7.5 billion nationally, and drivers in Germany lost 40 hours to traffic on average in 2023, equal to 427 € and 3.3 billion € nationally.

Other important transport statistics/topics. Overall micromobility use rose 8.3% in cities tracked by RideReport, and by Q1 2024 were up 8.6% over Q1 2023.

The year saw a couple of high-profile transportation disasters, from fires underneath the I-10 in Los Angeles to the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia. This was followed in 2024 by the collapse of the Key Bridge near Baltimore after it was struck by a cargo ship. However, the quick response of a temporary span on I-95 just a few weeks after the collapse provided a testament to our ability to build and recover.

Migration continued on a similar path as the COVID recovery in the U.S. as well, with Texas, Florida and the Southern states accounting for 87% of the country’s growth last year.

Public transport recovered ridership in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, but all still sit below their pre-COVID levels of ridership. Just seven percent of urban areas in the U.S. tracked by the Federal Transit Administration reached 2019 levels of ridership.

Conclusion

Many trends are still being ironed out from the massive global disruption that COVID had on the transportation network. Traffic congestion continues to climb while new challenges emerge that also demand attention. The Scorecard reveals the contextual nature of transportation – its simply not a one size fits all approach. Some cities see trips to downtown stand pat while others see large increases. Many see traffic congestion building on arterials and neighborhood streets while others reveal stronger similarities to more traditional, “hub and spoke” travel demand.

The post “New Normal” of 10am to 4pm Hybrid Work While Congestion Grows Globally appeared first on INRIX.

BFSI’s Growing Adoption of Alternative Data

In the BFSI sector, the adoption of alternative data has transformed investment strategies and risk management processes. Traditional financial statements and market data often fail to capture the granular details necessary for today’s dynamic market environment, prompting institutions to turn to diverse data sources like social media activity, satellite imagery, IoT device outputs, and geolocation usage. These data sources offer a richer, more complex picture of consumer behaviors, economic activities, and operational efficiencies, particularly for entities that operate beyond the reach of standard geolocation data.

For hedge funds, private equity firms, and asset managers, alternative data is not merely an enhancement to their existing data reservoirs; it is central to their investment modeling. Over half of all hedge fund managers now utilize alternative data to forge strategies that outperform the market, leveraging insights into areas traditionally obscured by conventional data gathering techniques.^[2]

INRIX’s Distinctive Contribution with Truck Data

Among the myriad types of alternative data, truck data provided by INRIX emerges as a uniquely valuable resource, particularly with its Trips Plus product which has over 400 tickers and millions of private POIs already mapped. INRIX harnesses comprehensive trucking data, as well as passenger car data, to offer insights that no other alternative datasets providers can. Trips Plus includes normalized commercial and passenger vehicle trip counts across various public and private brands, capturing near-real-time movements and logistics within supply chains well before these activities impact recognized revenue.

Truck data’s value lies in its ability to provide early indicators of changes at critical economic sites such as factories, warehouses, distribution hubs, and refineries. For instance, an uptick in truck movements at a manufacturing plant could signify an increase in production potentially heralding future revenue growth that is yet to be reflected in financial statements. Conversely, a decline in activity might indicate operational hitches or a drop in demand, serving as a crucial early warning for investors to recalibrate their strategies.

Strategic Implications for the Investment Community

INRIX’s truck data helps enable investors to understand supply chain efficiencies and disruptions in near-real-time, giving them a significant edge in predicting market trends and company performance. This kind of insight is particularly invaluable in sectors where the supply chain dynamics directly correlate with company outcomes, such as manufacturing, industrials, and retail.

The strategic use of Trips Plus can lead to more informed decision-making, allowing investors to anticipate stock movements and adjust their investment portfolios with a foresight not possible with traditional data alone. Furthermore, by understanding broader economic trends through truck data, asset managers, hedge funds, and private equity firms can craft more effective investment models and risk management frameworks.

Conclusion

As the Financial Services industry continues to evolve, the integration of advanced data analytics like those provided by INRIX will likely play an increasingly crucial role in shaping investment strategies and operational decisions. The detailed insights gained from alternative data sources such as truck data are transforming the landscape, providing a clearer view into the operational backbones of companies far sooner than has ever been possible.

