Van drivers prioritised safety during the blackouts that hit all of Spain, Portugal and South of France earlier this week, new data reveals.
Geotab analysed traffic patterns during the nationwide blackouts and found a significant reduction in three risky driving behaviours: harsh accelerations, harsh braking and harsh cornering.
The number of harsh accelerations per vehicle dropped by 19% compared to the previous week in the affected areas. Harsh braking incidents fell by 13%, while harsh cornering decreased by 9%. Despite the widespread absence of traffic lights regulating flow on roads, drivers exhibited exemplary behaviour throughout the day.
Geotab’s evaluation reveals a significant decrease in incidents on the day of the power outage compared to the previous week, thanks to the data collected from Geotab GO devices. When the GO device is out of mobile coverage, data is stored in the device’s internal flash memory, which can hold up to 80,000 logs in offline mode when communication is lost or interrupted. This is roughly equivalent to one month’s worth of data. Once the vehicle returns to an area with coverage, all stored logs are automatically uploaded to the MyGeotab servers.
The number of vehicles in circulation remained relatively high and steady until the moment the blackout occurred. However, starting at 12.30 p.m., there was a 46.99% drop in the number of active vehicles in the affected areas, while the average duration of stops increased. In relative terms, there was an 8.21% rise in stop time, which may indicate that drivers had to remain stationary for longer periods due to congestion and the lack of traffic coordination caused by the power outage.
Iván Lequerica, vice president EMEA at Geotab, said: “The data collected by our technology clearly shows how, even in a context as critical as a national blackout, driving behaviour can adapt positively. The significant reduction in risky manoeuvres – such as acceleration, braking and sharp turns – is evidence of a responsible response by drivers, who prioritised safety.
“This type of analysis, made possible by our advanced connectivity solutions, demonstrates the value of real-time and offline data to understand and improve road safety, even under extreme conditions.”
Lequerica added that cities and businesses can use such initiatives to make data-driven decisions to promote road safety and sustainability in exceptional situations such as the one experienced on Monday
“At Geotab, we believe these insights are critical for governments and professional fleets to make informed decisions that drive safer and more resilient mobility.”
