Investing in a video-based fleet safety program isn’t just a great way to protect your drivers and community—it’s also a great way to save money. From reducing accidents costs to avoiding false claims, keep reading to learn how to measure the value of your safety program.
OF CUSTOMERS SAID SAMSARA HAS HELPED IMPROVE SAFETY
OF DASH CAM CUSTOMERS HAVE EXONERATED INNOCENT DRIVERS
AVERAGE ANNUAL SAVINGS FROM DRIVER EXONERATION
REDUCTION IN ACCIDENTS
REDUCTION IN RELATED COSTS
READ CASE STUDYThe first—and perhaps most important—way that a successful video-based safety program delivers ROI is by decreasing accidents, both in frequency and severity.
A comprehensive, video-based fleet safety solution includes two key parts: telematics and dash cams. Together, they provide the robust data and visibility needed for effective driver coaching, safety score gamification, and rewards—all of which help reduce risky driving behavior and make accidents less likely. In fact, the NSTSCE found that when combined with driver coaching, dash cams reduced safety-related events by 52%. Another study from the JSR found that dual-facing dash cams—which record both the road ahead and in-cab activity— had an even larger effect: a 60% reduction in accidents and an 86% reduction in accident-related costs.
About 3-6 months after coaching drivers with dash cam footage, most fleets will begin to see an impact on the frequency and severity of at-fault accidents. We recommend using a spreadsheet to keep track of accidents that occur before and after launching your program, so you can calculate the percent change in number of accidents and related costs. If you have an all-in-one platform like Samsara that can detect harsh events and speeding, you should also compare the number of safety-related events and hours over the speed limit month-over-month, since these are both important indicators of risky driving behavior.
Decrease in accidents
Decrease in accident-related costs
Decrease in safety-related events
Decrease in hours over the speed limit
Simco Logistics, one of the largest ice cream distributors in the Mid-Atlantic, recouped their investment in Samsara in less than one year.
Read Case StudyIn addition to reducing the frequency and severity of accidents, a video-based safety program can also deliver ROI by helping you exonerate innocent drivers and avoid unnecessary payouts.
Without concrete evidence to defend drivers, fleets spend millions of dollars each year paying insurance claims and fighting long legal battles. With dash cams that auto-upload incident footage to the cloud, you can exonerate drivers on the spot, bypass lengthy claims processes, and eliminate unnecessary payouts. In fact, in a recent survey of Samsara customers, more than 50% said they have used Samsara dash cam footage to exonerate drivers in the past year, saving $5,000 to $25,000 on average, with some saving over $100,000 a year.
Exoneration is the area where fleets usually see the most immediate impact, since many fleets exonerate a driver with dash cam footage within a few months of deployment—if not during their trial period. As soon as your dash cams are fully deployed, we recommend keeping a spreadsheet of every documented instance where dash cam footage exonerated a driver. Estimate how much it would have cost to resolve the incident without the footage, and keep a running tab of estimated savings.
Dollars saved by exonerating drivers with dash cam footage
Decrease in false claim payouts
IN REDUCED INSURANCE PREMIUMS AT RENEWAL
READ CASE STUDYSamsara AI Dash Cams auto-upload event footage to the cloud, making it possible to exonerate innocent drivers on the spot.
Learn MoreFleets that deploy a successful video-based safety program often see a significant decrease in insurance-related costs over time—in terms of both auto claims and premiums.
Dash cams are a key component of any successful safety program. But the data they provide isn’t just helpful for coaching drivers and reducing accidents—it’s helpful for reducing insurance-related costs, too. Firstly, in the case of an accident, dash cam footage enables insurance companies to accurately and quickly determine fault, which makes settling disputes faster and less expensive. Secondly, some insurance providers will offer a premium discount, credit, or subsidy for installing dash cams and sharing safe driving data, since dash cams can mitigate the risk of insuring your fleet. In fact, in a recent survey, 15% of Samsara dash cam customers said they were able to reduce their insurance premiums after installing dash cams, despite the fact that premiums are on the rise industry-wide.
