Ravenscroft Motors, the Hampshire-based roadside assistance and vehicle recovery specialist, has used Intelligent Telematics’ IT1000 3G vehicle camera to successfully defend against a false insurance claim, saving at least £6,000 in repair costs. The driver of a motorhome claimed that one of the company’s Renault Midlum car transporters had jumped a red light causing a crash at the A331 Interchange near Frimley, Surrey. However, video evidence taken from the camera, fitted inside the vehicle’s cab, conclusively shows that the motorhome was in fact responsible for the collision.

“The cost of repairs to our vehicle alone was more than £6,000, so the overall claim could have reached over £15,000 had we not been able to challenge this false driving allegation,” explains Martin Brimson, Transport Manager at Ravenscroft Motors. “Without Intelligent Telematics’ 3G cameras we would have had no way of disputing the claim and been left significantly out of pocket as a result, despite our driver having done nothing wrong.”

The high definition footage captures the moments leading up to the collision, which contradicts the version of events given by the motorhome’s driver. It shows the car transporter travelling in the same direction as the motorhome and not entering the roundabout from an alternative route, which immediately disproves the red light claim. It goes on to show the motorhome changing lanes without proper care, resulting in significant damage to the offside front corner of the car transporter and the rear of the motorhome.

“We installed the IT1000 vehicle cameras on 70 vehicles last year to help reduce insurance costs and better handle the claims process, while at the same time provide a way of engaging with our drivers to promote responsible driving. Having access to HD footage of driving incidents within minutes of them occurring has been invaluable, enabling us to respond quickly to any given situation,” says Brimson.

Sam Footer, Head of International Business and Strategic Development at Intelligent Telematics commented: “We provide advanced 3G vehicle camera solutions, using the most sophisticated and reliable technology currently available, which enable fleets to operate in a profitable, compliant and socially responsible way. This latest video footage demonstrates the value our devices can deliver, by providing visibility over the safety of drivers and assets in order to achieve quantifiable cost savings, improved road safety, enhanced duty of care and improved operational performance.”

Intelligent Telematics’ IT1000 and IT2000 3G devices are the leading single-and dual-camera solutions for commercial vehicle fleets. They use the most sophisticated 3G camera technology, so that HD footage of any collision, near miss or harsh driving incident is captured and transmitted within moments of it happening. This gives road transport operators increased protection against fraudulent insurance claims, false driving allegations and disputed liability.

About the Author: John Loughran