Detroit, MI & Cambridge, MA, May 18, 2023 — The Kiefer Foundation and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics service provider, today announced that they’ve partnered again to combat distracted driving at the foundation’s annual “Swing for Safe Driving” Ball Golf Tournament. CMT will be the title sponsor of the event held at the historic Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on May 22.

The Kiefer Foundation’s “Swing for Safe Driving” Ball Golf Tournament helps drive more people to fight the dangers of distracted driving. The event raises funds to support The Kiefer Foundation’s mission to end distracted driving through awareness, technology, and policy. This includes advocating for lifesaving hands-free legislation across the country.

CMT’s data shows that hands-free legislation helps reduce distracted driving. In an analysis that covers eight states that introduced handheld bans since 2018, CMT found that distracted driving reduced by 13% on average in the first three months after the law went into effect. Most recently, CMT reported that Ohio’s hands-free bill reduced distraction by 9% since it began on April 4, 2023.

“We are so pleased to have CMT as our title sponsor for the second year. CMT and the Kiefer Foundation are completely aligned in our passion to make the roadways of the world safer,” said Steve Kiefer, Chairman of The Kiefer Foundation. “The incredible work done by the CMT team provides detailed analytical data, which has been critical in getting hands-free legislation passed in 27 states. Their work is truly saving lives.”

“The Kiefer Foundation is saving lives. It’s as simple as that,” said Ryan McMahon, SVP of Strategy & Corporate Development for CMT. “The work that this organization is doing in concert with other road safety advocates is having a major impact on road safety. We’re proud to support their critical work.”

The need to reduce distracted driving is as urgent as ever. In its latest report, CMT found that 58% of trips include some form of phone interaction. Overall, American drivers spend 2 minutes and 12 seconds of every hour driving interacting with their phones. Thirty-four percent of distracted driving happens above 50 mph. CMT estimates that the elevated level of distraction in 2022 caused an additional 420,000 crashes, 1,000 fatalities, and $10 billion in damages to the US economy.*

CMT recently announced a dedicated Road Safety Board, appointing Steve Kiefer as chairman. The Safety Board will have access to CMT’s extensive resources, giving them an unprecedented view into the real-time dangers facing people on the road today. The Safety Board will focus on developing high-impact policies and initiatives that will make the world’s roads and drivers safer. 

About Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) is the world’s largest telematics service provider. Its mission is to make the world’s roads and drivers safer. The company’s AI-driven platform, DriveWell®, gathers sensor data from millions of IoT devices — including smartphones, proprietary Tags, connected vehicles, dashcams, and third-party devices — and fuses them with contextual data to create a unified view of vehicle and driver behavior. Companies from personal and commercial auto insurance, automotive, rideshare, smart cities, wireless, financial services, and family safety industries use insights from CMT’s platform to power their risk assessment, safety, claims, and driver improvement programs. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with offices in Budapest, Chennai, Seattle, Tokyo, and Zagreb, CMT serves millions of people through over 95 programs in 25 countries, including 21 of the top 25 US auto insurers. Learn more at CMT.ai.

About The Kiefer Foundation

The Kiefer Foundation was founded in 2016 to honor 18-year-old Mitchel Kiefer’s legacy after he was tragically killed in an auto crash caused by a distracted driver. The mission of the Kiefer Foundation is to end distracted driving and all associated traffic deaths and injuries through its three pillars: awareness, policy, and technology. For more information on The Kiefer Foundation, visit mkiefer.org, or on social media at Facebook or Twitter. Learn more about Hands-Free Michigan at Hands-Free Michigan. 

*Estimates based on the change in crash rate from distracted driving and data from NHTSA’s report The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2019: $340 billion in crash damages from 14.2 million crashes in 2019, averaging $23,954 per crash