The firm has fitted the devices after staff became concerned about “cash for crash” fraudsters and the technology has already helped to resolve one dispute after a Tristar vehicle was hit in a motorway collision.
In addition, the firm has seen many benefits since installing the cameras in May this year.
Fleet manager Janusz Kozlowski explained: ‘The cameras have definitely improved the behaviour of the chauffeurs because our at-fault accident rate has reduced by almost half to about four or five accidents per month compared with the same five month period last year.
‘I would estimate we will save about £60,000 a year based on fewer accidents and because we will be less likely to be targeted by “cash for crash” fraud. We also expect our insurance premiums to reduce next year.’
Kozlowski added that the cameras had already quickly resolved one dispute after a Tristar vehicle was hit in a motorway collision in September.
He said: ‘A car collided with one of our Mercedes as it crossed lanes on the motorway causing about £4,000 worth of damage. The third party drove off but luckily our chauffeur took down the registration number and the driver of the vehicle was tracked down.
‘They denied any involvement but the evidence was provided by the Smart Witness camera and it was there in full colour footage. Without the camera we would have had no chance of resolving the dispute.’
But prior to installing the cameras, the firm was not so lucky.
Kozlowski said: ‘Following an accident, we received multiple whiplash claims but our chauffeur only remembered seeing one person in the other vehicle, however, there was no proof of this.’
To continue reducing the firm’s accident rate, Tristar’s chauffeur training team reviews the Smart Witness footage on a monthly basis and sometimes perform spot checks.
Kozlowski said: ‘This helps our road safety team tailor their training to each chauffeur’s specific requirements.’
Smart Witness cameras fit on to the windscreen, are powered through the car's cigarette lighter or can be directly wired in. They record the driver's view of the road ahead and also monitor the car's location, speed, breaking and impact G-forces. Smart Witness prices start at £149 for the standard edition going up to £239 for the professional edition.