Truck Driver Safety: Why Every Trucker Needs a Dashcam

With all the accidents on the road, drivers need to protect themselves the best they can—and dash cams can help. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has long recommended all trucks be equipped with a camera. These days every trucker needs a dashcam, here’s why.

Legal protection

It’s an unfortunate fact of life, truckers are almost always assumed to be the wrongful driver in the event of an accident. Knowing a dashcam is actively recording can offer a truck driver peace of mind since the camera captures the moments leading up to an accident, the accident itself, and the aftermath. The recording is unequivocal proof that shows fault, enabling truckers to safeguard themselves and have objective evidence to back up their account of the incident.

For instance, if a passenger vehicle cuts you off causing your rig to slam into the car, your truck would technically have hit the car, placing fault on you instead of the other motorist. A video recording like this one can demonstrate a trucker’s innocence. Since these recordings are admissible in court as evidence, it saves you and/or your employer from suffering the legal consequences of misplaced blame.

Demonstrate proper driving

Older models of dashcams were only equipped to record objects or events in front of the truck, however, modern cameras have dual capability. These trucker dash cams enable video to be captured inside of the truck as well. Interior/exterior dash cams demonstrate drivers weren’t acting in an unsafe manner and can prove drivers are not guilty. They’ll show:

• Traffic laws were obeyed
• No reckless behavior took place
• Driver was alert 
• No distracted driving occurred

While drivers may perceive trucker dash cams as a violation of privacy, these days, all truckers should use one for their own protection. The tradeoffs are worth any hassles. A costly accident in Canada occurred after a wheel flew off a camper and rolled across the highway hitting a truck leading to $10,000 of damage. Instead of being blamed for the accident, thanks to the dashcam, the police not only cleared the truck driver of wrongdoing but caught the motorist who was at fault.

Protects job and finances

Trucker dash cams also can protect your wallet because they’ll capture any criminal or fraudulent behavior. As a driver, you won’t be held responsible by employers or insurance companies because the video shows all. Some charges you can shield yourself from include:

• Unauthorized use of vehicle/theft
• Another driver getting in front of a truck and slamming on the brakes with the intention to commit insurance fraud
• Losing money on legal expenses in the event of an accident
• Wasting hours fighting unnecessary court cases or wrongful license suspensions

With so many different types of trucker dash cams on the market, you have plenty of choices when it comes to features and budget. Modern dash cams are equipped with many options, including live video clips, sleep mode, and GPS tagging, all of which can be a lifesaver in the event evidence is needed to prove innocence. With a camera safely recording your activity, you can be rest assured your license and livelihood are safeguarded.

If you want to protect yourself to the fullest, invest in a trucker dash cam, it’s worth it.