Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we're sharing a social media graphic for you to use tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day and 6 trends driving commercial auto rates up.

As you plan your social media content for the rest of the week, feel free to right-click and save this graphic! 

Suggested copy: Make sure luck is on your side this St. Patrick's Day. [insert your website here]

These 6 Trends are Continually Driving Commercial Auto Rates Up

According to Zurich North America, these are the six trends driving up commercial auto rates: 

1. Smartphones -Distracted driving accounts for 9% of nearly all crash deaths. While not all of the crashes include a smartphone, they are a growing concern. According to NU Property Casualty 360, "Data suggests that even the use of hands-free devices while driving is contributing to distracted-driving accidents."

2. Legal cannabis - IIHS has reported that there has been an increase in impaired driving crash rates with the legalization of cannabis. "According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the percentage of fatally injured drivers who tested positive for drugs rose from 25% in 2007 to 42% in 2016, and. marijuana presence doubled in this time frame."

3. Worsening crash severity - As 2020 brought more people working from home and less traffic on the road, the National Safety Council and the US Federal Highway Administration saw an increase in speeds causing more deadly encounters. 

4. Rising repair costs - More and more vehicles are equipped with smart technology helping to sense for collision avoidance, automatic braking and parking assistance and it has caused a rise in repair costs. Now, when an accident happens, that technology also needs to be replaced in addition to the exterior pieces of the vehicles. 

5. Skilled driver shortage - Property Casualty reported "According to one study, 57% of today's experienced drivers are over age 45, while 23% are over age 55. Younger drivers are not entering the workforce in numbers sufficient to meet demand. Companies will be faced with the duality of either dramatically increasing payrolls to outbid competitors or hiring younger, less experienced drivers. 

6. Social inflation/litigation - Last but not least, one study had indicated that "the average verdict size for lawsuits above $1 million involving a truck crash increased nearly 1,000% from 2010-2018, rising from $2.3 million-$22.3 million."

We hope that you all have a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day. Don't forget if you haven't already updated your information to head back to this week's Big I Buzz email so you can receive our monthly email curated for you and your role. For more news, check out the Action News section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list.