Trip Details - Frequently Asked Questions

How are the acceleration, braking, speeding and phone events defined and measured?

• Acceleration events: These occur when the driver increases speed by more than 7 mph (11 km/hr) in one second. An example would be a rapid acceleration at an intersection or an overtaking, which are typically the kind of manoeuvre that a passenger may find uncomfortable or risky.
• Braking events: These occur when the driver decreases speed by more than 7 mph (11 km/hr) in one second. This may occur if a driver realises that they are driving at the wrong speed, and need to reduce speed unexpectedly.
• Cornering events: These occur when there is an increase in lateral speed of 8 mph (13 km/hr) or more in 1 second, where the turn angle is greater than 30 degrees and the speed at which you are starting the turn is greater than 11 mph (18 km/hr).
• Speeding events: These occur when the driver exceeds a speed limit by more than 5 mph for 10 seconds or longer. In some countries speed limits are available to the Zendrive analysis on all roads. If the speed limit is not available, then a global top speed of 75 mph (120 km/hr) is used.
• Phone use: These occur when the phone is used for at least three seconds at a speed greater than 11 mph (18 km/hr). Phone use events are measured by detecting phone rotation/handling; for avoidance of doubt there is no measurement or inspection of which apps are being used.

Why do harsh acceleration, harsh braking and harsh cornering matter?

Rapid changes in speed indicate a style of driving where the driver is leaving less time to make or correct decisions. Therefore they are indicative of a style of driving that is more risky and less in control, and tends to be more uncomfortable for the passenger.

Why does speeding matter?

Speeding is indicative of a less cautious and more risky style of driving. When the vehicle travels faster, it will cause more damage if it is involved in a collision. It also take a greater distance to slow the vehicle down, which increases the chance of hitting a vulnerable road user or another vehicle when unexpected situations arise. It ‘amplifies’ the likelihood of accidents, since for a given amount of time it takes the driver to make a driving decision, the distance travelled during that time is greater at greater speeds.

Why does phone use while driving matter?

Notifications on the phone or use of the phone, for instance texting, takes the driver’s eyes off the road and reduces their attention and focus to driving decisions. This increases the chances of being involved in an accident.

For phone events, does Smart24 listen in on my calls or read my texts?

No. The phone events are detected by Smart24 monitoring the orientation of the phone over time. A changing orientation of the phone indicates that the phone is being used.

Can Trip Review detect when I am not using my seatbelt?

No. Drivers and passengers should wear seatbelts at all times.

Can the Trip Review distinguish my train trips from my car trips or other modes of transport?

Currently all trips with all transport modes will be detected. In the future we will allow some form of detection and classification of the transport modes in order to distinguish car travel risks and recommendations from those of other transport modes.

Can the Trip Review distinguish my trips as a passenger from my trips as a driver?

Currently there is no passenger detection or classification implemented for Trip Review. In the future we will add a detection and classification methods to help distinguish passenger risks and recommendations from driver risks and recommendations.

Can Trip review give me real time feedback, such as sound and visual warnings, about my driving style?

No. The Trip Review only becomes available at the end of the trip.