(NewsUSA) - Distracted driving continues to threaten U.S. roads, prompting companies that operate and insure commercial vehicles to explore how technologies like telematics can help identify risky behavior and prevent crashes.

New research from SambaSafety examines how organizations use driving data to better understand risk and support safer decisions on the road. The report draws on responses from 740 fleet, broker, and insurance professionals, as well as an analysis of 500 million miles of driving data covering more than 135 million driver behavior events. The findings show that safety risks can vary considerably by the type of work drivers perform, and that understanding those differences can help organizations develop safety programs that address the risks their drivers face.

The report found that 84% of insurers and brokers consider distracted driving a major threat to commercial auto profitability, up nearly 10 percentage points in one year. The increase reflects a growing recognition that distraction behind the wheel threatens public safety and contributes to higher costs when crashes occur.

Telematics can help organizations identify unsafe or risky driving patterns and use those insights to influence driver training and safety programs. With 90% of fleet respondents using telematics, there’s a growing challenge in turning the technology’s data into meaningful action. More than half of fleets (53%) say interpreting and acting on telematics data is a leading challenge.

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 show why a safety strategy that works for one group of drivers may not address the risks facing another.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also emerging as a means of interpreting large amounts 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 also points to a disconnect over data sharing. While 52% of brokers cite fleet distrust as a barrier, only 5% of fleets agree. This finding suggests 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.

These findings reflect a broader shift in vehicle safety technology. As these tools become more widely used, the focus is shifting toward using this information to identify risks and support safer decisions on the road.

The 2026 Telematics Report is available from SambaSafety.

(NewsUSA) - With U.S. gasoline prices still hovering around $4.00 per gallon, according to AAA, consumers are looking for lower-cost fuel options like E15, made with 15 percent American ethanol. According to data from Growth Energy, the nation’s largest trade association for biofuel producers, the higher-ethanol blend saves motorists 30 cents per gallon on average compared to standard E10 fuel, with savings in some markets exceeding $1 per gallon. E15 can now be found at more than 5,100 gas stations in 35 states.

“E15 can deliver better performance and bigger savings every time consumers fill up their tanks,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “It’s approved for more than 96% of cars on the road — all passenger cars and light-duty trucks model year 2001 or later — so making the switch has never been easier. And with fuel prices at a four-year high, E15 can save drivers money and shield them from global market volatility.”

Also marketed as Unleaded 88 (UNL88), in recognition of the octane boost offered by ethanol, E15 is already offered by dozens of major retail chains. Drivers’ access to the fuel option has expanded rapidly since 2019, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented a series of regulatory and short-term measures to keep E15 available even during periods when seasonal regulations would otherwise restrict its sale.

Those measures have helped keep E15 available in recent summers, but Congress now has an opportunity to give drivers and fuel retailers more certainty by making year-round access to E15 permanent nationwide.

Bipartisan legislation that passed the House this May would update decades-old rules that limit when some gas stations can sell E15, aligning regulations with evidence that the higher-ethanol blend can reduce ground-level ozone formation, particulate emissions, and other air pollutants. Similar legislation is now awaiting action in the Senate.

“Permanent year-round E15 can help raise income in rural communities, strengthen American energy security, and deliver lower prices at the pump at a time when Americans need it most,” said Skor. “It’s not a mandate or a requirement — it simply gives our retail partners the freedom to offer another option to cash-strapped motorists.”

Drivers can find nearby stations selling E15 and other higher ethanol blends using Growth Energy’s Fuel Finder tool, available at GetBiofuel.com.

(NewsUSA) - Your back-to-school checklist is already long. That chip in your windshield shouldn’t stay on it.

Back-to-school season means busy mornings, packed schedules, school drop-offs, after-school activities and plenty of time on the road. With attention focused on getting everyone where they need to be, it’s easy to put off something that seems minor, like that small chip in your windshield.

But windshield damage doesn’t wait for your schedule to slow down.

