ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Mississippi Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Mississippi 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 Mississippi recorded 31.43 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 33.5% above the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 31.57, a 0.45% increase from the prior month, and 31.2% above the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 31.02 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.74% decrease from February. It was 30.5% 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, Mississippi averaged 31.34 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Leflore, Oktibbeha, and Bolivar, recorded distraction rates roughly 20% – 44% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Benton, Marshall, and Holmes, reported rates roughly 22% – 29% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Leflore County
44.9
+43.73%Oktibbeha County
40.5
+29.64%Bolivar County
39.5
+26.44%Lafayette County
38.1
+21.96%Lamar County
37.6
+20.36%Lowest Distraction
Montgomery County
24.2
-22.54%Wilkinson County
24.0
-23.18%Holmes County
23.9
-23.50%Marshall County
23.8
-23.82%Benton County
22.2
-28.94%
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, despite representing a small share of roadway mileage. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of Leflore County intersections found US 82 & a residential road to be a high-risk hotspot, with 197.2 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
US 82 & residential road
197.2
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Mississippi
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 Idaho follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On Blues Highway (Route 61) in Mississippi (55 mph), speeding peaks on Wednesdays at 3:00 a.m., when 85.8% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Mondays at 2:00 a.m. and Wednesdays at 2:00 a.m.
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Blues Highway
Posted speed limit: 55 mph
Wednesdays: 3:00 a.m.
85.8%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Mondays: 2:00 a.m.
62%
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 Wells APAC Elementary School on Riverside Dr in Jackson, MS. Our analysis found that 31% of drivers exceed the 25 mph speed limit during school hours. Thursdays at 6:00 a.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 46.7% 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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