Dive Brief:
- The American Transportation Research Institute is seeking input from carriers to assess how driver-facing cameras can “positively impact safety and operational metrics,” the organization announced June 17.
- ATRI said carriers can submit information through its online form until July 24. Its latest research project follows a 2022 study that collected data to better understand drivers' perspectives on the technology.
- “The research will also map specific carrier and driver strategies for managing in-cab data that improve safety outcomes,” ATRI said, the research group affiliated with the American Trucking Associations.
Dive Insight:
Carriers and trucking groups are divided on the use of driver-facing cameras. But in an April 2023 ATRI report, the organization noted driver approval ratings can change over time and significantly increase when carriers emphasize preventative safety and educational efforts.
Companies including J.B. Hunt Transport Services and C.R. England have adopted the technology to address distracted driving and other safety issues, including the use of safety belts. In J.B. Hunt's case, the carrier noted a 20% reduction in costs associated with claims involving trucks equipped with the technology.
However, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has opposed driver-facing cameras, noting privacy and equity concerns.
In its 2023 report, ATRI noted that in-cab technologies were “becoming increasingly commonplace, with an emphasis on promoting safety,” though most of the monitoring hardware looked outward rather than facing the driver. The report also cited privacy concerns as one reason drivers were apprehensive about using inward-facing cameras.
But now, ATRI said fleets are increasingly adopting in-cab monitoring systems alongside other core safety technologies.
The goal of ATRI’s latest research project is to collect “before and after safety metrics to identify any statistical relationships between deployment of in-cab monitoring systems and improvements in safety outcomes,” the group said.
