Lytx, a provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video telematics solutions for commercial and public sector fleets, worked with Integrated Landscape Management's to deploy the Lytx Driver Safety Program in 2017.

Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) is an Arizona-based, family-run, award-winning commercial landscape business, serving clients throughout the state of Arizona and in Las Vegas. The company has been in business for 18 years, and since implementing the Lytx Driver Safety Program in 2017, has seen impressive reductions in collision frequency and severity. ILM has witnessed improvements in safe driving habits and compliance with workplace safety policies.

"This was not just about adopting new technology, but also about committing to a new company culture of safety," said Doug Clark, general manager at ILM. "With a focused mind-set towards safety across our organization, we not only see reduced risky behaviors on the road, but also at the work site itself. The program has compelled our technicians and managers to keep safety top-of-mind in all they do. It starts with driving, but it leads into everything else." 

The safety culture has paid off, with ILM achieving strong results on the road and on the job site, including:

• 49% reduction in collisions 

• 48% reduction in near-collisions

• 39% reduction in work-related injuries 

• 31% reduction in risky driving behavior 

Because ILM employees are landscape workers first and foremost, driving safety previously took a backseat to job-site safety for the team. In 2016, ILM was acquired by Aspen Grove Landscape Company, which brought in its own safety protocols. Even with this new company culture of safety, ILM's landscape technicians continued to experience frequent collisions. Being self-insured, ILM saw its out-of-pocket costs quickly add up.

In one particularly severe incident, a company trailer jackknifed on the freeway during Friday evening rush hour traffic, creating a major traffic jam, according to Lytx. Luckily, no one was injured, but the incident — with ILM's logo front and center as the cause of the pile-up — ended-up on the evening news in Phoenix. At that point, Clark and the company's leadership team quickly realized they needed to make a change, to help reset their driver's and their brand's commitment to safety.

By illuminating specific problem areas within their fleet, the Lytx Driver Safety Program offers video-based coaching to help change risky behaviors, from cell phone use to unsafe following distance. Combining machine vision, artificial intelligence and professional human review to categorize risky driving, Lytx offers prescriptive coaching workflows, customized to each fleet and driver.

Backed by these insights, ILM managers were able to open up a new dialogue with drivers about risk on the road, honing in on areas for improvement and bringing safe driving back to the forefront.

With drops in collision and near-collision rates, the company's insurance premiums and workers compensation claims also plummeted, making the company more profitable.

"On top of improved safe driving, which was certainly our number-one goal with Lytx, we have been excited to see the impact echo across our business," Clark said. "With improved safety and compliance, plus higher profitability, we can be confident that, with the help of the Lytx Driver Safety Program, the ILM family will continue to grow for decades to come."