Determining who is at fault in a motor vehicle crash may be difficult for law enforcement officers and investigators in California, but new trucking technology may make it easier to identify issues. According to Fortune magazine, truckers are only at fault about 30 percent of the time in traffic accidents. Now, many companies are installing forward-facing cameras that catch the behaviors of drivers around their trucks.
Many in the industry are going a step further by installing cameras that face the inside of the cab of the truck, as well as the outside. This has led to some negative feedback from truckers, but companies may benefit from the positive outcomes that studies have shown often result when people know they are being observed.
The technology included in the systems continues to become more complex, providing more than a stream of video. According to Trucking Info, companies can now be provided with data and analysis about the information gathered through the computer included in the camera system. This could include the following:
- Positive driving behaviors
- At-risk behaviors such as running a red light, drifting out of the lane or following too closely
- Incidents of hard braking, swerves and other sudden maneuvers
- Seatbelt compliance
- Weather conditions
This feedback can be used to indicate when a driver requires more training or corrective actions, and the driving conditions the truckers encounter. Some companies have reported that drivers see the cameras as protection rather than an intrusion.
The technology can also be matched with systems such as automatic braking, blind spot warning and lane-keeping systems. In addition to behaviors and operations, cameras have been used to verify the status of cargo and identify potential loading dock issues.
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