Empire International Ltd.
Pioneering Chauffeured Transportation Company Adopts DriveCam, Improves Fleet Record and Reduces Collisions by 62%.
Situation
As the third largest provider of chauffeured transportation in the U.S., Empire International's fleet operates under extreme driving conditions in New York City and was facing mounting insurance rates and rising operating costs.
As a technology-savvy company, Empire International has always been an industry pioneer in the implementation of technology that will benefit passenger comfort and safety. And Empire's management understands that improved driving performance is the single most important factor in controlling insurance losses and reducing expenses.
Solution
Pioneering Chauffeured Transportation Company Adopts DriveCam, Improves Fleet Record and Reduces Collisions by 62%.
Impact
Following a rapid 30-day deployment of DriveCam, Empire saw almost immediate benefits: clear improvement in driving; drivers exonerated from incorrect blame; and DriveCam events sent directly to insurance companies to settle claims.
Empire credits DriveCam with improving its fleet safety record, which has also resulted in significant savings for the company: A 62% reduction in collisions, a 50 percent reduction in insurance claims costs in year one and a 72 percent reduction by year two.
DriveCam event recordings have also been used to exonerate Empire drivers from incorrect blame. When one of Empire's drivers in Manhattan was broadsided by another car as he was entering an intersection on a green light, the DriveCam event recording clearly showed the light was, in fact, green - even upon impact. When Empire showed the video to the other driver's insurance carrier, they dropped the claim.
"The number of accidents is down, and this is not an exaggeration, by 62%," said David Seelinger, president, Empire International. "Our insurance claims were $650,000 annually before DriveCam. After the first year, they dropped by 50% to $325,000. In the second year, there was an additional 50% reduction, down to $180,000. I am not trying to promote a product, but DriveCam has saved us literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in reduced collisions."
The DriveCam program proved so effective for Empire, that the company is now self-insured.