“Will it play in Peoria?” is a colloquial question asked by companies before launching new products they hope will have mainstream appeal.
Samsara might have answered a similar question before it launched a new product on Wed., July 1, that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect risky driving:
Will it change risky driving in New York City?
The answer came from a fleet that operates 200 vehicles in NYC to respond to more than 400,000 emergency calls every year.
With roots in the nursing home business, SeniorCare EMS expanded to become the largest commercial ambulance service in the Big Apple. The fleet has an exclusive contract with a major city hospital to field 911 calls, but the majority of its transport is for non-emergencies to move patients from hospitals to nursing homes.
Any type of accident the fleet has, no matter how severe, is potentially life threatening when a critical care patient is onboard. Protecting the company is another concern with New York being a very litigious state. The company’s headquarters are in the Bronx where “lawyers get super excited,” said Robert Ackerman, safety director of SeniorCare EMS.
Another risk factor is that employees for SeniorCare EMS are trained paramedics but are not commercial drivers. They are also younger in age, and many have a bad habit that needs to be corrected right away. “They can’t stay off the phone,” he said.
