The Value of Dashcams to Your Business

I was once told, "The best drivers on the road each think that they are the best! They also think that their truck is (no matter how old) the best truck on the road!"

True or not, we do know that truckers like the freedom of the road and the independent lifestyle. Seasoned drivers will admit that their greatest safety challenge is avoiding complacency. So how do you make a good driver a great driver? A safer driver? How do you reduce the odds of you or your driver being involved in an accident?

There are a lot of new technologies being developed today to help. One of the most helpful is video cameras. SmartDrive is the system I am most familiar with and the approved vendor for ICSA. Being in trucking for over 40 years, I have seen so many recent accidents that used to be charged against the trucker now being accurately charged back to the motorist. In the past, we could never prove a car cut us off. Now we can.

That being said, no one wants to be in an accident no matter whose fault it is. How can we affect that? I can’t tell you that a driver with a good SmartDrive score will not be in an accident. I also can’t tell you if you smoke you will get cancer. I can tell you that the odds are against you if you smoke, and the odds are against a driver with a high SmartDrive score. They are at higher risk of being involved in their own accident or someone else’s. They are also more difficult to defend as a safe driver if they ever have to go to court for any reason.

Many drivers have a fear of video cameras, but in my experience they make a good driver a better driver. The Navy takes video of every carrier landing no matter how many years of experience the pilot has. The pilot is debriefed using that video after every trap. Why do they do this? To keep getting better! Video technology is being used all over the country to help good drivers get even better and reduce the chances of being in a crash. Defensive driving instructors will tell you that nearly all crashes can be prevented, given enough time and space. Video reviews help the professional driver fight complacency and help give them that time and space.

More to come on this topic soon!

Mike Hitchcock

Mike has an extensive, life-long background as a driver, a mechanic, and an independent owner/operator. Before joining ICSA, he spent 23 years at Knight Transportation, where Mike was promoted to Regional Safety Director, and ultimately to Corporate Director of Safety for all Knight companies. In 2008, Mike moved to Phoenix as Knight’s Director of Recruiting and Driver Development, where he enjoyed being part of Knight’s growth and steadily improving safety performance. Mike's position as Safety Consultant at ICSA enables him to continue working to improve highway safety. Mike understands the trucking business from both a driver’s and a fleet’s perspective. He has experienced the challenges independent carriers face as they juggle profitability while minimizing the risks of accidents or legal challenges. Have operational or safety questions? Mike Hitchcock is your go-to.