Should large trucks have in-cab cameras?

There are so many tractor trailers on the Texas roadways, you may take their presence for granted. When you see a traffic situation ahead and a large truck behind you, or you notice a trailer beside you swaying, you may begin to question how safe they really are. According to Trucking Info, if there is a camera in the cab of that commercial vehicle, you may have less cause to worry.

Some of the technology that has been developed so far protects you on the road by identifying trucker activities, analyzing them and alerting the company to issues that could predict crashes. While this could include distractions, it may also detect operator responses to road and traffic conditions, and indicate when he or she requires further training.

Even if the truck beside you has a camera inside, the driver is not necessarily being monitored. In some cases, systems are triggered by an event. So, if the truck has to brake suddenly to avoid hitting you, that will be recorded, saved and examined by the company, whether or not a collision occurred. However, other systems may be installed that allow the video to be viewed in real time via a streaming camera, with the recording sent to the cloud and accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone.

It may be natural for some truckers to feel resistant to the idea of having all their actions recorded while on the job, but research indicates that the risk of a truck crash is lower for you and other passenger vehicle occupants.