PRODUCT

Harsh braking data for road safety

Real-world driving data for smarter road safety decisions.

Real-world driving data for smarter road safety decisions.

Harsh Braking, developed by NIRA Dynamics, is a road safety product that turns vehicle deceleration into valuable operational insights. By leveraging data from millions of connected vehicles within the Volkswagen Group (including Audi, VW, Škoda, and SEAT), Harsh Braking pinpoints where and when sudden braking events occur—helping you identify risk areas before accidents happen.

Why wait for accidents to happen when you can prevent them?

With Harsh Braking data from NIRA Dynamics, you can uncover hidden road risks that traditional accident statistics often miss. By analyzing real-world braking behavior from millions of connected vehicles, we help you identify road segments where drivers frequently brake hard — a strong indicator of potentially hazardous conditions. These high-risk areas often precede actual accidents and may signal poor visibility, confusing intersections, slippery surfaces, or ineffective signage. Instead of reacting to past incidents, you can now act on predictive insights — and prioritize interventions where they’re needed most, before accidents happen.

What is Harsh Braking?

Harsh braking refers to rapid deceleration — typically above 4 m/s² — triggered by sudden obstacles, unexpected traffic behavior, or hazardous road conditions. These events are detected in real time and securely uploaded to NIRA’s cloud. Need more specific thresholds? We offer customization — for example, 5 m/s² — tailored to your needs.

Who benefits from Harsh Braking data?

Harsh Braking data is a game-changer for anyone involved in road safety and traffic management:

Traffic authorities – Identify high-risk road segments and prioritize safety interventions.
Urban planners – Design smarter roads based on real driving behavior.
Mobility and automotive brands – Enhance ADAS and vehicle safety systems.
Insurance companies – Understand risk profiles and refine driver assessments.

Use cases: When Harsh Braking data makes the difference

✅ Road safety hotspots Identify where harsh braking events cluster and take proactive action—from improved signage to resurfacing.
✅ Infrastructure planning Decide where to install speed bumps, adjust traffic signals, or repave roads based on real-world incident patterns.
✅ Accident prevention Spot behavioral trends that indicate high-risk zones and prevent accidents before they happen.
✅ Insurance innovation Support fair pricing models with large-scale, reliable behavioral insights.

What do the data contain?

Harsh braking events are captured with high precision, using data sampled every 5 meters from the vehicle's onboard sensors. Each event includes:

event_id: Unique identifier
location_id: Recurring event clusters
Temporal data: Year, day of the week, hour (no exact dates)
Initial speed: Grouped into 20 km/h intervals

Maximum deceleration: Measured in m/s²
Estimated traffic volume: Number of vehicles passing through that location
Event geometry: Start, peak, and end positions with direction of travel (WGS84)

Download sample data

Download our sample data to explore its functionality.

Easy access to high-value road safety insights

Access to Harsh Braking data is designed to be both flexible and efficient. You can receive the data in .CSV format, customized by the time periods and geographic areas that matter to you—making it easy to integrate into your analytics tools or reporting systems. Need data for a specific area? Just provide a .shp file, and we’ll deliver georeferenced data based on your defined boundaries. For even faster integration, a real-time API is in development, built to meet the growing demand for up-to-date, continuous road safety insights. All Harsh Braking data is stored at hourly resolution and retained for at least five years, ensuring a rich historical perspective. The dataset is updated monthly to provide timely, actionable information.

Why Harsh Braking stands out

With data from millions of connected vehicles within the Volkswagen Group, Harsh Braking offers a unique combination of scale, precision, and reliability. Designed with privacy in mind and built on cutting-edge vehicle analytics, it delivers insights into real-world traffic behavior—without compromising user confidentiality.

Whether you're planning safer roads, optimizing vehicle functions, or enhancing driver performance, Harsh Braking gives you the tools to make data-driven decisions that reduce risk and save lives.

Scalable across large road networks
Powered by real driving behavior
Privacy-first and fully compliant
Proven value in road safety and mobility innovation