Not all windshield damage is the same. A small white dot on the glass and a long line running across your field of view are both problems, but they call for very different responses. The type of damage, where it sits on the glass, and how long it has been there all determine whether a technician can fix it in about 30 minutes or whether the entire windshield needs replacing.

You hear the unmistakable ping of a rock hitting your windshield. You look around, spot a tiny mark in the glass and think, That doesn’t look so bad. And sometimes, it isn’t …yet.

A chip is damage centered around a single impact point. Something struck the glass hard enough to break away a small piece of the outer layer, but the damage hasn’t started traveling. The good news? Chips caught early are the best candidates for repair, making that little mark worth addressing before it becomes something bigger.

A crack is a line of separation that extends away from the impact point, or that appears on its own from stress. Cracks can be short and stable or long and fast moving, depending on location, temperature swings, road vibration and moisture.

 And if you’ve ever wondered why windshield damage seems to come in so many different shapes, there’s actually a name for many of them. A bullseye creates a circular pattern around the impact point, much like a dartboard. A star break sends small cracks radiating outward, while a combination break includes characteristics of both. You may also spot a half-moon, which forms a partial circle, or a pit, a small surface nick without a larger pattern around it.

Cracks vary too. Stress cracks appear without any impact at all, often triggered by sudden temperature change, such as a frozen windshield blasted with hot defroster air. Edge begin near the perimeter of the windshield and tend to spread quickly, while floating cracks sit farther into the glass and grow outward from an original point of damage.

Why Size Isn’t the Whole Story

Here’s the tricky thing about windshield damage: small doesn’t always mean harmless. A tiny chip may look like no big deal, but road vibration, moisture and temperature changes can quickly give it room to grow. And where the damage sits matters just as much as its size. A chip or crack in the driver’s line of sight can affect visibility, while damage near the edge tends to spread faster. Even damage near windshield-mounted cameras deserves attention, since many newer vehicles rely on those cameras for features like lane departure warnings, forward collision alerts and adaptive cruise control. Bottom line? That little chip may be trying to tell you more than you think.

The Best Time to Fix It? Before It Gets Worse.

Here’s the good news: if caught early, many windshield chips can be repaired in as little as 30 minutes. Side and rear window damage is a different story, those always require replacement. Either way, getting the damage checked sooner rather than later is your best move.

Because one thing windshield damage rarely does is fix itself. That little chip you’ve been ignoring? It has bigger ambitions. Potholes, car washes, road vibration and temperature changes can turn a small, repairable chip into a crack that requires a full windshield replacement.

Not sure whether your windshield needs a repair or replacement? Auto Glass Now offers free damage inspections and an honest recommendation, with no-fee mobile service available at most locations, making it one less thing to juggle during an already busy back-to-school season.

Get a free windshield quote online or call 1-888-4-FIX-GLASS.

(NewsUSA) - The commercial auto industry is entering another year of sustained strain, as rising claims severity, persistent risky driving behaviors, and escalating litigation continue to push losses higher—even as fleets and insurers gain unprecedented access to data and technology.

SambaSafety, a provider of cloud-based driver risk management solutions, outlines the findings in its 2026 Driver Risk Report: Current Trends Shaping Roadway Safety. The report documents a 64% increase in claims severity since 2015, and citing industry research, an 81% rise in thermonuclear verdicts—jury awards exceeding $100 million—in 2024 alone. Commercial underwriting losses approached $4.9 billion that same year, according to data cited in the report.

The data underscores a central tension in the industry: while visibility into driver behavior has never been greater, translating that visibility into sustained risk reduction remains inconsistent.

Risk Behaviors Continue to Drive Losses

The report draws on nearly 50 million motor vehicle records, 28 million telematics events, Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) data, and 13 years of claims analysis. It identifies several long-running behavioral risks that continue to shape commercial fleet performance.

