Dashboard cameras are among the most popular pieces of in-vehicle technology among many commercial fleets. No matter what industry you’re in, you and your drivers can benefit from having dashboard cameras installed in their vehicles. These cameras continuously monitor activity both outside and inside the vehicle.
Importance Of Dash Cams
With years of experience in the industry, the NFI team understands the importance of fleet dash cams, and we hope to educate operators across the country regarding the advantages they bring to your company. In this article, we’re going to look at 9 reasons why every fleet should have dash cams fitted to their vehicles.
Evidence in Road Traffic Collisions
If one of your fleet vehicles is involved in an accident, the question of liability is often decided by which of the parties involved can provide a more compelling version of the event. Before the rise in popularity of dash cams, many insurance claims were litigated on the basis of which side’s story was most believable. Thanks to dashboard cameras, your driver can demonstrate who was at fault with cold, hard video evidence, making it much easier for insurers to determine liability and quickly dispel any disputes.
Insurance Claims
Insurance claims can often take a long time to process, especially when determining fault, gathering evidence, and even knowing if an accident has happened in the first place. This can cause significant delays in a payout. This can involve collating written statements, diagrams of the crash site, and so on. By submitting dash cam footage, you negate the need for much of that. Clear video footage from a quality dashboard camera helps to speed up insurance claims and to mitigate your losses.
Recent technological advancements have simplified the claims process. Dashcams equipped with accident detection, and First Notice of Loss (FNOL) features can send accident data automatically with minimal driver involvement. Fleet dash cams with auto-FNOL are increasingly used because they capture all the necessary details to make a claim, lifting the burden off your shoulders.
Fraud Prevention
One of the biggest problems in the insurance industry is fraud, particularly the ever-growing number of crash-for-cash claims. This typically involves a driver deliberately instigating a crash with the vehicle behind them, usually by slamming on their brakes and letting the vehicle behind them crash into their rear. In this kind of collision (known in the industry as a Rear End Shunt or RES), the driver coming up from behind is almost always found liable, unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary. With the right dash cam system, you can provide that evidence.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Of course, crash-for-cash scams don’t just impact those drivers involved directly in collisions. Since the cost of compensation in such claims needs to be offset by the insurance companies, premiums are increased across the board affecting innocent drivers and particularly fleet operators who might be responsible for tens of thousands of vehicles. Fortunately, most insurers recognise the value of dashcams in fighting this phenomenon, with many offering discounts on premiums for vehicles that have dashboard cameras fitted that can catch the perpetrators in the act.
Parking Protection
Dash cams don’t just operate when the vehicle is in motion. You can install a system that monitors the area around your vehicles on a continuous basis. This means that should your fleet vehicle be parked for the night (or while the driver takes a break), the dashboard camera is still keeping an eye on your surroundings. If another vehicle clips your parked vehicle and the driver refuses to stop, the dash cam can record the event and capture crucial details such as the make, model, and registration number of the offending vehicle.
Personal Security
As well as protecting your fleet vehicles from inattentive drivers on the roads, dash cams can also provide additional security to your drivers. From incidents of road rage to someone attempting to break into a parked vehicle, the dashboard camera can provide valuable evidence for the police that allows them to track down and prosecute the guilty party. Visuals of camera systems such as dashcams can act as a for potential would-be thieves making your vehicles a less attractive proposition for theft.
Driver Behaviour
Dash cams also help promote safer driving by your employees and help you monitor their behaviour and assess their training needs. Forward-facing dash cams can show how your drivers perform behind the wheel while driver-facing dash cams help you ensure that your drivers are paying due care and attention to the road and are not engaged in any dangerous or illegal activity while driving.
Technology Advancements
Innovation of dash cam solutions has experienced remarkable technological advancements in recent times, leading to the widespread adoption of dash cam solutions across fleets.
In response to the growing demand from fleet managers for improved safety, efficiency, and sustainability, many vehicle technology partners have commissioned us to install increasingly capable dash cams. These include features such as remote download capabilities, which allow fleet managers to access footage without requiring access to the vehicle or communication with the driver, telematics and tracking capabilities, and AI-enabled dash cams.
We expect this trend to continue as the demand for technology to assist fleet managers in mitigating risks and enhancing safety, efficiency, and sustainability grows. This is evidenced by the projected growth of the global fleet management market, which is estimated to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.5% from $25.5 billion in 2022 to $52.4 billion by 2027. (Markets & Markets)
Video Gives You A Better Picture
In the case of fleet managers who rely on conventional telematics and GPS tracking solutions, it can be challenging to interpret the data generated by these systems. For instance, a fleet manager may observe an increase in harsh braking, idling, and deviations from the designated route. Fleet dashcams can address these issues by providing contextual footage that facilitates accurate and effective decision-making. In the absence of such footage, data analysis may lead to erroneous or delayed conclusions. Therefore, deploying fleet dashcams can aid in obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence driver behaviour and optimise fleet operations.
Nationwide Fleet Installations: Providing Ease of Installation
These are all great reasons to install dash cams on your commercial fleet vehicles, but this is only part of the equation. A wide variety of fleet camera solutions are on the market, including front dash cameras, front and rear cameras, driver-facing dash cams, video telematics and more. Each of these systems needs to be installed professionally in every vehicle if you are going to enjoy the benefits they can provide.
Furthermore, many commercial fleets include a range of vehicles with different dash cam requirements and, therefore, different installation needs. From cars and vans to buses, trucks, and HGVs, each has its own set of installation criteria that needs to be met, as do electric vehicles and other forms of transport.
Fleet Dash Cam Installations
Fortunately, help is at hand. Whatever your fleet mix or desired dash cam solution, Nationwide Fleet Installations is on your side. Our team of skilled engineers has decades of vehicle technology and telematics experience between them, and they specialise in dashboard camera systems. We will put together a detailed and efficient telematics installation solution that is specially tailored to meet the unique needs of your fleet.
We work closely with you to ensure a managed and quality-controlled installation process that minimises the amount of time individual vehicles are off the road, ensuring optimal efficacy for the rest of your fleet.
Get In Touch
For professional fleet dash cam installation services conducted by trained and experienced engineers across the entirety of your commercial fleet, contact Nationwide Fleet Installations today. Call us on 0161 786 6600 or email the team at info@nationwidefleetinstallations.com to arrange a free consultation.