For those in the financial services looking to leverage this powerful tool in their data strategy, INRIX offers an unparalleled opportunity. Reach out to us at FinServ@INRIX.com to discover how Trips Plus can enhance your investment insights and decision-making processes.

^[1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/alternative-data-market

^[2] https://www.aima.org/static/8778b1e4-75c3-44e4-b35dc38e1495001e/Casting-The-Net-v10.pdf

The post The Expanding Horizon of Alternative Data in Financial Services appeared first on INRIX.

What Sets Trips Plus Apart?

Trips Plus is unique in the industry. It is the only product that integrates truck geolocation data with key economic locations, including both public and private sectors. This integration covers an expansive array of vital points of interest, such as manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers, facilitating a granular view of the supply chain and operational flow of over 400 publicly traded companies and tens of thousands private entities.

Why is this important?

Traditional geolocation data typically focuses on foot traffic at retail points of sale. While this provides some insight into consumer behavior and sales performance, it barely scratches the surface of a company’s overall health. Trips Plus fills this gap by offering deeper insights into the parts of companies that are often overlooked but critical—like production rates, supply chain efficiency, and distribution capabilities.

Deeper Insights for Strategic Decisions

For investors and businesses, understanding the full scope of operations is sometimes critical. Trips Plus enables this by providing insights that reflects the true activity at economic hotspots—not just where products are sold, but where they are made, stored, and shipped. This gives a more accurate picture of a company’s operational health and potential risks or opportunities in their supply chain.

Why Choose INRIX Trips Plus?

Choosing INRIX Trips Plus means opting for a broader and more detailed perspective of company operations and economic activities. It helps paint a fuller picture than what is possible with just point-of-sale data, allowing for better predictive analytics, investment decisions, and strategic planning. Whether you’re monitoring hundreds of tickers or focusing on private company operations, Trips Plus provides the competitive edge needed in today’s market.

Discover the Unseen, Predict the Next

INRIX is committed to advancing the scope and accuracy of economic data analytics. With Trips Plus, embrace the opportunity to delve deeper than ever before and harness insights that others miss. Let us help you uncover the critical economic indicators hidden in plain sight.

For more information on how Trips Plus can transform your data strategy, contact us today. Join us in leading the next wave of data-driven decision-making.

The post How Truck Data Unlocks Unique Investment Insights appeared first on INRIX.

In our earlier blog, we focused on the totality path in Texas, the first state in the U.S. to experience totality. In our analysis, we found that travel speeds on roads heading into – and out of – the totality zone experienced significant delays. For example, some roads around San Antonio saw a 60-65% drop in travel speeds as travelers move in and out of the totality path.

Yet much of the country (and Canada, too) saw significant travel impacts as well. To analyze the road network along the path of totality, INRIX Roadway Analytics performed bottleneck analyses on multiple states, finding that traffic jams even occurred outside of the major metros.

In fact, INRIX calculated more than 1250 traffic bottleneck locations within the path of totality, consisting of more than 2300 individual traffic jams. The average traffic jam within the path of totality stretched about 4.6 miles and lasted about 38 minutes. However, when digging deeper into the most severe bottleneck locations, we gain a clearer picture of how popular the path of totality was as a destination.

The map above reveals the top 20 bottleneck locations. At these 20 locations, however, individual traffic jams stretched an average of 8.5 miles and 42.5 minutes each. Below are the rankings in various categories for further insight.

Severity Ranking:

Severity is measured by the length of traffic jams (queues) and duration (time) which is converted into an “Impact Factor.” The Impact Factor score allows comparison of bottleneck intensity between bottlenecks. For example, a bottleneck with a score of 200 is twice as severe as a bottleneck with a score of 100.

