USIC achieves 75% decrease in drowsy driving incidents with Samsara

USIC partners with Samsara to equip its fleet with advanced safety technology, deploying AI-powered Drowsiness Detection and Panic Buttons to protect thousands of workers. With Samsara, USIC ensures their technicians are protected both on the road and at the job site.

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WORKER SAFETY

Meet USIC

Ensuring safety and security in dynamic field environments

As the nation’s largest provider of public utility locating services, USIC has more than 10,000 highly trained technicians equipped with advanced technologies to protect critical infrastructure. Their vital work—identifying underground lines and mains in all 48 contiguous states before construction begins—often requires these technicians to operate alone in diverse and constantly changing environments. Due to the inherent risks of this solo work, ensuring their safety on the road and at the job site is paramount. To address this challenge, USIC needed a robust safety solution that could provide real-time visibility, targeted driver coaching, and immediate support to mitigate the unique risks faced by employees in the field and on the road.

TOM KARNOWSKI

Proactively protecting technicians with Samsara's advanced safety technology

To address the wide-ranging safety and security needs of their dynamic workforce, USIC partnered with Samsara to implement advanced safety and connectivity solutions. This strategic deployment focused on leveraging technology to gain visibility into driver behavior, provide real-time alerts, and offer a direct means of communication in emergencies.

A cornerstone of their technology upgrade was Samsara's Dual-Facing AI Dash Cam, with its industry-leading detection features and real-time, in-cab alerts. USIC uses in-cab audio alerts to provide immediate feedback on various risky behaviors, helping their drivers self-coach in real time. This proactive strategy, enhanced by their early adoption of Drowsiness Detection, has facilitated rapid and lasting behavioral change, a sharp reduction in safety incidents, and improved employee retention and trust.

Recognizing the importance of personal safety, especially with their high number of lone workers, USIC equipped each with a Samsara Panic Button. This provided a critical tool for employees to signal for help in personal emergencies and empowered them to assist in community emergencies they might encounter, reinforcing their commitment to both their workforce and broader public safety.

Achieving dramatic reductions in distracted driving and related incidents

By leveraging Samsara's camera and video solutions, USIC achieved remarkable improvements in driver behavior and a significant decrease in accidents and related costs. AI Dash Cams provide HD footage for driver exoneration and coaching, leading to a 25% reduction in at-fault accidents and a 30% decrease in related claims. Activating in-cab audio alerts for distracted driving resulted in an astonishing 90% decrease in distracted driving events within 24 hours. Furthermore, their early adoption and use of Drowsiness Detection alerts led to a 75% decrease in drowsy-related accidents overall, while also helping their Safety team identify undiagnosed medical conditions like narcolepsy in some of their drivers, highlighting the life-saving impact of this technology.

Giving field teams peace of mind while enhancing community safety

Equipping every USIC employee with the Samsara Panic Button significantly improved the safety and security of their technicians in the field, ensuring they always have access to immediate help. Beyond personal safety, the Panic Button empowers USIC employees to act as good Samaritans and first responders in community emergencies—such as assisting in other vehicle accidents, alerting to home break-ins, or aiding elderly individuals who have fallen—reinforcing USIC's role in upholding community safety.