1 August 2025

Cappagh Browne, the prominent wastewater services provider serving over 1.5 million customers on behalf of Southern Water across the South East of England, has achieved a remarkable 95 per cent reduction in dangerous driving behaviours within just one week. This transformation was driven by the deployment of Samsara’s AI Dash Cams and GPS-based Connected Operations® Platform, a solution that moved the company decisively from limited visibility to proactive fleet safety. The case exemplifies how combining cutting-edge technology and behavioural coaching can create immediate, tangible results.

From Obsolete Systems to Real-Time Oversight

Before engaging with Samsara, Cappagh Browne faced operational challenges common across utilities and field‑service sectors: outdated telematics, manual processes, and little ability to monitor driver behaviour reliably. "We’d have to manually obtain the memory card before we could access any forward‑facing footage," said Matthew Reid, Head of Plant & Transport at Cappagh Browne, recalling their legacy system in an interview with MoveTheNeedle.news. “That’s fine if you’ve got a few vans, but with hundreds? It becomes unsustainable.”

File loss, inconsistent data, and low visibility made it nearly impossible to develop a meaningful safety strategy. As Reid explained: “We lacked visibility to consistently monitor behaviours such as mobile phone use, speeding and seatbelt compliance. Without reliable real‑time data, it was challenging to identify potential risks.”

After a one‑month pilot, the company rapidly deployed Samsara’s AI Dash Cams and Vehicle Gateways across its entire fleet of 250 vehicles—covering over 65,000 jobs a year in southern England. Reid said the installation was incredibly streamlined: “We had two team members self‑install Samsara in over 250 vehicles in just nine weeks. They had it down to about 12 minutes per install.”

Instant Impact: Awareness Sparks Behavioural Change

Once operational, Samsara’s system began to send real‑time alerts for risky incidents—harsh braking, mobile phone use, seatbelt violations, speeding, and inattentive driving—while all footage and data were uploaded automatically to the cloud, eliminating any delays or manual retrieval. “As soon as the system registers a risky event, I’m notified for review—it’s seamless,” Reid said.

Following the introduction of targeted coaching and stand-down safety sessions based on actual footage, dangerous driving behaviours fell by 95 per cent in one week. Over six months, average driver safety scores shot from 8/100 to 76/100. “With Samsara’s AI Dash Cams and real‑time data, we introduced structured coaching based on actual footage. Within just one week, we saw a 95% reduction in adverse driving behaviours,” Reid elaborated. He added that driver awareness alone—once they understood the risk—was sufficient to motivate self-correction.

Broader Safety, Efficiency and Environmental Gains

In the year following implementation, Cappagh Browne realised an 88 per cent drop in at‑fault accident claims, sharply cutting insurance costs and vehicle downtime. Speeding incidents declined by 17 per cent. Fuel spend fell by approximately 10 per cent, thanks to improved routing and reduced idling. Inspection completion rates rose from 80 per cent to 93 per cent, while inspection times halved—from ten minutes to four. These operational improvements delivered £100,000 of annual cost savings, helping to fund more safety and efficiency initiatives.

Reid also reported using Samsara Asset Tags and dash cam footage to resolve complex issues—recovering £25,000 of stolen equipment and winning a £100,000 false insurance claim appeal. “Overall, Samsara has helped us build a safer, more efficient and more accountable operation.”

Technology + Culture = Sustainable Safety

Philip van der Wilt, Senior Vice President and General Manager EMEA at Samsara, emphasised to MoveTheNeedle.news that the power of Samsara’s platform lies in its integration: The Vehicle Gateway and AI Dash Cams feed data into a unified cloud-based interface, enabling immediate alerts, footage review, and trend analysis. Unlike traditional systems that rely on memory cards, Samsara automates uploads and notifications, allowing teams to respond instantly to incidents.

He added: “The simplicity of the platform, gives teams the ability to respond in real time and has completely changed how they manage road safety.”

Van der Wilt described a broader pattern: companies across utilities and waste management sectors—such as Lanes Group and Delifresh—have seen transformative reductions in risky driving and gains in safety culture, demonstrating the scalability of this approach. For example, Lanes Group achieved a 72 per cent increase in safety scores in eight months, with 92 per cent fewer mobile phone incidents and a 25 per cent drop in severe speeding.

Education, Incentives, and Empathy

Cappagh Browne’s approach went beyond alerts—it embedded an ethos. Driver coaching sessions utilised real footage paired with educational content, such as accident reconstructions to convey the real-world impacts of dangerous driving. Education, not punishment, was the focus. Reid recounted stories where drivers voluntarily committed to safer habits: “I’ve had drivers come up to me and say, ‘I don’t pick my phone up anymore.’ That’s how you change behaviour.”

Reid also instituted positive reinforcement by rewarding safe behaviour—such as competitions and vouchers—creating peer recognition and motivation. “Safe driving is the law, but if you can sweeten the deal with a little competition, then everyone will compete to

Following the success of the fleet initiative, Cappagh Browne is expanding Samsara’s deployment into other operational areas such as real-time compliance monitoring and incident response across its wastewater network.

Why It Matters: A Blueprint for Utilities and Beyond

For utilities companies coping with large mobile fleets and public accountability, Cappagh Browne’s experience offers a compelling case study. Integrating AI, telematics, and a human-centred coaching approach produced rapid results—and shifted organisational culture.

As Philip van der Wilt remarked: “Cappagh Browne’s results show how connected operations can make a real difference to safety and efficiency in the utilities sector. With better visibility and data to guide decisions, they’ve built a stronger foundation for smarter, safer, and more sustainable operations.”

In Summary

Cappagh Browne’s fleet transformation shows that removing blind spots can lead to profound operational improvements:

• Dangerous driving behaviours fell by 95 per cent in one week
• At-fault accidents dropped 88 per cent, with insurer benefits and less disruption
• Fuel cost down by 10 per cent, while speeding and idling declined sharply
• Safety culture flourished through education, incentives, and realistic coaching

Through a mix of top-tier technology—and more importantly, an inclusive, empathetic safety programme—the company turned data into action and action into lasting change. In the utilities and field services sector, Cappagh Browne’s model proves that sustainable safety isn’t just a legal obligation—it’s a strategic advantage.