Dual facing dash cams have become the norm for in-cab technologies. They’re a necessity among fleets for promoting safety and protecting the company in case of an accident. The industry has gone a long way with this valuable tool.
A recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)-sponsored research by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reported that truck drivers placed road-facing cameras as their second most preferred in-cab technology.
But why exactly are some drivers hesitant to embrace this technology? Read on to find out the pros and cons of dual facing fleet dash cams.
Pros of Fleet Dash Cams
Exonerations
The high-quality footage from dash cams enables faster and more accurate handling of exonerations. Drivers have been exonerated in more than half of insurance claims and half of litigation cases thanks to driver-facing camera footage, as the American Transportation Research Institute reports.
Another result is the footage leading to settlements instead of claims in 86 percent of the cases, according to a survey from insurance and legal experts. These results not only cost you less but also lower insurance premiums and save your fleet’s reputation in the long run.
Privacy
Instead of continuously recording the driver, event-based cameras capture crucial moments that determine or break the driver’s safety. These also limit access to driver footage across management while being installed uniformly among all trucks.
“Many fleets and their drivers have bought into the benefits of forward-facing cameras, but the jury’s still out on inward facing devices. Because federal and state safety regulations do not yet mandate these devices, most of the fleets I work with are hesitant to adopt them, and I think that hesitance is justified. Some states’ privacy laws are significant impediments, and getting driver buy-in can be difficult. On the other hand, fleets that have navigated these hurdles and adopted inward facing cameras have, in my experience, seen real value, both on the compliance and highway-accident litigation fronts.”
– Brandon Wiseman, president of Trucksafe Consulting LLC
You can also inform drivers beforehand of the standard policies surrounding the footage. The exterior facing and interior facing dash cams also capture positive driving behavior you can recognize and reward your staff for.
This not only improves and continues their best performance, but also motivates them to stay with your company and inspire other drivers to do better.
Reduce Crashes
A dual dash cam can sense when a compliance violation will occur and then informs the driver to avoid this using an in-cab audio alert.
Some of the warnings include speeding, distracted driving, or following too close to another vehicle. The constant reminders also ensure drivers avoid this in the near future and they can keep note of the mistakes they’re prone to.
Cons of Dual Facing Dash Cams
Inaccurate Alerts
Warnings can also come up out of context. Some in cab alerts may not be based off an inaccurate detection or constantly alert for necessary lane changes.
When managers review these warnings, they may not see the full context and should discuss the instance with the driver for a full understanding. Apart from inaccurate detections, instances like distracted or drowsy driving may come from the driver not getting enough rest due to back to back shifts.
This is a systemic or managerial problem that the fleet should address, and cannot be solved by fleet cameras alone.
Final Thoughts
Having fleet dash cam systems can be a great tool for reducing the occurrence of crashes and making sure to provide an accurate account of what happened in a crash. Even though there are some cons that come with this type of technology, it offers a great way to protect your drivers.
With high quality footage, exonerations can be done efficiently and accurately which makes this system beneficial for protecting insurance costs.
Explore Netradyne’s fleet dash cam system today and see just how it helps other fleets keep their drivers safe on the job.
