“The ‘big brother’ analogy is not only false, but unhelpful.” – Raj Singh at Crystal Ball discusses in-cab cameras

Fleet operators who cannot see what is happening in vehicle cabs have a risk management blind spot, which can be solved by introducing in-cab cameras, according to vehicle tracking provider Crystal Ball.

Employees exposed to risk in other areas of the workplace, such as warehouses, factory floors, workshops and yards are often monitored with CCTV now, and so the cab of vehicles should be too, Crystal Ball believes.

The devices, integrated into a 4G-enabled vehicle tracking system, are said to provide companies with a detailed picture of what happens when an incident occurs. Accessing video stored in the cloud could give a fleet manager evidence that their driver was not at fault, or it could provide the basis for offering further training to drivers who have not complied with company policy.

Raj Singh, Managing Director at Crystal Ball

Raj Singh, Managing Director at Crystal Ball, said: “With a host of legal obligations relating to health and safety at work, many fleet operators are leaving themselves exposed because they have a blind spot: the vehicle cab. If a business has a duty of care policy but then avoids seeing what is going on in the vehicle, and what their employees are up to, they must ask themselves if they are avoiding an essential part of driver scrutiny.

“The majority of fleet operators have adopted telematics and continue to see the benefit of it every day when it comes to giving them real-time data on their fleet.

“In research we undertook of more than 200 fleets, only 16% cited privacy concerns as a barrier to adoption of telematics. So adding on an in-cab camera to a telematics system is simple and cost-effective – businesses should go the extra mile to protect themselves, their employees and other road users.”

Singh added: “The ‘big brother’ analogy is not only false, but unhelpful. In-cab cameras don’t record sound, so they won’t catch an employee making inappropriate comments about their boss, for example. And the footage from these cameras is wiped over within a short period of time if no incident occurs.

“What these cameras do is provide a fool-proof back-up to a driver’s version of events in the case of an incident. This could be the difference between an employee losing their job after being falsely accused of a motoring offence, or having their story verified at the touch of a button.”

Crystal Ball’s steps for successful in-cab camera implementation

Explain why there is a need to install driver-facing cameras

• It’s important to put foundations in place when announcing the implementation of a scheme. Present a case for doing this from a financial and safety perspective

Make it clear employees are being recorded, and why 

• When installing cameras, also put notifications in the vehicle stating that occupants are being recorded, so there are no grey areas. Avoiding a situation where a driver or passenger had not given consent to being recorded, or were unaware. Also, systems such as SmartCam do not record sound, so it is important to make occupants aware of this
• List which vehicles have driver-facing cameras installed, and make it available to employees

Get consent and put it in employment contracts

• Having the in-cab camera policy detailed in an employee’s contract of employment provides another level of protection for a company should issues with staff arise

Data protection and privacy

• Vehicle cameras fall under the remit of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), so companies must put in place certain processes and follow rules about the storage and usage of what is recorded
• Include information about the use of vehicle dashcams in your company policy on using, storing or processing personal data, including how long footage is stored for
• It must also be securely held, with access to data and footage restricted only to employees who have been through the relevant GDPR training and are authorised to access it

Promote the safety benefits

• If the vehicles carry passengers, it will also provide a safety net for them too. After all, these vehicles are still a workplace which should adhere to the same standards as in an office or warehouse
• A solid driving policy with clear rules on what is allowed and what isn’t, backed up by the soft power of integrated vehicle tracking and dashcam systems

Fleets installing in-cab cameras should follow the government’s CCTV workplace advice on ‘Data protection and your Business’.

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