As a new year begins, we reflect upon the close of a year that could shape up to be the deadliest for road users in decades.

In the early days of the pandemic, traffic-related deaths began to surge despite reduced travel, and so far, this trend has continued. According to data from the Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2021 saw 42,915 roadway deaths—the highest death toll since 2005. And in August, the NHTSA announced that in the first half of 2022, fatalities increased 0.5% over 2021, making it even deadlier than the previous record-breaking year.

Experts did see a slight decline in fatalities from April to June last year, making them hopeful that the latter half of 2022 would slow down and reverse a troubling trend that has stuck around these past few years. But as we wait for the final data for the entire 2022 year, it’s important to ask: what exactly can we do to reduce these numbers in 2023?

Iteris’ ClearGuide® smart mobility software helps agencies make the best traffic operations and planning decisions by analyzing large amounts of complex transportation data to identify and visualize problem areas before traffic congestion worsens.

Specifically, ClearGuide’s Speeding Analytics module can help agencies proactively identify and rank regional speeding hotspots before crashes occur. The module’s speeding map lets users identify and rank speeding hotspots on the roadways that are most relevant to them. Users can customize the map to pull data from different time ranges, as well as filter by days of the week, times of the day, and roadway types.

With high-resolution GPS probe data, DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations can visualize and quantify speeding problems across the roadway network. The module can help agencies deploy before-and-after studies and provides access to a variety of charts and graphics that let users answer questions like: where and when is speeding happening on the route; is it getting worse or better over time; and are implemented countermeasures having the desired impact?

The numbers we’ve seen in previous years highlight the importance of using all available technologies and tools to proactively work to reduce potentially fatal traffic incidents at the intersection and beyond. Find out more about ClearGuide’s speeding analytics and how they can help realize safer roads.