Sunrun reduces their vehicle accident rate by 32% in less than one year with AI Dash Cams
Sunrun partners with Samsara to equip their fleet with advanced technology and roll out dash cams for the first time in company history. With Samsara, Sunrun successfully implements change management strategies to secure widespread driver buy-in.
Meet Sunrun
Sunrun needed to improve fleet visibility and reduce their accident rate.
Sunrun is the leading home solar, battery storage, and energy services company in the United States. They are pioneers of residential solar plans, making clean energy more accessible to homeowners. Since 2007, Sunrun systems have helped avoid 18 million metric tons of CO₂ — the equivalent of taking 4.3 million cars off the road for one year.
Sunrun has used several telematics systems over the years, but limited reporting and data made it difficult to visualize their fleet fully. They also aimed to enhance driver safety and reduce their accident rate but didn’t have prior experience with fleet-wide dash cameras. Their priority was to replace their existing telematics system with a platform that offered comprehensive visibility and the flexibility to expand beyond telematics. From there, they planned to integrate dash cams from the same provider to improve safety and streamline their technology stack.
Sunrun finds a change management partner invested in their long-term success.
After selecting Samsara Vehicle Telematics for its extensive reporting, Sunrun trialed AI Dash Cams to improve driver safety. “The biggest challenge with dash cams is driver buy-in, and Samsara was very supportive throughout the process,” said Koriann Bateman, Fleet and Facilities Manager. “Their team visited our pilot offices during installation to show drivers how the dash cams would benefit them and answer their questions.” Following a successful pilot, Sunrun rolled out AI Dash Cams fleet-wide, partnering with a Samsara-recommended third-party installer to complete the project. Samsara’s Implementation Specialist provided weekly support to ensure the installation stayed on track, shared best practices, and addressed any concerns.
AI Dash Cams enable accident reduction and driver exonerations.
Sunrun hadn’t used dash cams in their fleet before, so they decided to trial Samsara AI Dash Cams in two locations to see how the cameras would benefit them. After in-cab alerts helped them avoid distracted driving and speeding during the pilot program, moving forward with a large-scale rollout was an easy decision.
In-cab alerts quickly delivered value for Sunrun by helping drivers proactively improve safety. Within the first year of rolling out AI Dash Cams across their fleet, they reduced their vehicle accident rate by 32%. Real-time, in-cab audio alerts prompt drivers to self-correct when behaviors like drowsiness, distracted driving, and speeding are detected. Sunrun looked to tackle drowsiness behind the wheel after experiencing an uptick in incidents. “Since turning on the Drowsiness Detection alert, we’ve prevented drowsy driving incidents,” said Bateman. Samsara’s Drowsiness Detection alert helps their drivers stay safe and alert when actions like yawning and face-rubbing are recognized.
Beyond helping drivers build safer habits, Samsara AI Dash Cams protect drivers from being held liable when they’re involved in not-at-fault accidents. “As adoption increases, drivers are not only more used to the cameras but appreciative, especially as they hear more examples of drivers being exonerated,” said Joe Witt, Senior Manager, Fleet & Facilities Operations. “Now, our drivers want dash cams in their vehicles." To further promote dash cam buy-in, Sunrun holds safety contests for drivers with high-value prizes such as vacations, TVs, and gift cards. And it works — today, drivers’ outlook on dash cams is increasingly positive and safety is improving at rapid rates.
In-cab alerts help drivers improve safety to reduce accidents by 32%.
Sunrun piloted Samsara AI Dash Cams to help reduce their accident rate and exonerate drivers from not-at-fault accidents. The trial revealed reduced instances of speeding and distracted driving, prompting the full fleet rollout. Within one year of implementation, they decreased their vehicle accident rate by 32% while reducing drowsy driving incidents using in-cab alerts. HD footage helps Sunrun exonerate innocent drivers when accidents occur, increasing driver buy-in and creating dash cam enthusiasts.
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Vehicle Telematics optimize fleet utilization and shorten response times.
Over the years, Sunrun tried several telematics systems, continuously looking for a platform that provided the granular level of data they needed to optimize their fleet. Their previous system required manual data collection and provided limited reporting, which made tracking vehicle utilization and location a challenge.
Using Samsara Vehicle Telematics, Sunrun gained a complete view of their vehicles’ locations and usage. When they need to act quickly, live GPS tracking instantly and accurately locates their vehicles. In a recent example, one of Sunrun’s vehicles was stolen but with Samsara’s real-time visibility and alerts, the team successfully located and recovered the vehicle in 15 minutes.
Informed by Utilization Reports, they now reallocate unused vehicles to branches in need of resources, ultimately improving utilization by 23% and avoiding new vehicle purchases.
Increased visibility improves vehicle utilization by 23%.
Sunrun’s previous telematics systems provided limited visibility and required manual data collection so they turned to Samsara for its comprehensive reporting and customization. With Samsara Vehicle Telematics, Sunrun improved vehicle utilization by 23% and avoided new purchases by reallocating vehicles using Utilization Reports. Additionally, live GPS tracking enabled quick action when locating a stolen vehicle, recovering it within 15 minutes.
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