Dash cams are growing in popularity all across the country. In 2015, dash cams were among the fastest-growing electronics categories on the market. They now protect millions of drivers worldwide, and fleets are harnessing their many advantages. Dash cams have many advantages in the trucking industry, from safety to cost savings, and this article will break down some of the top benefits.
1. Safety
As always, a fleet’s top priority is safety. Every fleet wants its drivers to be safe for the benefit of both the driver and the business. Trucking dash cams with artificial intelligence like Azuga’s SafetyCam can track unsafe behaviors both on the road and in the cab and alert the driver and fleet manager as needed. It can track hard braking, speeding, rapid acceleration, and swerving. They can even detect distracted driving behaviors such as
- Eating and drinking
- Using the phone
- Smoking
- Wearing a mask
- Yawning or fatigue
- Face not visible
- Not focused
- Camera obstruction
Distracted driving claimed over 3,000 lives in 2019 alone, and nobody wants their fleet to be involved in a distracted driving accident. Luckily, dash cams can help prevent these accidents. The more trucks have them; the safer fleets will be.
2. Insurance Discounts
Many insurance companies want to know that fleet owners are making an effort to keep their fleets safe, and therefore, a lower risk to insure. For this reason, they often offer discounts to fleets who equip their drivers with truckers’ dash cams. Trucks with dash cams are less likely to get into an accident, meaning they are less likely to cost the insurance company money. Furthermore, if they get into an accident, they have the dash cam to testify on their behalf, meaning they are more likely to bbe exonerated of the fault, and their insurance will not have to payout. Either way, insurance companies benefit significantly from dash cams and want their drivers to use them.
3. Witness in an Accident
Accidents happen no matter how safe drivers are. It is simply the nature of trucking. Luckily, dash cams are always there to testify when a fleet driver is safe. 70% of accidents are not the fault of truckers, and dash cams can prove it. Dash cams can exonerate drivers by serving as a witness to everything that happened on the road and in the driver’s cab at the time of the accident, showing the driver doing everything right and the accident’s actual cause. This footage is crucial, as accidents can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially if there are injuries, and fleets need to pursue any way to reduce this cost. One of the reasons dash cams are so popular is that they serve as witnesses in an accident, which is one of the main reasons so many fleets use them today.
4. Use for Training and Coaching
One of the benefits of dash cams like Azuga’s SafetyCam is performing in-cab coaching. Whenever a driver exhibits unsafe driving behaviors, the system sends an alert in real-time to the fleet manager, who can then check in on the driver. This feature is critical if the fleet manager needs to have the driver take a break for their safety and the safety of others.
Furthermore, recorded incidents on dash cam can be immensely useful for training new drivers on safety. Seeing events play out in real life is far better than just hearing about them or simulating them, and dash cams can provide that footage.
5. Save Money and Downtime
Whenever an accident occurs, it can cost the company thousands. An accident without any injuries costs $16,500. If there are injuries or fatalities, that cost soars up to the hundreds of thousands. Not to mention, employee and vehicle downtime can hurt a company’s productivity significantly. Every employee and vehicle is crucial to a company’s efficiency. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be there. For this reason, avoiding accidents should be a top priority for any fleet manager, and dash cams are the way to do so. It is not only vital for employee safety but the fleet’s efficacy as well.
Conclusion
Dash cams are becoming a necessity in fleet management. They have a multitude of benefits even beyond those mentioned here. There are many different dash cam options on the market, but Azuga SafetyCam is the best available. It is a dual-facing dash cam that utilizes artificial intelligence to provide fleet managers with real-time information about what is happening with their drivers on the road. Reach out to Azuga today to get set up with dash cams for your fleet, and start reaping the rewards.
