Replica and Arity launch platform of mobility data for public agency use

Replica and Arity have launched a new platform that provides mobility and pedestrian data for use by public agencies.  

“Safety Hub also unlocks a level of safety insight never before possible at scale,” a press release states. “For example, agencies can now identify where pedestrians and cyclists are most exposed to dangerous vehicle speeds. Identifying these high-risk areas can help agencies act before serious crashes happen.”

The platform integrates Arity’s mobile data, which includes excessive speeding, hard braking, and distracted driving, with Replica’s data on how people move across all modes, including walking and biking. It also adds crash records from agency and federal sources. 

Public agency teams can monitor changing conditions and surface risks before they appear in crash reports and run analyses like high-injury networks and corridor risk profiles, the release says. They can also evaluate whether interventions are reducing harm and complete work that used to take months in days.

“The goal for every agency is the same: reduce fatalities and serious injuries to zero,” said Nick Bowden, Replica CEO and co-founder, in the release. “Safety Hub helps teams identify where risk is building, prioritize interventions earlier, and better understand whether safety investments are improving outcomes over time.”

Gary Hallgren, Arity president, says in the release that improving roadway safety starts with giving communities the insight they need to act before tragedy occurs. 

“By leveraging our driving behavior data with Replica’s rich dataset and expertise in how people move across all modes, we’re delivering a more complete, real-time view of risk so agencies can take earlier, more effective action to save lives,” Hallgren said. 

Public agencies working to reduce roadway deaths and serious injury can request a demo by visiting Replica Safety Hub. 

Data is also changing the way courts determine fault in crashes, according to attorney and traffic safety advocate Amy Witherite. 

Witherite said in a press release that an event data recorder (EDR) was used to convict Mackenzie Shirilla in a case that is the subject of the new Netflix documentary “The Crash.” 

“That same black box is riding in nearly every vehicle on the road right now,” said Witherite. “And if you are ever seriously injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, that data could be the difference between proving your case and walking away with nothing.”

EDRs capture a snapshot of the vehicle’s actions in the seconds before impact. This includes speed, braking, throttle position, seatbelt usage, and whether safety systems were engaged. 

During accident litigation, that data can be decisive evidence of negligence. Yet, Witherite says the data requires specialized technical expertise. 

“Today, just seeking out eyewitnesses or a copy of a police report isn’t enough,” Witherite said. “The technology in your vehicle — as well as others involved in an accident — can provide a wealth of valuable information. That is especially important when it comes to determining liability and, ultimately, damages. Knowing what is available and taking immediate steps to preserve and recover it cannot be delayed.”

Witherite specializes in vehicle accident cases involving commercial trucks, driverless vehicles, and advanced driver assistance systems, the release states. She says other vehicle components can also collect information. 

Airbag control modules record speed, braking, seatbelt status, engine RPM, steering angle, and whether stability control was engaged at the moment of impact, the release states.  Engine control modules, required on all tractor-trailers and large commercial vehicles, provide similar data. 

Fleet management systems can track a commercial vehicle’s operations for long distances before an accident, documenting patterns of unsafe driving such as chronic speeding or hard braking. 

Tesla and advanced camera systems can also provide video footage that definitively establishes cause and fault, and autonomous and driverless vehicle systems can reveal critical information about system failures or driver override actions, the release said. 

Witherite warns that EDR data can be overwritten or lost, and preserving electronic evidence requires prompt legal action. This includes formally notifying potential defendants of their obligation to preserve data, issuing subpoenas for electronic records, and retaining technical experts who can download, interpret, and present vehicle data in the courtroom. 

“The bottom line is that if you are involved in a serious accident, it is never too soon to get expert help,” said Witherite. “The evidence that proves your case may already exist inside the vehicles involved. The question is whether anyone moves fast enough to get it.”

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