The top 10 in terms of severity are as follows:

Notably, I-87 Southbound near Lake George in New York state held the top bottleneck spot – the tail-end of which stretched into the totality zone as travelers left after the eclipse. That bottleneck was 17% more severe than the next bottleneck, which was logged in Missouri on I-55 Northbound near Festus post-eclipse. Despite its less severe status, however, the I-55 NB bottleneck was the longest of the top 20 recorded in the totality path at 62 miles. Other notably long bottlenecks follow:

INRIX is continuing to explore traffic conditions around the eclipse. Stay tuned for more information.

The post INRIX identifies 1200+ traffic bottlenecks in totality path appeared first on INRIX.

The first US state to see the eclipse was Texas, where 200 significant traffic bottlenecks formed on Interstates, highways and key arterials – along with hundreds of smaller traffic jams – throughout the path of totality. Those 200 bottlenecks are shown above.

More specifically, the top 10 bottleneck locations are highlighted on the map above. Within the top bottlenecks, travel speeds the morning of the eclipse dropped 65% over the previous Monday with travel speeds at 22.5 mph heading southbound.

Post eclipse, travel speeds dropped nearly 60% compared to a normal Monday to 19.9 mph, before rebounding at about 7:00PM to normal speeds in the Eastbound direction.

I-10 around San Antonio saw the greatest impact from large traffic bottlenecks. Routes going in and out of the city experienced heavy delays along with some of the longest bottlenecks. Traffic jams on I-10 Eastbound at Exit 527 stretched longer than 19 miles while I-10 Westbound at Ranger Creek Road/Exit 538 was more than 13 miles in length.

INRIX will continue to report on the effects of the eclipse on traffic congestion during this historic event.

The post Traffic Jams Across Texas Eclipse Totality Zone appeared first on INRIX.

2017 & 2024 Paths of Totality from science.nasa.gov

1. Unprecedented Traffic Volume Increases

Historical data and forecasts suggest that traffic volume will see unprecedented increases in areas within the path of totality. Regions that typically experience moderate traffic might face congestion levels comparable to major city rush hours. The influx of both local and international visitors aiming to catch a glimpse of the eclipse will significantly strain road networks, especially on highways and rural roads leading to prime viewing locations.

Some have said this could be like “20 or 30 Super Bowls all at once” in terms of impact to the road network.

2. Traffic Pattern Shifts

Unlike typical traffic patterns dictated by work commutes or seasonal travel, eclipse-induced traffic will hinge on the movement of the moon’s shadow. As such, expect unusual traffic flow directions, with significant surges occurring in the days leading up to April 8th and immediately following the eclipse. Major roads and highways may experience directional shifts in heavy traffic, particularly as visitors depart from eclipse viewing areas. Authorities might implement temporary traffic measures to manage these shifts effectively.

INRIX and CATT Lab found that following 2017’s eclipse, major interstates saw severe traffic jams between 4pm – 9pm, along with long queues/backups of vehicles – some as long as 16 miles long. In addition, 4 out of the 5 longest-lasting traffic bottlenecks occurred on rural roads.

Watch how INRIX participated with other state and local officials to plan ahead for the 2024 eclipse by using data and analytics, here:

3. Enhanced Road Safety Measures

In anticipation of the increased traffic volume and the unique distractions posed by the eclipse, enhanced road safety measures will be in place. Studies have shown that traffic crash risk increased 31% during the 2017 eclipse period, spurring authorities to increase patrols and set up informational signage to guide travelers safely to their destinations. Speed limits may be temporarily reduced in high-congestion areas to mitigate the risk of accidents. Travelers should remain alert, adhere to posted signs and guidelines, and be prepared for sudden stops in traffic, especially during the eclipse when drivers and pedestrians may be distracted.

4. Big Impact on Local Communities and Infrastructure

Communities within the path of totality will experience significant impacts on their local infrastructure. With the sudden surge in population, travelers can expect longer wait times at restaurants, gas stations, and restrooms. Local authorities may set up temporary facilities to accommodate the needs of eclipse watchers, but travelers should plan ahead by bringing sufficient supplies, including water, snacks, and fuel.

