ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS

Vermont Island Road Safety Analysis

Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision

The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Vermont 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 Vermont recorded 15.61 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 33.7% below the US benchmark.

In February, the rate was 15.99, a 2.4% increase from the prior month, and 33.5% below the national average.

By March, phone tapping events decreased to 15.8 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.2% decrease from February. It was 33.5% below the US average.

phone tapping events per 100 miles

January 2025

15.61

National avg: 23.55

Feburary 2026

15.99

2.4% from January

March 2026

15.8

-1.2% from February

02 COUNTY ANALYSIS

County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving

Across the three-month period, Vermont averaged 15.8 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.

The most distracted counties, led by Lamoille, Grand Isle, and Washington, recorded distraction rates roughly 8% – 10% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.

In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Windham, Windsor, and Orange, reported rates roughly 1% – 15% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.

phone tapping events per 100 miles

Highest distraction

1 Lamoille County 17.4 +10.1%
2 Grand Isle County 17.2 +8.9%
3 Washington County 17.0 +7.6%
4 Orleans County 16.5 +4.4%
5 Chittenden County 16.4 +3.8%

Lowest distraction

1 Addison County 16.1 +1.9%
2 Bennington County 16.0 +1.3%
3 Orange County 15.6 −1.3%
4 Windham County 13.9 −12.0%
5 Windsor County 13.5 −14.6%

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 Chittenden County intersections found Spear Street & Webster Road to be a high-risk hotspot, with 137.1 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.

highest risk

Spear Street & Webster Road

137.1

hard braking events / 100 mi

other high risk intersections in Vermont

Hard Braking Events per 100 miles

2

Malletts Bay Avenue & Union Street

130.2

3

Maple Street & Church Street

113.2

4

Dorset Street & Irish Hill Road & Pond Road

105.2

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 Vermont follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.

On South Street in Bennington County, VT (40 mph), speeding peaks on Sundays at 9:00 p.m., when 81.8% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Saturdays at 12:00 a.m. and Wednesdays at 1:00 a.m.

These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.

CORRIDOR ANALYSIS

South Street

Posted speed limit: 40 mph

Sundays: 9:00 p.m.

81.8%

of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit

Saturdays: 12:00 a.m.

68.1%

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 Woodstock Elementary School on South St in Woodstock, VT. Our analysis found that 23% of drivers exceed the 25 mph speed limit during school hours. Mondays at 12:00 p.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 54.3% 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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