ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Rhode Island Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island recorded 25.16 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 6.8% above the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 26.8, a 6.5% increase from the prior month, and 11.4% above the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 25.15 events per 100 miles, marking a 6.2% decrease from February. It was 5.8% 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, Rhode Island averaged 25.7 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Bristol and Providence, recorded distraction rates roughly 11% – 12% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Newport, Kent, and Washington, reported rates roughly 5% – 24% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
County Rankings
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 Bristol County intersections found Parker Avenue & Roseland Avenue to be a high-risk hotspot, with 84.6 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
Parker Avenue & Roseland Avenue
84.6
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On Ashaway Road in Washington County, RI (35 mph), speeding peaks on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m., when 96.2% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Sundays at 12:00 a.m. and Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m.
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Ashaway Road
Posted speed limit: 35 mph
Thursdays: 9:00 p.m.
96.2%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Sundays: 12:00 a.m.
95.8%
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 Richmond Elementary School on Kingstown Rd in Richmond, RI. Our analysis found that 33% of drivers exceed the 35 mph speed limit during school hours. Thursdays at 6:00 a.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 61.4% 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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