The Ugly Truth About Harsh Braking
By LifeSaver | October 29, 2025
In today’s fleet management landscape, the data you’re already paying for, your telematics — can be a goldmine of insights. For fleet managers, driver safety managers, and risk managers alike, understanding and leveraging this data is essential for reducing costs, improving safety profiles, and strengthening insurance positions.
The Hidden Value in Your Existing Data
Telematics systems capture a wide array of driver behaviors and vehicle performance metrics, but perhaps the most critical, and often underutilized, are harsh braking events. These incidents are more than just sudden jolts; they are a direct and reliable indicator of risky driving behaviors, most notably distracted driving. A recent study found that harsh braking is the physical response to looking at your phone too long, following too closely, or simply not paying attention.
Why Harsh Braking Matters
Increased incidents of harsh braking are frequently a tell-tale sign of mobile device distraction — the #1 form of distracted driving and consequently, one of the leading contributors to at-fault collisions. So, if your telematics data shows frequent harsh braking, it’s likely your drivers are distracted by their phones or other devices — putting your fleet at significant risk.
Additional benefits of harsh braking detection and mitigation include, but are not limited to:
- Improved safety of drivers and the public
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Reduced brake issues
Proactive Measures = Massive Savings
Understanding this connection is crucial because being proactive about mobile device distraction can save your company hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. From costly vehicle repairs to increased workers’ compensation claims to rising insurance premiums due to the skyrocketing costs of truck accident settlements, the overall costs of your fleet vehicles can be staggering.
The Business Case for Prevention
Since mobile device distraction correlates directly with harsh braking events, reducing one inevitably impacts the other. Implementing strategies to prevent mobile device distraction doesn’t just make your drivers safer, it also: Reduces costly collisions: lowers repair and legal expenses Improves your risk profile: making your company more insurable Strengthens commercial auto insurance negotiations: potentially lowering premium costs Protects your bottom line: especially if your company is self-insured, reducing out-of-pocket expenses
For Fleet, Safety, and Risk Managers: Here’s the Takeaway
-
Fleet Managers: With rising vehicle repair costs due to tariffs and supply chain issues, preventing collisions is more critical than ever. Use your telematics data, especially harsh braking statistics, to identify and address risky behaviors before they lead to costly crashes.
-
Safety Managers: Be the hero by using the data your company already pays for to implement preventative measures. Moving from reactive crash response to proactive risk mitigation can significantly enhance your safety culture.
-
Risk Managers: Your ultimate goal is to reduce your company’s exposure. Leveraging harsh braking data as an early warning system for distracted driving allows you to make informed decisions that protect your fleet, your drivers, and your bottom line.
Your telematics system is more than just a monitoring tool; it’s a strategic asset for safety and risk management. By focusing on the data points that matter, particularly measuring the effects of harsh braking, you can prevent the #1 cause of crashes– mobile device distraction– when you add LifeSaver Mobile to your fleet safety technology stack. Incorporating an engineered solution is what’s necessary to make an immediate impact on your driver safety program. Act now to transform data into dollars saved, safer roads, and a stronger safety culture within your fleet.
Stay proactive, stay safe.