A new report from driver performance management services company GreenRoad provided new data about fleet drivers’ safety records and driving habits. The company’s 2012 Fleet Driver Performance Data Benchmark Report, analyzed safety performance data for more than 70,000 drivers worldwide.

To start, the report said the risky or inefficient driving events drivers most commonly make include corner handling (29%), harsh braking (26%), and speeding (26%). This is a change from 2011, where drivers' most common risky maneuver was speeding, at 40% of the total. GreenRoad attributes this change to use of its smartphone app, which provides immediate feedback.

“We believe the use of our smartphone apps have helped drivers become more aware of their risky speeding behavior and we are seeing those drivers modify their behavior, thus resulting in an evening out of the Safety Score mix for 2012,” said Karen White, senior vice president of customer solutions for GreenRoad.

Next, the report found that although there aren’t any seasonal variations in driver performance, there are variations depending on the time of day. Safety scores show small numbers (and safer driving) during the early morning, with scores as low as 2 (anything under 20 is considered “safe” driving), and as high as 9 during peak, rush-hour periods.

GreenRoad’s report also showed that drivers using GreenRoad’s service (the 70,000 drivers the company has data for) showed Safety Score improvements going from 29 to 21 in 2012, which is a 28% improvement. Also, GreenRoad said the drivers it’s monitoring improved their Safety Scores by nearly 50% within six months.

GreenRoad calculates its Safety Score based on driver performance in five categories, including braking, acceleration, corner handling, lane handling, and speeding.

You can view the full report here (requires registration).