ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Michigan Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Michigan 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 Michigan recorded 21.32 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 9.5% below the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 21.46, a 0.7% increase from the prior month, and 10.8% below the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 21.35 events per 100 miles, marking a 0.5% decrease from February. It was 10.2% below 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, Michigan averaged 21.38 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Wayne, Cass, and Dickinson, recorded distraction rates roughly 11% – 31% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Keweenaw, Ontonagon, and Alger, reported rates roughly 26% – 34% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Wayne County
28.1
+31.4%Cass County
24.2
+13.2%Dickinson County
23.8
+11.3%Macomb County
23.3
+9.0%Hillsdale County
23.2
+8.5%Lowest Distraction
Mackinac County
16.7
-21.9%Schoolcraft County
16.3
-23.8%Alger County
15.9
-25.6%Ontonagon County
14.4
-32.6%Keweenaw County
14.1
-34.1%
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 Macomb County intersections found 28 Mile Road & Mound Road to be a high-risk hotspot, with 124.3 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
28 Mile Road & Mound Road
124.3
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Michigan
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 Florida follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On M-37 in Barry County, MI (65 mph), speeding peaks on Mondays at 12:00 a.m., when 33.5% of driving time exceeds the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Sundays at 11:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 a.m.
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
M-37
Posted speed limit: 65 mph
Mondays: 12:00 a.m.
33.5%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Sundays: 11:00 p.m.
9.4%
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 activity in the school zone at Edison Elementary School on Grand River Ave in Detroit, MI. Our analysis found that 17% of drivers exceed 35 mph during school hours. Wednesdays at 6:00 a.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 38.8% of drivers going over 35 mph.
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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