Before even launching your new safety program, make sure to ask your insurance provider if they offer a discount, subsidy, or credit for installing dash cams. If not, consider sharing the data from your program to show proof of safety improvements during your next renewal. Even if your provider doesn’t offer any sort of discount, make sure to track your total auto claims. Depending on the size of your fleet, you may see an impact on auto claims within a few months to a year.
Decrease in insurance premiums
Decrease in auto claims
I showed our insurance company what we do with Samsara, and this was the first year that we got a reduction in our premium."
In addition to reducing accidents, a video-based safety program can also help decrease vehicle downtime and maintenance due to safer, less abrasive driving.
Harsh braking wears out brake pads and causes unnecessary stress on vehicles. Combined with acceleration data from a connected telematics device, the best dash cams can play in- cab audio messages when harsh events are detected. This helps to discourage harsh driving, as well as reduce physical damage and maintenance costs. Plus, data-driven driver coaching reduces accidents, meaning fewer repairs and less downtime across your fleet.
You can measure the impact of your safety program on maintenance costs in a variety of ways, depending on how your fleet functions—from decreases in brake pad replacements to dollars saved per vehicle repair (or dollars saved due to fewer accidents). For most fleets, having at least 3-6 months of data will be useful to get an early picture of maintenance-related impact.
Dollars saved per vehicle repair
Decrease in brake pad replacements
Decrease in repair costs due to fewer accidents
SAVED PER VEHICLE REPAIR DUE TO DECREASED OUT-OF-SERVICE TIME
Learn MoreSee how our customers are improving driver safety and saving money with our video-based fleet safety solution.
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DECREASE IN DRIVER TURNOVER
SAVED IN RECRUITMENT AND REPLACEMENT COSTS PER DRIVER
Read Case StudyDespite initial apprehension about dash cams, many drivers become more engaged with their jobs due to the rewards and protection that a comprehensive safety program provides.
It may be surprising, but dash cams can actually help improve driver retention and decrease driver turnover. How? Although drivers are usually skeptical about dash cams at first, they become more engaged with their jobs once they see the benefits dash cams provide. Not only can dash cams exonerate innocent drivers from blame—which quickly instills trust and goodwill—but they can also enable a robust rewards program based on driver safety scores among other factors. Multiple studies have found that rewards are an extremely effective retention tool; 79% of employees say they work harder when they feel recognized, and 83% of employees say that rewards make them feel more engaged with their job.
With the competitive labor market, keeping tabs on driver retention is more important than ever. Wait until 3-6 months after you’ve introduced a safety-based rewards program to measure changes in driver turnover. If possible, also keep track of dollars saved in recruitment and replacement costs per driver, a huge cost driver.
Decrease in driver turnover
Dollars saved in recruitment and replacement costs
Dohrn Transfer Company, one of the largest LTL carriers in the Midwest, saw a 10% reduction in driver turnover after one year with Samsara.
Read Case StudyA video-based safety program can have widespread effects across your entire business—from helping you protect your brand name to increasing customer loyalty and winning new contracts.
If your fleet has a recognizable logo, you have probably been subject to false claims—people falsely accusing your drivers of damage because they expect an easy payout. Without dash cams, these claims can be difficult to defend against. But with dash cams, you have unbiased evidence that can exonerate your drivers and clear your brand name from fault. In addition, as your video-based safety program helps reduce accidents over time, you should see a decrease in your CSA scores—which can help your company win more business by standing out from the competition.
The easiest way to measure the impact of your safety program on your brand is to simply calculate the improvement in your CSA scores since fully launching your program. Because the FMCSA updates CSA scores monthly, you should be able see improvement within a few months —especially if you’ve established consistent, effective driver coaching workflows.
Decrease in CSA scores
Increase in customer loyalty or new business
SAVED PER VEHICLE REPAIR DUE TO DECREASED OUT-OF-SERVICE TIME
Dash cams are proven to increase safety and deliver significant ROI. Here are four reasons why the investment is worth it.
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"Since adopting Samsara, our CSA scores have improved across the board. It’s allowed us to go from good to great."
Read Case StudySamsara offers a complete video-based solution for improving fleet safety and reducing costs.
