Greater security, less effort: Taxi Friedrichs unlocks faster claims resolution and lower insurance costs with Samsara

Significant savings on insurance costs, greater safety, and a much more efficient claims process: For Taxi Friedrichs in Itzehoe, northern Germany, Samsara’s dash cams are a win-win situation. The idea to equip the vehicles came from the Allianz General Agency Stalschus in Heide, which specialises in fleet insurance — including for taxi and rental car companies — and offers Taxi Friedrichs tailored coverage.

Medical transport, regular passenger service, courier and transport runs, or trips to the airport: For more than 50 years, Taxi Friedrichs has been reliably serving its passengers on the roads of Itzehoe and the surrounding area. 

Taxi Friedrichs relies on modern technology—including specialised taxi software— for coordinating all operations, such as automated billing or dispatching available vehicles. Since 2024, Samsara cameras have been in use in part of the fleet, accompanying drivers and passengers on their journeys and ensuring greater safety and transparency. The dash cams are part of a cloud-based platform. The recorded video clips and data are typically uploaded within minutes and are available via a central dashboard. This allows not only the drivers themselves but also the dispatch center to track what is happening in the taxis and their surroundings.

Taxi Friedrichs runs 23 vehicles with 47 drivers on duty around the clock.With a high volume of calls and frequent, urgent requests, minor and major accidents happen — as do tense situations on the road or with passengers.

Before the introduction of dash cams, it was often difficult to clarify such incidents. Owner Oliver Friedrichs comments: “As a rule, there are several accidents each year where it’s unclear who is at fault—typically rear-end collisions, right-of-way violations, or situations when merging into traffic. It’s not always clear at first glance who caused the accident or what triggered the incident—and then it becomes a case of one person’s word against another’s. Gathering the necessary evidence is therefore not only time-consuming, it also puts a strain on our drivers—and, of course, ultimately costs us money.” When their long-standing insurance partner approached Taxi Friedrichs with the idea of introducing dash cams, there was a strong willingness to try out new solutions here. “We’ve had a very good and close relationship of trust with Allianz for years. So when my partner suggests something to me, I know it makes sense,” says Oliver Friedrichs. 

“We can wholeheartedly recommend the use of dash cams to our customers . Not only do they increase transparency and safety in day-to-day operations, but above all, they make a significant contribution to loss prevention. Better incident traceability and targeted driver coaching reduces risky behavior and lowers claim frequency over timeThis has a positive long-term effect on the loss ratio and, consequently, on insurance terms. At the same time, telematics enables more efficient fleet management, for example by analysing driving behaviour, routes, and resources to cut fuel consumption. “Overall, this creates clear added value for safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across the entire operation,” says Max Basting-Neumann of the Allianz General Agency Stalschus.

Strong partnerships for tailored solutions

Following a demonstration of the solution, the company decided to implement Samsara dash cams. Today, 14 vehicles are equipped with cameras—with more likely to follow in the future. The Implementation was seamless — the systems were up and running within a few hours.. Key benefits include intuitive operation and close, easy collaboration with Samsara.

Any concerns drivers might have had were quickly addressed in face-to-face conversations. “We clearly explained to our drivers that the cameras are not only there to protect them, but also to protect passengers—especially in the event of accidents or disputed situations. The recordings help to objectively reconstruct incidents and, if necessary, specifically improve driving behavior,” says Oliver Friedrichs. On this basis, there was a high level of acceptance within the team from the very beginning. Passengers are informed about the use of dash cams through appropriate notices on the vehicles. Samsara uses AI to ensure that sensitive data is protected, for example by automatically pixelating people and license plates.

Clear evidence instead of drawn-out discussions

The practical benefits of dash cams are evident in everyday life today for Taxi Friedrichs, particularly when it comes to resolving incidents. This is because eyewitness accounts often contradict one another, which used to lead to lengthy disputes with insurance companies—involving time, uncertainty, and stress. Today, critical situations can be objectively reconstructed—and often, simply mentioning the existence of video recordings is enough to quickly clarify the facts. Additionally, the recordings help to clearly document incidents for insurance companies or authorities. Event-specific video recordings, such as in the case of an accident, can be used as evidence and provide a reliable basis for determining liability. Insurers also rely on these recordings in such cases to thoroughly review claims and defend against unjustified demands. This transparency helps the company reduce insurance fees. Dash cams also make it possible to selectively save relevant sequences, such as the 30 seconds before and after an event, so that critical situations can be preserved and shared as needed. This full reconstruction reduces the time needed to resolve incidents.

Dash cams also play a key role in the area of prevention for the company. By driving more cautiously—especially in potentially critical situations—drivers actively contribute to improving overall safety. The mere presence of a camera in the vehicle has a positive effect on driving behavior and encourages defensive driving. At the same time, the recordings enable targeted review of incidents and thus support ongoing driver coaching.

Why modern dashcams are becoming a competitive advantage for fleet operators

For Taxi Friedrichs, Samsara dash cams have now become an invaluable part of daily operations. They promote transparency, enhance safety, reduce administrative burdens, and also contribute to driver training by allowing specific issues—such as sudden braking or failure to wear a seatbelt—to be addressed directly. 

Rising insurance costs and increasing pressure to improve efficiency are presenting new challenges for fleet operators. Technologies such as cloud-based dash cams help our customers operate their fleets more efficiently, manage risks effectively, and position themselves for long-term success.

“The experience at Taxi Friedrichs clearly demonstrates the added value that modern technologies like dash cams offer in the field of fleet management. They create transparency, speed up claims settlement, and make a significant contribution to risk mitigation. The improved data set and lower claims frequency provide a stable foundation for risk assessment, which can also have a positive impact on insurance terms. For companies, this means not only a noticeable reduction in administrative burden but also greater planning certainty in day-to-day operations.

As an Allianz agency specialising in fleet insurance for passenger transport and logistics, we see great potential here: Digital solutions like these make it possible to manage risks more effectively, reduce claims, and operate fleets more efficiently overall. “In our view, investing in such technologies clearly pays off in the long term—for greater safety, better processes, and economic stability,” says Max Basting-Neumann of the Allianz General Agency Stalschus.