ATRI has released a new report that investigates industry attitudes and concerns toward driver-facing and road-facing cameras (DFCs/RFCs). The research identified points of consensus and potential compromise on in-cab camera systems and policies among truck drivers, motor carriers, legal experts and insurers. Based on this analysis, the report proposes strategies for improving both driver approval and camera utilization that can improve safety, privacy, litigation and insurance risk management.
Driver approval of driver-facing cameras tends to be low – just 2.24 on a 0-to-10 scale among 650 current users from across the industry. Low scores are driven in part by limited experience, confusion over the variety of camera systems, unclear carrier policies, and strong concerns about privacy. Women rated the protection of their privacy with driver-facing cameras onboard 34 percent lower than did men.
Nevertheless, the report identified specific carrier policies and driver management approaches that lead to higher driver ratings. Overall driver approval of driver-facing cameras increased by 87 percent when carriers used video footage for specific proactive safety measures.
A full copy of the report is available here.