It was just a matter of time. The needs and desires of auto manufacturers and insurance companies have been converging for a while, but it took automotive telematics to help bring the two industries into alignment.

Both industries are increasing focus on driver safety, albeit from somewhat different perspectives. From an insurer's perspective, driver safety typically means fewer costly accident claims. On the automakers' side, vehicles operated safely also tend to perform better, which can make their drivers happy customers. In addition, safe drivers generally enjoy an array of economic perks, such as insurance discounts. In fact, everyone wins. Increasingly, the common link between these disparate participants is telematics.

But before we discuss telematics, let's look at road safety. Consider these alarming U.S. statistics for road fatalities, as cited by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• The total number of highway fatalities in the United States recorded since NHTSA began tracking this information is 3,685,564.
• One-third of all fatalities occur at intersections.
• Every year, 3,000 highway fatalities occur because of driver distraction, according to NHTSA.

Those numbers are troubling, and need to be reduced dramatically. But how? Telematics might hold the solution or, more precisely, the big data that lies behind telematics technology. Everyone involved — insurers, automakers, and consumers alike — can leverage the power of telematics to make our roads safer. Oh, and there can be a few potential economic benefits too, which could sweeten the deal for all involved (described in greater detail below).