Dash Cams: A Fleet Manager’s Best Friend?

Aside from spawning their own genre of viral videos, dashcams are one of the most important telematics tools you can invest in for your fleet.

As you buy fleet vehicles and grow your fleet, it can become harder to keep tabs on each individual vehicle and driver. Plus, as you grow as a business, the last thing you want is a fraudulent insurance claim to derail your progress.

By ensuring you have your own dash cam footage you’ll have first-hand evidence of everything that goes down, covering your back and that of your drivers.

There are also plenty of other benefits to installing a dash cam in your vehicles, we’ll dive into them below.

Advantages

The benefits of dash cams are numerous. By installing surveillance tools in your vehicles, you can be safer, more frugal and protect your all-important business reputation. Let’s dive into the specifics.

Keep tabs on dangerous driving

As a fleet manager, you’d like to believe that your drivers are safe at all times and follow the rules and regulations in place to protect themselves and their fellow drivers. The unfortunate truth is that these rules may be disregarded, which could be due to time pressure, possible substance abuse, or recklessness.

Any one of these is a problem since it can easily lead to a severe road accident. As a fleet manager, you and your business can be held liable for instances of dangerous driving or any accident that may be caused by it.

By installing a dual-lens dash cam, you will be able to record in-car activity – including driver behaviour as well as the exterior of the vehicle. You’ll be able to keep track of any instances of reckless behaviour, including cell phone use, road rage, or substance abuse. Combined with GPS tracking software, you can also stay on top of the routes your drivers take, including any unnecessary stops.

Encourage safer driving

While dash cams catch reckless driving, they also encourage safer driving. It is often that the knowledge of being surveilled is enough to prevent undesirable behavior.

It is best practice to be open with your driver that they are on camera, rather than try to catch them out with covert recording – which is illegal in some states! This way, drivers will know that any funny business won’t go unnoticed and they’ll maintain high standards, just as if you’re in the truck with them at all times.

Training purposes

When training younger or new recruits, it’s useful to have documented footage. Those new to the industry often don’t have much first-hand experience behind the wheel. To fully demonstrate your expectations, real-life examples of safe driving can help them on their way to being shining representatives of your company.

It’s also useful to have clear examples of where things go wrong. In the case that you’ve caught an accident on camera, it’s important to show these cases for training purposes to help drivers understand how they can play a part in preventing the situation from happening again. Also, seeing a visual example can help drive home the potentially damaging consequences of reckless driving. Remember, it’s best to offer a disclaimer before showing footage that may be considered unsettling by some.

Capture any accidents with video evidence

Your drivers are often not the ones you need to worry about. Sometimes, other people on the roads are the cause for concern. One of the most obvious reasons you’d install a dashcam is to capture any possible accidents.

Many dashcams on the market provide GPS and speed tracking, which will ensure all of the necessary information is recorded, such as the location of the accident and the speed of the vehicle at the time of the accident. Having these details, plus clear footage, is a crucial way to protect yourself from being liable in instances when you shouldn’t be held accountable. Also, in many states, dashcam footage is admissible as evidence in court, protecting you and your company from getting caught up in nasty legal battles.

There are also many dashcams that work with artificial intelligence. Instances of unsafe driving or accidents are automatically recorded, and you are sent the footage minutes later with all the necessary information, such as location, severity, and details of the incident.

Avoid fraudulent claims

In addition to protecting yourself when you aren’t liable, a dashcam’s footage can be used to hold the guilty party responsible. There are many cases of fraudulent insurance claims following purposeful dangerous driving with the intention of causing a crash. Otherwise known as ‘crash-for-cash’, this is a fleet manager’s worst nightmare if the full incident is not caught on camera.

There are drivers who will pull stunts such as slowing down for no apparent reason in the middle of the highway. When driving a heavy-duty vehicle, it’s not always an option to stop before impact, meaning your driver can become involved in an accident that wasn’t their fault.

To protect yourself in these instances, the best weapon in your arsenal is video footage. This way, you can show the police, the court and your insurance company what occurred, protecting your company’s reputation and liability.

Insurance discounts

One of the most significant burdens after accidents that aren’t your fault is the coinciding insurance premium increases. Thankfully, with a dashcam installed, you’ll have the benefit of being able to prove your innocence to avoid this unneeded expense. Some insurance providers offer a 10-15% discount off your premium if you record your driving activity since this can prevent undue liability in the case of accidents.

Disadvantages

While we believe that dash cams are a positive addition to any fleet, they aren’t without their challenges. As with anything, there are issues to consider before jumping in with both feet. Let’s discuss the potential drawbacks of installing dash cams in your fleet.

Driver supervision

Firstly, you may encounter some resistance from your drivers if you don’t currently have dash cams but want to implement them. Some may feel as though you are suspicious of them, or that it’s an imposition on their independence and ability to drive without supervision. These are valid concerns, especially for those drivers who have been in the business for a long time. However, the value of dash cams cannot be argued and they don’t just protect your company’s reputation but also that of your drivers. It’s a sensitive issue, best explained with care and consideration and a focus on the benefits rather than the drawbacks.

Privacy laws

Tying into the previous point is the contentious issue of privacy. Your drivers may also feel it’s a breach of their privacy to be recorded.

In states such as Michigan, Oregon and Illinois there are also laws about gaining consent from your drivers and any other passengers in the cab before recording audio.

In states such as Alabama, Delaware and Massachusetts, while it’s legal to use dash cams, you must gain consent before recording footage on private property. To avoid illegal dash cam use, check out the laws in your state.

Management of footage

Not so much a disadvantage, but something to consider, is how to manage the dash cam footage. Some states also impose restrictions on how long you must keep hold of footage in the case of an accident. Since most dash cams are configured to hold footage for 30 to 45 days, it’s a general rule of thumb to hold on to footage for 30 days, especially if an incident has occurred.

Laws regarding positioning

Another issue of legality, you must be aware of the law in your state regarding dash cam placement. In many states, including Kansas, Mississippi and New Jersey, there are restrictions on where the dash cam can be placed so as not to obstruct the driver’s view. Check out your state’s laws for dash cam placement so you don’t get caught out with any fines.

Dash cam theft

Just as you can become a target for ‘crash for cash’ fraud, as a business, you can also be a target for theft due to the potential of having high-value stock in your vehicles. While you may intend to reduce this likelihood through using a dash cam, it can sometimes backfire as dash cams themselves are attractive to thieves. To avoid break-ins and dash cam theft, there are a couple of measures you can take.

1. Choose an inexpensive dash cam that is less valuable if it’s stolen. Although, you may still have to repair a broken window.
2. Invest in one with technology that uses LTE cellular service and uploads footage to the cloud, so that any break-ins are caught on camera, even if you lose the camera itself.
3. Ensure that your dash cam is entirely invisible from the outside, or hide it with sun-shades or tinted windows.

Next Steps

Despite their drawbacks, we think the reasons in favor of investing in a dashcam are overwhelmingly positive. It’s clear that they will be an essential part of your fleet safety strategy by protecting you and your company from complicated liability battles while encouraging safer driving from your drivers. The next question may be: where can you find one? Read our comprehensive guide to the best fleet dash cams on the market right now.