Chamberlin saw significant results in the first one and a half years of having SmartDrive Systems, a video-based driving safety system. Chamberlin saw an overall 92% reduction in employee involved rear-end collisions, a 5% reduction in insurance premiums and at least a 5% savings in fuel costs. Chamberlin's Director of Safety & Risk Management Justin Lambert was featured in Associated General Contractors' (AGC) Constructor Magazine article. Justin said, "Our previous system provided information about triggering events, such as hard braking, but there was not enough data available to determine the cause of the event. It put our company in a difficult position, especially if we also received reports of bad driving from our 1-800-How's My Driving program."
The adoption of robust technology to monitor driver and vehicle performance to improve safety is a growing trend throughout the construction industry. Companies are paying more attention to the use of technology to improve safety for a variety of reasons. Today, drivers have more distractions and small claims can be expensive. Companies are understanding that a small investment in cutting-edge technology can create a safer environment for their employees. Although prevention of vehicle accidents or evidence of fault or no-fault is important to employee safety as well as the company’s bottom line, a strong fleet safety program that is supported by technology goes beyond identifying the cause of an accident.
Chamberlin has incorporated video and smart technology into the safety education and coaching process. Justin says, "there was a concern when the video cameras were first installed, but I told everyone that we aren't safety cops, we're safety coaches who use video to recognize drivers who drive safely and offer suggestions on how other drivers can improve their driving behavior. Video is very objective, so I often ask drivers who have generated some hard braking or other triggering events to watch with me and tell me what they see."
Often, drivers are not aware of their behaviors while driving. Seeing their actions on video opens the door for a conversation about best practices behind the wheel. At Chamberlin, we are built upon our core values, which are safety, quality and teamwork – and they are in that order on purpose. Our selection of the SmartDrive program distinctly reinforces our top value: safety. Not only is safety a primary focus on Chamberlin’s jobsites, but it is also a primary focus on the road.