How to Get Drivers to Accept Dash Cams: Fleet Managers Playbook

In today’s competitive industry, safety is one of the best ways to differentiate your fleet. Utilizing in-cab video telematics is one of the most effective methods to achieve that. But getting drivers to use dash cams can be challenging. Many commercial drivers feel they are intrusive, limit their independence, and/or think dash cams are only there to spy on them.

 

How to Get Driver Buy-In for Dash Cams

No fleet manager relishes the task of rolling out a new program that could prove unpopular. But when it comes to driver safety, there are many advantages you can draw on to help your staff understand the benefits.

Here are 8 tips for getting driver buy-in for dash cams:

 

1. Maintain Transparency

Building a strong foundation of trust between drivers and management is vital. Being open and honest about implementing new technology is key to drivers understanding the reasons for change.

Holding open meetings and Q&A sessions to explain your safety goals gives drivers a more active role in the fleet’s success and encourages participation.

 

2. Lead by Example

One way to achieve dash cam buy-in from drivers is to install devices in management vehicles to demonstrate top-down leadership. Once you’ve done this, follow up by selecting a small sample of popular drivers who are willing to drive with a dash cam. After a couple of weeks, have them share their experience to grow confidence within your driver community.

 

3. Ask for Driver Feedback

Getting drivers to use dash cams isn’t a one-time challenge. You’ll need to gather regular feedback to maintain commitment to continued use. Giving employees a voice and making their opinion feel valued boosts morale and job satisfaction. Plus, feedback helps you identify driver concerns and how to alleviate them.

 

4. Showcase Video Footage

Use actual video footage to show drivers how dash cams can benefit them. Examples of near misses or exonerating collision footage are the most likely to outweigh skepticism. Driver buy-in for dash cams is much higher once drivers realize the event recorder is there to protect them and their professional reputation, not just the company.

 

5. Create a Culture of Safety

The end goal of installing fleet dash cams is ultimately to help save lives. Being proactive in sharing this goal goes a long way to instill a culture of safety within the fleet, which leads to a higher level of compliance.

 

6. Explain the Technology

If drivers don’t understand the technology, you’re bound to encounter resistance. So, show them how it works. Explain they’re not being watched continuously and that only risky driving behaviors are flagged and escalated to fleet managers. Demonstrate how footage is accessed and who can access it, so the technology feels less intrusive.

 

7. Offer Incentives

Maximize driver buy-in for dash cams by incentivizing the process. Design a driver safety rewards system based on factors you want to improve (harsh braking, speeding, incomplete stops, unsafe following distances, etc.). Offer rewards like cash bonuses, gift cards, vouchers, awards, or branded merchandise for top-performing drivers to keep the team invested in continual improvement.

 

8. Commend Role Model Behavior

Don’t use dash cam footage simply to catch risky driving behaviors and point out things that went wrong. Identify instances where drivers performed above expectation or averted an incident or collision. Leverage that to increase driver buy-in for dash cams by openly giving praise and commendations.

 

Benefits of Dash Cams

When combined with driver coaching, dash cams help improve staff performance and safety across the board. But those aren’t the only benefits. Getting dash cam buy-in from drivers also help fleets to:

• Prevent insurance fraud – If a driver purposefully causes an accident to claim insurance money or benefits.
• Record off-road events – Identifying vandalism or damage that occurs while the driver is sleeping or away from the vehicle.
• Improve driver training – Using dash cam footage in training videos helps new recruits gain an in-cab perspective without actually having to be in the vehicle.

 

The Surfsight Dash Cam Difference

We have more than 20 years’ experience in fleet safety solutions. Over this time our systems have logged over 120 billion miles of driving data across many vehicle types and road conditions. This not only gives us a unique perspective, but a data set of this size informs and constantly retains our Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence (MV+AI) algorithm for improved accuracy.

Surfsight can identify up to 50 million risky behaviors in a single year with greater than 95% accuracy. This means drivers and fleet managers are only notified about the moments that truly matter. Inaccurate systems can produce false alerts that go ignored by drivers, negating the true benefits of a driver safety solution. It is this high level of accuracy that truly sets us apart.