Among the most notable findings:

• Distracted driving violations have increased 31% over two years
• Speeding remains the leading violation, accounting for 36.5% of major violations in 2025.
• Driver fatigue is associated with a 36% higher accident risk
• Excessive speeding is most common on both very short trips (1–5 miles) and long-haul routes exceeding 500 miles
• Large truck fatal crash involvement has risen 42% since 2009
• Out-of-service violations reached 478,683 in 2025, up 6% year over year

While fleets now have broader access to telematics and behavioral data, the persistence of these trends suggests that risk is increasingly driven by habits, fatigue, and operational pressure rather than lack of information alone.

Growing Gap Between Insight and Execution

A key theme emerging from the report is the widening gap between data availability and operational action.

SambaSafety notes that many organizations now have access to advanced analytics and real-time driver monitoring, but struggle to consistently apply insights in day-to-day safety management. This disconnect is particularly evident in coaching, intervention timing, and cross-functional coordination between insurers, fleets, and risk teams.

The report is equally clear on what works. Organizations combining continuous driver monitoring with targeted training have achieved a 77% reduction in violations within 12 months and a 22% reduction in claims frequency — evidence that execution discipline, not data access, is the decisive factor in outcomes.

AI and Automation Move to the Center of Risk Management

In response to ongoing challenges, SambaSafety has expanded its AI-powered capabilities aimed at improving how organizations interpret and act on risk data.

New tools include AI Profile Summary, which consolidates driver data from motor vehicle records, CSA records, telematics, claims, and training into a single risk overview. Risk Insights provides fleet-level scoring and trend analysis to identify the most significant drivers of exposure. Learning Paths structure driver education into sequential programs designed to reduce administrative burden and improve engagement.

The company also introduced SambaSafety Verified, a tiered accreditation program recognizing fleets that actively manage driver risk, along with a Fleet Risk Management Academy offering structured training across safety fundamentals and advanced risk strategy.

Industry Outlook: Collaboration Still the Missing Link

According to SambaSafety CEO Matt Scheuing, progress in technology and data integration is evident, but the industry has yet to fully normalize collaboration around safety performance.

“Three years into this research series, we’ve seen meaningful progress in technology and the connection of safety and risk stakeholders,” Scheuing said. “The dialogue is deeper, the technology stack is more capable, and compliance is being integrated more deeply into safety programs as a measure of program health.”

Still, the report suggests that the next phase of industry improvement will depend less on data availability and more on how effectively organizations embed risk intelligence into everyday decision-making.

The full 2026 Driver Risk Report is available at sambasafety.com.

(NewsUSA) - With summer in full swing, safety on the road should be a top priority. Auto Glass Now is helping drivers across the country get road-trip ready — because wherever the season takes them, a damaged windshield shouldn’t stand in the way.

Auto Glass Now knows summer means more time behind the wheel — and cracked windshields often tag along for the ride. With over 200 locations nationwide, the company is committed to helping drivers stay safe with fast, reliable glass repair and replacement services. Whether you are headed to the beach, lake, or mountains, you can count on Auto Glass Now for fast and convenient auto glass services, wherever you may be!
 

Why You Shouldn’t Hit the Road with a Damaged Windshield

Planning a road trip this summer? Before you pack the cooler and load up the car, make sure your windshield is ready for the journey too. That small chip or crack you’ve been putting off could turn into a much bigger problem once the temperatures rise.

Summer heat can worsen existing windshield damage. As glass expands in the heat — especially under direct sunlight — minor chips can rapidly turn into large cracks. Add in high interior temperatures and sudden cooling from air conditioning, and the risk of further damage increases. In some cases, a minor chip can quickly grow into a full crack, potentially compromising your visibility and safety.

Here are a few risks to consider:

• Thermal stress: The combination of a hot windshield and a blast of cold AC can trigger cracking.
• Rough roads and road vibrations: Potholes, gravel roads, speed bumps, and uneven pavement transmit strong vibrations and shocks to the vehicle chassis. These impacts travel through the frame and can stress the windshield, especially if there's a crack already present.
• Safety compromise: A cracked windshield can compromise a vehicle’s structure, especially in rollover accidents.
   

