Video Telematics Can Help You Stay Safe and Save Money

Basic GPS tracking systems are a useful (but limited) tool for the simple task of keeping track of your vehicles’ location. Upgrading to a platform like Geotab and Surfsight Video telematics capabilities unlocks the power to see — and record — what’s happening inside and outside each truck in your fleet. Protecting your crews and assets, improving your drivers’ habits, and reducing accident and insurance costs are just some of the benefits of video telematics.

Crew and vehicle protection

At the heart of any video telematics platform is security — having the information you need to protect your people and assets. Surfsight uses a high-definition two-camera system to monitor both inside and outside the vehicle, giving operators the ability to see what their drivers see in real time, so they can even avoid accidents. Your crews know they’ll get the support they need quickly should an incident arise. And the cameras themselves act as a deterrent for potential scammers, vandals and thieves. With the potential to be recorded, they’ll often move on to a less-protected target.

Improved driver habits

One of the most advanced features within Surfsight is its predictive artificial intelligence. The system reads drivers’ facial features in real time and recognizes potentially distracted behavior and responds with an audible warning. After installing video telematics, Geotab and Surfsight customers see a reduction in collision rates of almost 50%, both due to drivers being warned by the system and because they’re motivated to avoid distraction because they understand they’re being monitored.

The benefits of video telematics go beyond keeping one driver from drifting out of his or her lane. Fleet managers can construct driver scorecards that keep track of individual safety and efficiency fleetwide and reward drivers for their performance, and train others in best practices. One important related cost saving? More conscientious and safety-oriented driving tends to stay within the speed limit. Less aggressive driving can cut fleet fuel costs by more than 15% and save wear-and-tear on vehicles.

Reduced insurance and accident costs

Commercial fleet insurers base their premiums on the size, cost and use profile of your vehicles. Filing fewer claims and keeping a clean fleetwide driving record will keep your rate competitive over time, but signing up for fleetwide video telematics will save you money with the stroke of a pen.

Many insurers offer premium discounts of 10% or more simply for installing a video telematics system. Others go even farther and reimburse you for the cost of installing the dashcams. That means video telematics systems will have paid for themselves on day one.

The proof you need

Why do insurers — and plumbing contractors — find systems like Geotab and Surfsight Telematics so valuable? Field service vehicles are prime targets for potential scammers. Other drivers make frivolous accident and damage claims with hopes an insurer or contractor will pay to settle the nuisance suit. But Geotab and Surfsight uses powerful detect-and-record features to instantly capture incidents inside and outside the vehicle, offering powerful evidence about exactly what happened. Contractors can set up the system to offer a continuous live look into every vehicle, or to “wake up” and record automatically when triggered by specific events like collisions, hard braking or aggressive turning. The parameters can be adjusted to fit every operator’s most common driving conditions, from stop-and-go in the city to more gentle use in suburbs and towns.

One Geotab and Surfsight client installed the Geotab database integrated with Surfsight Lytx across its fleet and had an accident claim within two weeks where a driver said he had been run off the road by a service truck. The technician involved in the incident strongly denied the story, and the real-time evidence backed him up. The night vision-enabled cameras provide clear footage even in bad weather, and the system’s robust build quality and premium components mean it transmits video data consistently and reliably.

Incorporating video telematics into your vehicles is another way to make sure your experienced plumbers are getting to each job safely and reliably, while reducing your business’ costs and exposure to liability. A Geotab-Surfsight advisor can give you a personalized demo and show you how you can save with video telematics.