Fleets Can Earn Driver Acceptance of Video Safety Systems

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It’s a video that captivated the country on the evening news last March — a tractor-trailer dangling over the side of a bridge, 100 feet above the Ohio River in Louisville, Ky., and the daring rescue by firefighters that brought the driver to safety.

It’s the video immediately before that, however, that helped lead to criminal charges against another motorist who caused the dangerous crash. Forward-facing video from a camera in the cab of the tractor showed a passenger pickup as it swerved out of the oncoming lanes. The commercial truck driver, as recorded by the in-cab camera, was alert and following the speed limit, but was unable to avoid the collision. The heavy-duty truck was forced over the side of the Clark Memorial Bridge.

After the crash, the truck driver was cleared of any wrongdoing, and the pickup driver accused of causing the incident is set to stand trial for criminal charges in April.

That’s just one instance where video has exonerated drivers involved in crashes.

Nonetheless, truck drivers often are skeptical when their companies decide to deploy cameras in the cabs of their trucks.

Firefighters rescue the driver of a truck dangling over the Ohio River in an event that gripped the nation last year. Video captured by an in-cab camera helped exonerate the driver. (Louisville Division of Fire via AP)

Fleet managers say convincing drivers that onboard video systems are there for the driver’s benefit is key to ensuring a successful implementation of the technology.

Hayden Juzek, senior director of fleet operations at ITS Logistics, said his company has had in-cab and forward-facing cameras for at least six years.

“We are very clear in our communication,” he said. “It’s reducing liability for both the drivers as well as the company. It’s there to protect the drivers in case of dispute.”

Dawn…