Accidentology and routes: understanding where risk truly concentrates for fleets

For professional fleets, routes are primarily chosen for efficiency. They determine travel time, operational reliability and costs. Yet accident data shows that route selection has a direct impact on risk levels, far beyond distance travelled or traffic volumes.

At European level, analyses consistently highlight the same reality: not all roads expose drivers to the same level of severity, even when journeys appear comparable.

Heavy goods vehicle travelling on a country road.

Risk is shaped by the network not by isolated journeys

European road safety analyses show that accident severity is closely linked to the characteristics of the roads being used. Certain parts of the network are associated with rarer but far more severe crashes, due to higher operating speeds, constrained geometry, reduced visibility or abrupt transitions between driving environments.

The European Commission’s Trendline report underlines that actual driving speeds, road geometry and the legibility of the network are key determinants of crash severity. As a result, a route perceived as smooth or efficient may in fact present a structurally higher level of risk.

Findings confirmed at national level

UK national statistics confirm these patterns.
According to Department for Transport data (GOV.UK, 2024), around 45% of fatal road casualties in Great Britain occur on rural roads, even though these roads account for a smaller share of total collisions than urban networks.

These routes are nevertheless widely used by professional fleets for interurban travel, long-distance deliveries and technical operations. Higher speeds and less forgiving road layouts significantly increase the severity of crashes when incidents occur.

These findings demonstrate that fleet risk is strongly shaped by the road environments and networks travelled, not only by individual driver behaviour.

When severity matters more than frequency

For fleets, accident counts alone do not reflect true exposure.
A route may experience relatively few incidents, yet produce severe consequences when a crash occurs. Prolonged vehicle downtime, operational disruption and indirect costs are often linked to severe accidents concentrated on specific parts of the network.

The Trendline report also highlights that, despite major improvements in vehicle safety, accident severity remains a challenge. This confirms that the road environment and how the network is used remain decisive factors, beyond vehicle technology or individual behaviour.

Integrating routes as a risk variable

When combined with mobility data, accident data allows fleets to analyse routes not only from a performance perspective, but also through the lens of exposure and severity. This makes it possible to identify road segments where risk is structurally higher, recurring corridors of exposure and transition zones where speeds and behaviour become unstable.

For fleet managers, this perspective enables more informed route choices. Routes become a decision variable in their own right, alongside time and cost, helping to reduce long-term exposure to severe incidents.

From routes to decisions through data

By leveraging mobility and accident data, fleets can move beyond a purely reactive approach to risk. This analysis helps identify where severity concentrates, why certain routes are more exposed and how operational choices can be adapted accordingly.

If you are looking to better understand your fleet’s real exposure based on the routes travelled, MICHELIN Mobility Intelligence can support you with data-driven mobility insights.

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