Dashcams are a must have for the professional truck driver. Drivers travel hundreds of miles daily and can encounter many situations. Photographic evidence of a situation can be a real life saver for a trucker.
Truck dashcams are small video cameras mounted on the dashboards of trucks and semi-trucks. These dashcams can be road-facing or road-facing and driver-facing.
Some drivers do not like the idea of having their every move recorded. However, in the event of an accident, it could help to show that you were doing as you should have been.
Here are a few ways how truck dashcams and the valuable information they gather are benefiting the trucking industry.
Potentially Lower Insurance Rates
In some cases, driving with a dashcam may lower insurance rates in different ways than you’d expect. Although there is an initial investment for the camera, humans naturally do things better when they know they are being watched. In this case, people are more likely to drive safer if there is a camera recording their every move. A safer fleet with driver data and insights to back up its safety claims will be in a better position to get potentially lower insurance rates.
Legal Protection
According to the FMCSA, the average cost of a large truck crash is about $91,000. A crash with injuries costs almost $200,000. For owner-operators and small fleets, any incident could stop your business in its tracks.
A video recording can demonstrate a trucker’s innocence. Since these recordings are admissible in court as evidence, it saves you and/or your employer from suffering the legal consequences of misplaced blame. This also helps the court correctly document the incident, inspect and judge who should pay for the damages and how much.
However, keep in mind that if the accident is your fault, the video evidence will be used against you.
Speeding up insurance claims
Had it gone to the court or an insurance claim, the video footage would likely have sped up the process significantly. With digital proof of what happened on the road, you can avoid exorbitant attorney fees, long-drawn-out court cases, and extensive insurance investigations.
Bottom Line
Dashboard camera technology is changing the trucking industry for the better, making it safer for transport companies as well as other drivers on the road. Although the initial investment cost is higher, it could save you thousands of dollars in court costs and insurance rates. Keeping your no claims discount and a stable premium are great reasons to record while driving.
For fleet managers and owners/contractors, dashcams can be excellent investment options that save money and reputation in the long run.
