Downwell Group Chooses SureCam For Their Fleet

Downwell Group offers demolition, asbestos removal, scaffolding and other pre-construction services for the construction industry. With a large fleet constantly on the move, their insurer recommended they install a tracking system and vehicle cameras to help assign responsibility when accidents occurred. And by doing so, reduce their annual insurance premiums.

RESULTS

• A 20% reduction in insurance premiums
• A significant drop in incident and accident frequency
• Immediate support for drivers involved in an incident
• A reduction in paid motor fleet claims
• 100% real-time visibility of all collisions and harsh driving incidents
• Additional insights into driver behaviour
• Reduction in vehicle wear and tear
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Positive brand perception on the roads

THE CHALLENGE

Downwell Group had employed a tracking system within its fleet for years, which was primarily an insurance provision. However, the company’s insurers subsequently offered premium reductions if it further equipped the vehicles with cameras that would show what had actually happened during an accident and help to immediately identify who was at fault.

Downwell also saw the cameras as a way to establish procedures and bring in additional benefits by integrating the solution with its day-to-day operation. This included driver behaviour monitoring, targeted training and recognition.

THE SOLUTION

Following an in-depth consultative process, Downwell adopted SureCam’s IT1000 and IT2000 single and dual-camera systems for its fleet. Both devices employ a front-facing camera mounted on the windscreen, either at dash or rear-view mirror level, which is activated once the ignition is switched on. The IT2000 provides a second camera which captures video from inside the vehicle, so Downwell can review driver behaviour and provide additional detail in the event of an incident.

“We have access to footage within moments of any incident, so we know what’s happened, how it’s happened and can positively identify who’s at fault,” says Steven Padmore. “We can then pass that information straight to our insurance company and potentially avoid spurious claims.”

The cellular connected dash camera solution does much more than simply track the vehicles’ whereabouts. Thanks to a g-force sensor, any harsh incident, from braking, acceleration or cornering to an actual collision, triggers an alert by text or email. Downwell can then log into an online dashboard and view the video footage of before, during and after the incident, typically within seconds.

They can then call the emergency services if needed, reschedule vehicles, and offer immediate assistance and repairs. The video evidence can also show the insurer who was at fault – significantly reducing the number of 50/50 claims. The speed of the notification means Downwell can immediately alert their insurers to settle claims swiftly and efficiently. Supporting repairs for anyone not responsible for the incident allows them to reduce claims costs, further reducing premiums.

According to Steven Padmore: “Our drivers have said it’s good to know that emergency services can be contacted as soon as an incident has occurred, and that the video evidence can be used to validate their version of the story – it makes them feel better supported.”

Downwell Group can use the connected camera solution to analyse driver behaviour to recommend targeted training, discipline or reward drivers, and ultimately improve driving practices. This not only improves road safety but also helps to reduce wear and tear on vehicles and lower fuel consumption.

“Having the cameras has already affected our drivers’ behaviour, because they know that if they do anything wrong it’ll be picked up. Moving forward, we want to start rewarding the good drivers. Our brand is out there, and our drivers represent us on the road. We expect them to behave in a way that reflects us as a company and having video that shows how they’ve used their skills to avoid an accident is a great way to help us do that,” explains Steven Padmore.