App to improve driver safety

A start-up from the US has developed an app that captures and analyses data on driving behaviour to show drivers where they can improve to help make roads safer for everyone.

Censio, a driving-data-analytics business, was co-founded by MIT graduate Brad Cordova and Harvard University’s Joe Adelmann, who were inspired to launch a start-up that would also make a social difference.

“For most of us, the most dangerous thing you do from day to day is driving,” said Cordova.

To capture driving behaviour, the app identifies when a person is driving and then uses a smartphone’s accelerometer, gyroscope (positioning) and GPS to track driving dynamics.

It also uses external data, such as speed limits and the weather, as well as street information, eg, whether an intersection appears safe or hazardous.

Using this data, the app looks for habits such as speeding through intersections and braking hard, which could indicate tailgating or not paying attention to the road, as well as observing mobile phone use while driving.

The Road Safety Commission for Western Australia estimates that up to 20% of serious road crashes involves drivers distracted by technology.

Cordova said the app helps drivers see the risks associated with certain behaviours — especially distracted driving.

“The human brain is not good at statistics and probability, so most people aren’t thinking how sending this text will affect their probability of getting into an accident,” said Cordova.

“We calculate these complicated probability distributions and send that back to the app in a very digestible way.”

The app takes the data and then gives drivers a score out of 100, comparing scores to other drivers nationwide, and keeps track of their habits. The data is then made available to insurers to help them assess the overall risk of a particular driver.

Censio said the company received funding of around $10 million and a partnership with Progressive Insurance, who recently began piloting the app with US customers to work towards reducing insurance rates for good drivers.

“The aim is to make drivers around the world better and safer,” added Cordova.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Christian Lagereek

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