In-Cab Cameras Can Reduce Truck Accidents & Insurance Rates

While some employees may feel that driver-facing in-cab cameras are an invasion of privacy, they have many benefits for trucking companies. In-cab cameras can help to establish accident responsibility, reduce claim time and provide a useful training tool.

In turn, these aspects can help lower insurance rates for drivers and their employers. As more commercial trucks are starting to feature in-cab cameras, learn more about these safety devices.

Types of In-Cab Cameras

In-cab cameras provide more comprehensive, multi-perspective footage than a typical dash cam. Driver-facing cameras are the most common to date, with a lens that faces the driver and another outside the vehicle.

Dangerous driving behaviors are sensed through an accelerometer that picks up sudden movements and changes. These may include speeding, hard braking or lane drifting.

Video footage is saved via cloud technology for review by the camera manufacturer and trucking company for trigger points that indicate an accident or risky driving behaviors.

Benefits of In-Cab Cameras for Trucking Companies

In-cab cameras offer multiple benefits to trucking companies:

• In the event of an accident, they indicate what the driver was doing behind the wheel Footage can pinpoint poor conditions at the scene of the accident or a driver’s negligent behavior. Should a case go to court, footage can establish responsibility or help exonerate the driver and trucking company, which can reduce the amount paid in a settlement and insurance premiums.
• Newer cameras have sensors designed to specifically detect and alert the trucking company of a driver’s drowsiness and fatigue.
• The footage from accidents and other triggered incidents have turned into a training tool. A trucking company can identify certain habits that should be avoided to help reduce accident risk, particularly with drivers who regularly have longer routes.
• Camera technology has started to intersect with predictive analytics, with data indicating which drivers are more likely to get into an accident, based on behavior.

In-Cab Cameras’ Effects on Insurance Rates

Discounted insurance rates will not immediately go into effect when in-cab cameras are used. Rather, the savings – as much as 20 to 30 percent – come after the technology reduces a fleet’s number of accidents and settlements the trucking company has to pay out.

In considering the impact on insurance, in-cab cameras:

• Help reduce the number of overall claims the insurance carrier has to pay, as the footage can help with establishing responsibility and identifying hazards on the road.
• Due to establishing responsibility, camera footage helps streamline the insurance claim, rather than lengthen it with an investigation.
• In-cab camera-related discounts are a possibility if the company uses a particular camera product and shares the footage.
• Between the fewer settlements and lower premiums, trucking companies end up reducing costs after installing cameras and monitoring their fleet.

Have you recently installed cameras for your commercial fleet? To discuss the effect this may have on your insurance premiums, contact Ion Insurance today.

Benefits of In-Cab Cameras for Commercial Trucks

The trucking industry plays an important role in the delivery of goods and services around the country. More than 3.5 million people in the United States are truck drivers!

We also have an estimated 1.2 million trucking companies. If you own a commercial trucking business, one of your responsibilities is to manage a fleet of vehicles and drivers. Any time one of your trucks is out on the road, your company is vulnerable to potential unsafe driving behavior and accidents.

To protect the safety of everyone on the road, as well as reduce costs and run a more efficient business, consider the benefits of in-cab cameras for trucks.

Fleet Tracking

In-cab cameras for trucks do more than record live video. They also operate as fleet tracking systems to measure driver safety, accountability and efficiency at every turn. As soon as the truck starts, all miles driven, maneuvers and stops made are tracked, analyzed and reported to the company’s fleet management team to help improve the performance of their drivers.

Fleet managers can have key factors tracked in real-time like speeding, hard braking, phone distractions and service warnings to make sure their drivers are being safe behind the wheel.

In addition to identifying and resolving any driving issues, business owners can also use this data to recognize and reward driver excellence. As a professional in the industry, you know that great drivers are invaluable to the success of your business!  

Reduce Accidents

Commercial trucking accidents can be costly. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the average cost of a commercial truck accident where one person suffers injuries is $148,279. If there’s a fatality, this cost skyrockets to approximately $7.2 million.

In-cab cameras can help reduce the risk of both fatal and non-fatal accidents, as well as repair costs and insurance deductibles that could put you out of business. Based on the behaviors tracked and reported to fleet management, high-risk drivers can be coached to improve their job performance before an accident occurs.

In the event of an accident, the camera footage and fleet management software can help your company get the whole picture of what happened at the scene. This can be crucial to absolve your driver of responsibility, if the accident was in fact caused by another driver. An estimated 70 percent of accidents involving a large truck are not the fault of your drivers!    

Aguza Fleet™

Aguza is a trusted solutions provider for Central Mutual Insurance Companies. Features and capabilities of their GPS fleet management software include:

• Fleet Operations
• Driver Behavior and Safety
• Fleet Health
• Powerful Reporting
• Real-time Alerts
• Customer Support

Additional features are available for larger fleets with multiple locations. The company will also help you establish a driver safety program that includes:

• Communicating and reinforcing goals
• Training in regards to safe driving behaviors
• Communicating expectations and establishing individual responsibility
• Monitoring driver safety
• Recognizing safe driving or coaching unsafe behavior
• Applying consequences for workers that do not show improvement

You can manage a safer, more efficient fleet of trucks with in-cab cameras. To learn more about commercial truck insurance or discuss potential rate deductions, contact Ion Insurance today.