Richfords: Enabling drivers to take greater ownership of their safety with Geotab Vitality

Challenge: Creating a more proactive, driver-led safety culture

Richfords Fire & Flood is one of the UK’s leading fire and flood restoration specialists, operating a fleet of 53 light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from multiple depots across England to support time-critical emergency response services.

Already using Geotab telematics data to support fleet risk management and operational decision-making, Richfords recognised an opportunity to build a more proactive, driver-led safety culture. While Collision Risk reporting within MyGeotab helped identify trends and inform coaching conversations, the business wanted to move beyond retrospective manager-led reviews and give drivers greater ownership of their own safety performance.

Conversations about specific driving events could sometimes lose impact when feedback was delivered days or weeks later. Richfords wanted drivers to receive feedback quickly enough to recognise behaviours in the moment and make immediate improvements.

Geotab’s Account Manager introduced Geotab Vitality to the Richfords management team, explaining how it combined Geotab’s telematics intelligence with Vitality’s research-backed behavioural science to encourage tangible improvements in driver safety habits through positive reinforcement. The management team saw the programme not only as a safety initiative, but also as an opportunity to improve driver engagement and create a more positive driver experience.

“Our previous approach didn’t always give drivers timely insight. Drivers were often only made aware of issues after some time had passed, making it harder for them to connect specific incidents with their driving behaviour and make immediate adjustments. We wanted drivers to have visibility of their own performance in near real time, rather than relying solely on manager feedback.”
– Sheena Owen, Fleet Management, Richfords Fire & Flood

Solution: A pilot programme that quickly gained momentum

Twenty drivers across two depots were selected to participate in an initial pilot programme. The Fleet Management team chose a mix of drivers representing different driving profiles and operational roles to help provide broad and meaningful feedback.

The impact was immediate.

Over the course of the two-month pilot, one driver who had historically appeared regularly in speeding reports reduced speeding incidents to zero, while all participating drivers demonstrated measurable improvements in driving behaviour. Engagement levels were exceptionally high, with all participating employees actively using the app within the first ten days to monitor their safety scores and track progress toward rewards and performance goals.

The positive response from participants quickly spread across the wider fleet, with employees actively requesting access to the programme after hearing feedback from colleagues already involved in the pilot.

“We’ve introduced systems in the past where we’ve had to guide people through every step. With Geotab Vitality, drivers were downloading the app and getting started independently from day one. When a rollout is that frictionless, it becomes something drivers take ownership of, rather than something being imposed on them.”
– Philippa Richford, Business Systems Manager, Richfords Fire & Flood

All drivers begin at Bronze level within the app and can progress through Silver, Gold and Platinum based on their individual safety performance. Several Richfords employees have already progressed to Gold status and are highly motivated to continue improving their scores and reaching Platinum.

Alongside individual rewards, Richfords also publishes Geotab Vitality safety leaderboards, introducing a healthy level of competition across the fleet. This gamified approach has helped sustain long-term engagement and reinforce positive driving behaviours.

“We’re a competitive bunch, so everyone enjoys trying to improve their position on the safety leaderboard each week. The rewards and recognition system keeps people engaged and focused on improving their driving performance.”
– Driver for Richfords Fire & Flood

As drivers increasingly take ownership of their own safety performance, managers now spend less time conducting retrospective safety reviews and more time focusing on broader fleet and operational priorities, further increasing the value of the solution.

Impact: Sustained improvements in driver behaviour and fleet risk reduction

Since implementing Geotab Vitality, Richfords has seen continual improvements across all key driver safety metrics, including speeding, harsh acceleration, braking and cornering. These behavioural improvements have directly contributed to a measurable reduction in fleet collision risk.

Notable results at Richfords include: 

• 22% reduction in Predictive Collision Rate (PCR) during the two-month pilot programme, based on the likelihood of a collision occurring over the next 100,000 miles.
• 59% improvement in driving behaviours across key safety KPIs including speeding, harsh acceleration, braking and cornering.
• 411% calculated ROI, based on measurable improvements in driver retention, reduced collision risk, lower operational downtime and fuel savings associated with safer and more efficient driving habits.

Richfords has also shared the results of the programme with its insurance broker, with the expectation that the fleet’s reduced collision risk profile may contribute to improved insurance terms in future renewals.

Next Steps: Expanding into sustainability and emissions reduction

Geotab Vitality is introducing new functionality to include idling time within performance monitoring, extending the platform’s value beyond safety and into sustainability management.

The Richfords team is keen to adopt the feature as part of its wider efforts to reduce fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions and strengthen sustainability reporting — areas that are becoming increasingly important within PQQs and contractor accreditation schemes.

Reducing idling time presents a further opportunity to lower operational costs while improving environmental performance, with expected additional gains to the overall ROI delivered by the programme.

From the Fleet Manager 

“With Geotab Vitality, our drivers now have near real-time visibility of their safety performance, allowing them to recognise issues quickly and make immediate improvements. It has fundamentally changed the way we approach driver safety — moving away from retrospective performance reviews and towards positive reinforcement, engagement and personal ownership.”
— Sheena Owen, Fleet Management, Richfords Fire & Flood

About Richfords

Richfords Fire & Flood has been restoring homes and businesses for more than 45 years. Headquartered in Redruth, Cornwall, the company operates from multiple depots across England, providing 24/7 emergency response and restoration services for residential and commercial properties affected by fire, flood and accidental damage. Richfords uses Geotab telematics technology to support fleet safety, operational efficiency and driver engagement across its 53-vehicle fleet.

About Geotab Vitality

Geotab Vitality LLC, a joint venture launched in 2025, combines the power of Geotab's data science and telematics capabilities with Vitality Global's award-winning behavioral science, into an innovative solution that enables sustained driver behavior change through positive reinforcement, not penalties. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, we tackle the escalating problem of roadway collisions and rising costs. Our evidence-based approach is delivering significant results for fleets around the world, with some customers experiencing a 24% reduction in collision frequency and a 15% improvement in driving behavior within the first 30 days. Learn more at Geotab Vitality and follow us on LinkedIn.