Anonymised data from more than 100,000 users of the DRAJV mobile app, which monitors and rates driving and rewards safe drivers, has been brought to life on the DRAJV map, the first online tool of this kind in Slovenia to be accessible to the public. It provides completely new insight into the habits of Slovenian drivers. In a single site it brings together data about the most dangerous sections of road, and the most common challenges faced when driving in Slovenia. The DRAJV map and Slovenian driving habits also came under the microscope at a conference held at Triglav Lab today under the banner of DRAJV data for safer travel.
Although users of the popular app have proven to be safer drivers, anonymised data from more than 1.5 billion kilometres of driving shows a number of areas where there is room for improvement. The most notable are using a mobile while driving, and speed limits.
“Approximately 15% of the customers in our portfolio make use of the DRAJV app while driving, and their claims are 15% to 20% lower than those who don’t use the app. Even though they are safer drivers overall, the two most common errors we see are breaking speed limits, and handling or using a mobile. The 30 km/h zones are also an issue: analysis of data from roads near schools and childcare institutions shows that drivers are still breaking the speed limit in these zones. All this data is now collated and is available to the public on the DRAJV map, which can also act as a pointer and a useful tool for local communities in planning their traffic strategies,” said Boštjan Kop, head of development for the DRAJV app at Zavarovalnica Triglav, when illustrating its new features.
How do I get to my destination most safely?
The data provided by the new online tool can also be of great help to drivers. They will be able to check quickly and simply where the most critical points in their journey are, and how to get to their destination in the safest way possible. Another factor that experts think might give the DRAJV map a boost is the rapid pace of progress in AI.
“Usually we use our mobiles to help find the fastest routes or identify potential traffic jams. With its large dataset and advanced AI, the DRAJV system allows for a number of other options. Perhaps the most significant is identifying the safest route, which is bound to be attractive to parents and to drivers who are not in a great hurry. Other innovative features include automatic traffic regulation recommendations, identifying the best sites for charging infrastructure, finding the most scenic routes, and special warnings of traffic features that other systems are unable to recognise,” said Marko Grobelnik, AI researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute.
DRAJV users as part of a (safer) community
When it comes to telematics, Slovenes are world leaders: only three countries have a higher share of users. Over the last nine years more than 160,000 drivers have downloaded the DRAJV app to their mobiles, and more than 65,000 of them are use the app at least monthly. Over the years DRAJV has also evolved into a community of sorts, bringing people together while improving road safety.
“When I first learned about DRAJV, my initial thoughts were as a driver: what feedback could it offer me about my driving, when after so many kilometres behind me it was purely routine in certain sections of road? How could the minor revisions that might result from this feedback help to raise road safety for all of us on the roads each day? But I soon realised it’s a fantastic tool for identifying safe routes and critical points, and planning road safety in the areas around schools and childcare institutions. In the very places where children, the most vulnerable road users of all, can be found alongside and sometimes on the street,” said Dr Kristijan Musek Lešnik, a psychologist.
The added value of new data
The greatest added value of the DRAJV map lies in its data, which allows road safety challenges to be concretely addressed in a simple and transparent manner by local communities, various safe mobility organisations and, not least, all other drivers on the road.
“The data offered by the DRAJV map shows us that traffic can in fact be more predictable than many of us often feel it is when in it. This new road safety tool opens up new opportunities of taking a different approach to road safety and various issues in this area compared with before. We have the tool; now we just need to put it into practice,” said Andrej Brglez, a sustainable mobility researcher, when summing up the discussion at the Anatomy of Driving event.
DRAJV around the world
The popularity of the DRAJV app is also evident in where drivers are using it. In Slovenia there are practically no roads that have not been taken by DRAJV drivers, while they have also covered plenty of kilometres all around Europe, and in Asia, Australia and even on the other side of the Atlantic, for example in Miami and Hawaii.
Some of the experiences of app users in Slovenia are shared in this video.