Why Now Is the Time to Repair a Windshield

Taking care of a damaged windshield before hitting the road isn’t just safer — it’s smarter. What could be a quick repair now might turn into a full replacement if left untreated in summer conditions. That’s why taking care of it before your road trip is key.

Auto Glass Now makes the process as easy and stress-free as possible, offering:

• Same-day & next-day service to get drivers back on the road quickly
• Insurance support, including claims handling and acceptance of all providers
• Price match guarantee to ensure you get the best price and value
• Experienced technicians trained to work on all vehicle makes and models
• No- Hassle Lifetime warranty against glass defects or repairs needed to their original work.
• Over 200 locations nationwide, so help is never far away

Travel Safe and Stress-Free This Summer

Summer road trips should be about fun and adventure — not anxiety about whether a windshield will hold up under pressure and heat. From winding mountain drives to scenic coastal highways, a clear, undamaged windshield provides peace of mind and improved safety for every mile.

Auto Glass Now encourages drivers not to delay when it comes to repairs. That small crack could turn into a vacation spoiler. By visiting a local Auto Glass Now location, customers can enjoy expert service today, not someday.

(NewsUSA) - When it comes to auto glass repair and replacement, choosing the right provider is crucial for ensuring the safety and performance of your vehicle. The quality of the glass, the skill of the technicians, and the use of advanced technology all play vital roles in delivering a reliable repair that protects you on the road.

Auto Glass Now understands that selecting an auto glass shop goes beyond just price—it's about getting the right service from qualified professionals who understand the complexities of modern vehicles. As vehicles have become more advanced, particularly with the integration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), it's essential that your repairs are performed by skilled technicians using the latest technology. Keep reading to learn more!

Why Expertise and Technology Matter

Auto glass repair isn't just about replacing a cracked windshield or a shattered side window. Today's vehicles often incorporate ADAS technologies, such as lane departure warnings, collision sensors, and automatic braking systems, all of which rely on precision alignment of sensors and a camera attached to the windshield. If these systems aren’t properly calibrated, it could result in malfunctioning safety features, potentially putting drivers and passengers at risk.

This is where Auto Glass Now excels. Their team of certified technicians is fully equipped to handle not only standard auto glass repair and replacements but also the ADAS calibrations, ensuring that all sensors and cameras are properly calibrated after windshield replacements. They use state-of-the-art technology that guarantees accuracy and compliance with factory setting specifications.

The Auto Glass Now Difference

Fast, reliable service: They offer same-day / next-day appointments, so you don’t have to wait long for the repairs you need.

Flexibility and nationwide coverage: With hundreds of locations across the country, Auto Glass Now is always nearby, offering reliable auto glass services wherever you are. Can’t make it in shop? Auto Glass Now offers mobile service, as well.

They accept all insurance: They’re here to make life simple. If you decide to make an insurance claim for your auto glass services, there’s no need for additional phone calls! They’ll manage your insurance claim from start to finish. All you need to do is bring your insurance documentation to your appointment and they will take it from there.

Certified technicians and advanced technology: Their technicians are highly trained and experienced in all aspects of auto glass repair, including ADAS calibration. They use cutting-edge equipment and diagnostic tools that enable precise ADAS calibration, ensuring that your vehicle's safety systems perform as they should following a replacement.

Comprehensive services: Whether you need a simple windshield replacement, a more complex ADAS calibration, or simply need new windshield wipers, Auto Glass Now offers a full range of services to meet your needs. They will even inspect your vehicle’s glass damage and give you an honest opinion, free of charge!

When it comes to auto glass repair, don’t compromise on safety. Trust the experts at Auto Glass Now to deliver high-quality repairs and replacements using the latest technology and techniques to keep you and your family safe on the road.

For more information about Auto Glass Now's services or to get a free quote, visit www.autoglssnow.com   or call 1-888-4-FIXGLASS
 

(NewsUSA)