5. Increased Communication and Information Resources

To navigate the challenges of eclipse travel, staying informed through reliable communication channels will be crucial. State and local transportation departments, along with traffic management organizations, will provide real-time updates on traffic conditions, road closures, and safety tips. Additionally, during the 2017 eclipse, transport officials restricted highway work to avoid lane closures and maintenance crews boosted patrols to provide stranded drivers assistance in finding a tow truck or fixing a flat tire to reduce delays. Travelers should utilize these resources for planning their journeys and making informed decisions on the road.

In conclusion, while the 2024 solar eclipse presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many, it also poses unique challenges for travelers. By anticipating increased traffic volumes, understanding the potential for unusual traffic patterns, adhering to enhanced safety measures, considering the impact on local infrastructures, and staying well-informed, eclipse chasers can ensure a memorable and safe experience.

The post Five Traffic Projections Around the Eclipse appeared first on INRIX.

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore, Maryland, experienced a catastrophic collapse following a collision with the Singaporean container ship DALI. This incident has had profound implications for the region, affecting both transportation logistics and local communities.

The collapse was triggered when the DALI, a massive vessel measuring approximately 984 feet in length, struck one of the bridge’s support pillars around 1:30 a.m. At the time of the collision, the bridge was undergoing maintenance, and a construction crew was present, leading to immediate concerns for their safety. The rapid response from emergency services, combined with the precautionary halting of vehicular traffic, helped prevent further casualties.

Maryland officials declared a State of Emergency shortly after the collapse, highlighting the severity of the situation and the extensive efforts required for recovery. Given the bridge’s truss structure design, meaning the integrity of one part of the bridge is crucial for the whole, a strike to a single pier could lead to a total structural failure, as observed in this incident​​​​. By declaring a State of Emergency, federal, state and local officials can begin rebuilding efforts with less red tape and little funding and financing trouble.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is more than just a physical structure; it represents a critical artery for regional traffic flow and economic activities. Opened in 1977 and serving over 30,000 commuters daily, the bridge’s collapse has severed a vital transport and port/shipping corridor along the East Coast, compelling vehicles (and boats) to reroute and disrupting the usual flow of goods and services.

Traffic Implications:

As expected, traffic congestion increased in key areas following the collapse. An initial analysis revealed freeway to freeway interchanges experienced the largest boost to travel times.

Noted in black in the map above, large speed reductions were found along I-95, I-895 and MD-295 on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the collapse. Speeds on road segments along those routes fell to a low of 10 mph on the Harbor Tunnel Thruway (I-895) and 14 mph on I-95 near the I-695 Interchange. Additionally, traffic speeds dropped to a low of 13 mph between the I-895 Interchange and the I-95 Interchange.

The Key Bridge carried about 40,000 vehicles on the average day. INRIX data reveals that traffic across the bridge before the collapse was comprised of 72% passenger vehicles, 20% local fleet and delivery vehicles, and the remaining 8% semi trucks.

The Key Bridge was also vital in the movement of hazardous material. Since the proposed detour routes are tunnels that require restricting hazardous materials, trucks carrying these goods must reroute all the way around I-695, adding to truck travel times.

Rebuilding:

Recovery and rebuilding efforts will undoubtedly be complex and time-consuming. Unlike recent bridge collapses on I-95 in Philadelphia, I-85 in Atlanta, and the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River in Washington state, a temporary span is not likely to be put in place due to the topography, requiring more time-consuming, permanent solutions.

Conclusion:

The incident has far-reaching economic implications, especially for the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for both imports and exports, including automobiles and light trucks. The disruption caused by the Key Bridge collapse extends beyond local traffic inconvenience, affecting maritime activities and the logistics of goods movement through one of the East Coast’s busiest ports​​.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in our infrastructure and the cascading effects such incidents can have on communities, economies, and the environment. It also underscores the necessity for continuous investment in infrastructure maintenance and improvements, as well as the importance of emergency preparedness and response capabilities. As the region begins to recover and rebuild, lessons learned from this event will hopefully inform future infrastructure projects, ensuring they are safer, more resilient, and better prepared to withstand unforeseen challenges.

The post Early Traffic Impacts of Key Bridge Collapse appeared first on INRIX.