Samsara announced Camera Connector, a new product that connects side, rear, and interior vehicle camera feeds to Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud.

By bringing cloud connectivity to third-party cameras, Camera Connector lets fleets leverage existing vehicle camera investments to reduce safety incidents, protect against not-at-fault claims, and enhance the driver experience, according to the manufacturer. 

Samsara noted that companies across the commercial transportation industry, from long-haul trucking to field services to passenger transit, are at risk for high-cost incidents on the road, such as sideswiping and back-up collisions. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety claims that 242,000 sideswipe crashes occur every year.

Samsara’s Camera Connector brings side, rear, and interior camera feeds into a single view within the Connected Operations Cloud. When combined with Samsara’s AI Dash Cams, customers gain 360° visibility of safety incidents in a single dashboard. This increased visibility combined with cloud connectivity allows managers to access the right footage in minutes and exonerate drivers from false claims, according to the company. 

“We can now seamlessly integrate our existing cameras with Samsara’s platform, quickly retrieve video footage through the cloud in minutes, and significantly decrease our volume of backup incidents and associated payouts,” said Sajid Ordagic, safety manager at Rasmussen Group.

The Iowa-based heavy construction company, with hundreds of concrete trucks, has seen a 30% reduction in backup incidents since installing Samsara Camera Connectors, and it expects that number to increase over time. With on-demand video evidence that was previously unavailable, Rasmussen Group estimates it has saved $30,000 by exonerating drivers from false claims.

In addition to providing on-demand video evidence, Camera Connector integrates third-party camera feeds into Samsara’s video-based workflows for coaching and safety insights.

For example, Superior Plus Propane, a propane distributor serving 24 states across the U.S. with 2,300 trucks and more than 1,000 drivers, can now coach drivers more effectively on their backup protocols.

“Having the Camera Connector will allow us to sit in our drivers’ seats and walk in their shoes," said Ryan Quiggle, director of health and safety at Superior Plus. "It will give us a much clearer picture into their exposure and the hazards they’re facing.” 

Without the need to rip and replace existing camera systems, customers using Camera Connector also can see efficiency gains when it comes to installation. Superior Plus Propane was able to install Camera Connector six times faster than if it had replaced previous systems.

“Camera Connector can help us take full advantage of existing cameras as we grow through acquisition, helping us scale our video-based safety program in a cost-effective way," explained Bruce Ruppert, director of fleet for Superior Plus Propane.