New research has found that braking dangerously is seven times more common than driving at dangerous speeds.
Marshmallow Car Insurance analysed data from more than 10 million trips recorded on its telematics service, Marshmallow Move.
It scored driving behaviours out of 100 based on six ratings: dangerous, very poor, poor, average, good, and excellent.
Nearly one in five drivers (19%) received a ‘dangerous’ rating for braking compared to just 2.7% who were rated ‘dangerous’ because of speeding.
Interesting, poor braking was closely related to phone usage, with drivers who use their phone more often while driving also scoring lower on braking. The worst 25% of phone users had a ‘poor’ braking score on average, while the best 25% of phone users were rated ‘good’ on braking.
Stephen Hemmings, Marshmallow’s group product manager for telematics, said: “This data highlights a clear association between poor phone-handling scores and harsher braking. Distraction can reduce the time drivers have to recognise and respond to changing road conditions, increasing the likelihood of sudden braking.
“We hope these insights will encourage drivers to keep their phones out of reach and give the road their full attention.”
