ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Alabama Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Alabama from January 2026 through March 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.
The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.
01 PHONE DISTRACTION
Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark
In January 2026, drivers in Alabama recorded 27.57 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 17.1% above the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 27.66, a 0.33% increase from the prior month, and 15% above the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 27.35 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.1% decrease from February. It was 15.1% above the US average.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
02 COUNTY ANALYSIS
County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving
Across the three-month period, Alabama averaged 27.53 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Choctaw, Mobile, and Monroe, recorded distraction rates roughly 14% – 22% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Cleburne, Lowndes, and Conecuh, reported rates roughly 27% – 34% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Choctaw County
33.6
+22.05%Mobile County
33.0
+19.87%Monroe County
32.7
+18.78%Dallas County
31.5
+14.42%Colbert County
31.5
+14.42%Lowest Distraction
Greene County
19.9
-27.72%Macon County
19.4
-29.53%Cleburne County
18.7
-32.07%Lowndes County
18.4
-33.16%Conecuh County
18.1
-34.25%
03 HARD BRAKING
High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk
Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of Lauderdale County intersections found United States Highway 72 & Lurleen Street to be a high-risk hotspot, with 889 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
US-72 & Lurleen Street
889
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Alabama
Hard Braking Events per 100 miles
Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.
04 SPEEDING PATTERNS
When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks
Speeding behavior in Alabama follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On US-43 in Gu-Win, AL (45 mph), speeding peaks on Sunday at 2:00 a.m., when 99% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Fridays at 5:00 a.m. and Mondays at 11:00 p.m.
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
US-43
Posted speed limit: 45 mph
Sundays: 2:00 a.m.
99%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Fridays: 5:00 a.m.
81.3%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
05 SCHOOL ZONES
How fast are drivers going in school zones?
We analyzed speed distribution in the school zone at Crestaline Elementary School on W Jackson Boulevard in Mountain Brook, AL. Our analysis found that 56% of drivers exceed the 20 mph speed limit between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday at 6:00 a.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 75% of drivers going over the limit.
Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.
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