According to an analysis of driving data collected by Geotab and its affiliates, driving incidents with commercial vehicles decreased on April 28 during the blackout that affected all of Spain, Portugal, and the South of France. 

What the Geotab Data Reveals

The data, gathered through Geotab’s advanced telematics technology, showed:

• Harsh accelerations per vehicle dropped by 19% in the affected areas compared to the previous week. 

• Harsh braking incidents fell by 13%.

• Harsh cornering decreased by 9%.

Geotab said that despite the widespread absence of traffic lights regulating flow on roads, drivers exhibited exemplary behavior throughout the day.

"The data collected by our technology clearly shows how, even in a context as critical as a national blackout, driving behavior can adapt positively. The significant reduction in risky maneuvers, such as acceleration, braking, and sharp turns, is evidence of a responsible response by drivers, who prioritized safety,” said Iván Lequerica, vice president EMEA at Geotab.

Geotab GO Devices Collected Data During Outage

Geotab’s evaluation, focused on three risky driving behaviors - harsh accelerations, harsh braking, and harsh cornering - and revealed a significant decrease in incidents on the day of the power outage compared to the previous week, thanks to the data collected from Geotab GO devices. 

When the GO device is out of mobile coverage, data is stored in the device’s internal flash memory. This memory can hold up to 80,000 logs in offline mode when communication is lost or interrupted, roughly equivalent to one month’s worth of data. 

Once the vehicle returns to an area with coverage, all stored logs are automatically uploaded to the MyGeotab servers.

“This type of analysis, made possible by our advanced connectivity solutions, demonstrates the value of real-time and offline data to understand and improve road safety, even under extreme conditions,” Lequerica added. “At Geotab, we believe these insights are critical for governments and professional fleets to make informed decisions that drive safer and more resilient mobility.”

Added Data Gathered During Outage

Regarding activity levels, the number of vehicles in circulation remained relatively high and steady until the blackout occurred. 

However, starting at 12:30 p.m., the number of active vehicles in the affected areas dropped 46.99%, while the average duration of stops increased. 

In relative terms, stop time rose 8.21%, which may indicate that drivers had to remain stationary for longer periods due to congestion and the lack of traffic coordination caused by the power outage.

Geotab said such initiatives enable cities and businesses to make data-driven decisions to promote road safety and sustainability in exceptional situations like the one experienced this Monday.