The road safety device supplier commissioned an in-depth survey of the readers of Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines to get their views on the reasons they use cameras and video technology on their fleets, how useful they are, and what they consider when they decide to invest.
A standout finding was that 59% of respondents said the fitment of camera systems/digital recording had reduced collisions or near misses. Nearly the same proportion, 55%, said it had improved driver behaviour.A total of 44% said safety technology had helped with insurance claims, highlighting the benefits of cameras in protecting their drivers from unjustified claims, including crash-for-cash scams.
Clients are also playing an increasing role in the adoption of this technology: 12% of respondents said cameras are a contractual requirement from a client, a 3% rise on 2020.
The survey revealed that one-fifth of operators have no plans to use road safety technology and the most common reason (44%) is that it is not seen as relevant to the operation.
However, changes to the Highway Code that came into effect in November, with further new guidance being added on 29th January, will increase the responsibility of commercial vehicle drivers, making it more important than ever before to be able to mitigate risk. The new hierarchy of road users means those who are most likely to be seriously harmed, such as pedestrians and cyclists, will have greater priority over other road users – with HGV drivers ranked lowest. This would mean they are more likely to shoulder the blame in an incident, and might be the reason for a higher proportion of smaller operators investing in safety.
Chris Hanson-Abbott OBE, chairman of Brigade Electronics, said: “As cameras on their own are a passive technology that does not alert the driver to take action, Brigade always recommends that they are combined with active technology such as sensor systems with driver alerts to reduce collisions.”
UPDATED: 1 February 2022: 348 people participated in the survey and 207 responded.