Washington, D.C., May 8, 2026 — Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics and AI company for safer mobility, and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) today released Transitioning from Reactive Planning to a Fast Loop: A Guide to Integrating Telematics Risk Analysis into Triennial Highway Safety Plans. The report gives State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) an actionable framework for embedding real-time, behavior-based data into their federally required Triennial Highway Safety Plans (THSP).

For years, SHSOs have relied on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and other legacy datasets that are often two or more years old to develop their THSPs. The report describes this as a “Slow Loop” that leaves agencies planning “half-blind,” responding to past events rather than the risks emerging on roads today. The framework introduces Telematics Risk Analysis (TRA) as the foundation of a “Fast Loop,” in which agencies can identify hazards, deploy countermeasures, and validate results within a single THSP planning cycle.

The case for moving faster is well established. Since 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 200,000 people have died on U.S. roads. Drivers with the highest levels of phone distraction are 240% more likely to crash. Closing the gap between when risk emerges and when agencies can act on it is one of the most direct paths to preventing the next crash.

“State highway safety offices are developing safety plans in reaction to data that happened two or more years ago,” said Pam Shadel Fischer, GHSA’s Senior Director of External Engagement at GHSA. “This report gives SHSOs a concrete, actionable path to move beyond lagging crash data and build safety strategies around what is actually happening on the road today. The Fast Loop is how we shift from documenting fatalities to preventing them. GHSA is proud to put this framework in the hands of the SHSOs.”

The report outlines eight guiding principles for integrating TRA into the THSP process: network screening, hotspot analysis, distracted driving analysis, speed studies, school zone risk assessment, work zone and detour risk assessment, intersection analysis, and countermeasure impact analysis. State agencies already applying these principles include:

• Wyoming DOT, which used TRA to measure risk along a mandated detour after a 2024 landslide on Highway 22 in the Teton Mountains. The platform identified an 83% increase in excessive speeding and a 21% increase in phone tapping along the route, prompting WYDOT to deploy warning signs and adjust the detour.
• Texas DOT, which used TRA to compare a roundabout to a nearby signalized intersection. The signalized intersection produced twice as many hard-braking events and 15 times more hard-acceleration events, giving TxDOT the evidence to advocate for roundabouts in public outreach.

“Serious injury and fatal crashes cannot be the only tool we rely upon to prevent tragedy,” said Ryan McMahon, SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development at CMT. “Fast Loop planning gives officials the ability to see risk as it emerges and know within weeks whether their intervention is working. That is how road safety moves from reactive to proactive, and it is the best tool to reduce crashes that we have available today.” 

The framework builds on CMT’s StreetVision platform, used by state and local transportation and safety agencies to support Vision Zero initiatives, infrastructure planning, and behavioral highway safety programs.

The full report is available at: https://www.cmtelematics.com/ghsa-report-2026-the-future-of-roadway-safety/

About the Governors Highway Safety Association

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management, and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Visit ghsa.org for more information or find us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

About Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) is the world’s largest telematics and AI company for safer mobility. Its mission is to make the world’s roads and drivers safer. The company’s AI-driven platform, DriveWell Fusion®, proactively identifies and reduces driving risk, leading to fewer crashes and injuries. To date, CMT’s technology has helped prevent over 126,000 crashes worldwide. CMT enables partners to measure risk, detect crashes, provide life-saving assistance, and streamline claims. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, CMT operates globally with offices in Budapest, Hungary; Chennai, India; Seattle, Washington; Tokyo, Japan; and Zagreb, Croatia. Learn more at www.cmt.ai.