Distracted driving is increasingly jeopardizing the profitability of commercial auto insurance, according to new research from SambaSafety. The 2026 Telematics Report, based on responses from 740 fleet, broker, and insurance professionals and an analysis of 500 million miles of driving data, found that 84% of insurers and brokers now consider distracted driving a major threat to commercial auto profitability—up nearly 10 percentage points in one year. This sharp rise underscores growing recognition that distraction behind the wheel not only endangers public safety but also drives up costs when crashes occur.
Telematics technology is emerging as a key tool to identify risky driving patterns and prevent crashes. With 90% of fleet respondents using telematics, the challenge has shifted from data collection to data interpretation. More than half of fleets (53%) say interpreting and acting on telematics data is a leading challenge. The report reveals that safety risks vary considerably by industry. For example, severe speeding rates differed by more than fivefold across the industries analyzed: Transportation fleets recorded 48 severe speeding events per 100,000 miles, compared with 254 among Construction fleets. These differences demonstrate that a one-size-fits-all safety strategy may not address the unique risks each group of drivers faces.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing a growing role in making sense of large volumes of driver data. Sixty percent of fleets and 94% of insurers report using AI in some form, including analyzing driver risk data and reviewing footage that once required manual processing. The research further highlights a disconnect over data sharing: while 52% of brokers cite fleet distrust as a barrier, only 5% of fleets agree, suggesting that fleets may be more willing to share information when they understand its purpose and value.
“Understanding risk isn’t just about having more data. It’s having the right information to reveal the story behind it,” said Kristy Kennah, Head of Insurance at SambaSafety. The findings reflect a broader shift in vehicle safety technology, where the focus is moving toward using data to identify risks and support safer decisions on the road. The 2026 Telematics Report is available from SambaSafety. As organizations grapple with rising distracted driving concerns, the insights from this report could help shape more effective safety programs and ultimately improve road safety and insurance outcomes.
