Commercial dash cams are increasingly becoming a fleet manager and drivers’ best ally. From reducing insurance claims to ensuring driver safety – they offer a multitude of benefits. But what do you need to know about them? Here’s a comprehensive guide with answers to FAQs for those navigating the world of commercial truck and van dash cams – contributing to a culture of safety and efficiency. Discover how they can streamline your operations and keep your drivers safe.
Part 1: Perspective of Fleet Managers
As a fleet manager, you have a growing number of responsibilities, from optimising operations to driver safety. By leveraging cameras, you have access to an additional tool which provides real-time monitoring support. We’re here to dispel misconceptions and provide clarity on how this technology can safeguard your drivers and business. We’ll address common queries to help you understand the potential of video telematics for safety improvements in your fleet.
Addressing Common Questions and Concerns
1: Why do I need a commercial dash cam when I already have telematics?
Webfleet telematics is a vital tool in helping to train and coach drivers, however, sometimes incidents can still occur that can’t be evaluated with telematics alone. Advanced commercial dash cam solutions like our CAM 50 have both in-cab and road-facing lenses, combined with machine vision (MV) and artificial intelligence (AI), giving Fleet Managers the best view of exactly what happened leading up to an event or incident. With Webfleet video telematics, you get the ultimate picture of how the incident occurred.
2: Will I see a return on investment by installing video telematics?
Collisions can be very costly. A strong safety record can result in fewer insurance claims, vehicle repairs, lower fleet premiums and a positive benefit to brand reputation. Vehicle longevity and driver retention are vital considerations for fleets. Above all, we all want drivers to arrive home safely.
3: Will I need to replace my existing kit when installing an intelligent dash cam?
Not at all, the Webfleet CAM 50 can be added easily to your fleet! With the flexibility of Webfleet Video, you can have a single view of your data and easy access to the reports you need, all the data in one place on your usual platform.
Enhancing Safety and Efficiency
The Webfleet CAM 50, equipped with the industry’s most advanced AI, identifies risky driving and issues immediate warnings for self-correction – also known as First Notification of Risk (FNOR). If no action is taken, the Fleet Manager is alerted and can deal with the situation accordingly. By understanding driver in-cab habits, potential incidents can be averted altogether. Ultimately, reducing ‘near misses’ bolsters operational efficiency and driver safety through self-coaching.
Addressing Privacy and Trust
4. Do smart dash cams violate privacy regulations?
A commercial dash cam solution that is fully configurable can help meet privacy regulations through its setup and configuration. Protecting your drivers’ data to the highest level is equally as important to achieving safer roads.
Part 2: Perspective of Truck and Van Drivers
My drivers hate dash cams. Quite the contrary. Like you, they want to keep their vehicles and loads secure. They also want to make it home safely at the end of their runs. A lot of driver hesitation has to do with autonomy and trust: They don’t want to feel like someone’s leaning over their shoulder, watching their every move.
Addressing Common Questions and Concerns
5. How will a commercial dash cam help me on the road?
In roughly 80% of collisions between cars and trucks or vans, the car driver is at fault. Yet because trucks/ vans are much heavier—and therefore capable of causing more damage—the commercial drivers are more frequently found to be at fault. High-quality commercial dash cams provide a complete view of the road. Video evidence can be objective proof should incidents occur. In the case of fraudulent claims, video proof protects drivers from liability.
6. How do commercial dash cams work?
As a preventative technology, dash cams improve safety on the road for everyone while protecting hardworking drivers.
According to the Department for Transport, more than 153,000 casualties of all severities occur in reported traffic accidents every year in the UK. Furthermore, 27% of fatal accidents are either partly or entirely caused by distracted driving. Drivers involved in accidents are twice as likely to die when they’re not wearing a seat belt.
“On-board cameras are there to reduce risks and save lives,” says David Brazell, Channel Sales Director for EMEA at Lytx. “90% of accidents have to do with human error, and most are due to distractions.”
Proactively preventing accidents is paramount to safety. AI-powered dash cams identify distractions, such as texting, alerting drivers with audio-visual signals for immediate self-correction. Unaddressed distractions or specific actions prompt dash cam recordings that clarify if a safety risk was caused by another driver or if the fleet driver requires safe driving coaching.
7. Will I be monitored 24/7?
Compliant dash cams will be designed for maximum privacy. Webfleet Video runs on the CAM 50, which is totally configurable. For instance, it’s possible to disable the In-Cabin Recording and Distracted Driver features and just use the CAM 50 as a road-facing dash cam.
The commercial dash cam supports fleet managers with a live streaming feature, notifying drivers when activated. Outside work hours, drivers can switch to Private mode, restricting data access to the dash cam’s SD card only. For added comfort during downtime, the CAM 50’s lens cover can be utilised.
8. Will my data be secure?
Video footage or image captures are restricted to authorised personnel. Drivers have the right to request access to any videos or images of their driving events. The default retention period is 90 days. As the owner of its video/image data, the fleet company ultimately decides how long data is stored and when/whether to delete it. Any video that isn’t related to events will not be saved—under the GDPR, it isn’t relevant data.
At Webfleet, we take driver privacy and GDPR compliance seriously. Configurable settings enable compliance across different regions with the CAM 50. Webfleet is also configurable, so fleet managers can set reduced retention recording times that comply with the GDPR’s legitimate interest principle. Our platform operates according to the highest international standard for information security management (ISO/IEC 27001).
Empowering Drivers
The Webfleet CAM 50 with the industry’s most advanced artificial intelligence can detect risky driving behaviour and provide a First Notification of Risk (FNOR) by issuing a warning so that a driver can self-correct in the moment. The technology only notifies the Fleet Manager if risky behaviour persists and no corrective action has been taken.
Commercial Dash cams – Contribute to a culture of safety
Greater road safety benefits everyone. Webfleet video supports road safety by helping both truck and van drivers perform at their best. Wondering how to keep your fleet vehicles and drivers safe on the road? Want to explore the latest fleet safety solutions? See the Safety section of our blog.
Discover Webfleet video telematics
Discover the CAM 50 and Webfleet video telematics in our latest product showcase. Find out how you can protect your drivers and insurance claims where your drivers were not at fault. The CAM 50 solution is the perfect companion to identify and mitigate risk within your fleet.
