Using dash cams or rear facing cameras whilst driving is now seen to be the norm by many, with a lot of insurers now asking whether camera footage will be available by default and offering discounted premiums if the answer is yes. The next step to a standalone dash or rear camera is a connected vehicle camera system, aimed at the fleet market to ensure protection and tracking of all vehicles on the system at all times.
Investing in a connected vehicle system sounds on the face of it like a great idea, especially if you operate a large fleet, as each vehicle will then be traceable and be recording footage at all times it is on the road. This means in theory that any insurer offering a premium for vehicles with dash cams should offer the same for those that operate under a connected camera system, as the same theory applies; if an incident occurs, it will be recorded and accessible to help establish the circumstances to sort the claim out quicker. However, you need to ensure that the system you sign up for meets a certain set of criteria before banking on any money saving on premiums.
What to Look for in a Good Connected Camera System
Remote connection
You want to be able to both view and download video footage remotely, without paying a huge amount extra for the privilege. If an incident occurs, you don’t want to be asking the driver to remember to take the memory card out of the camera or attend in person to retrieve it if the driver cannot – it needs to be accessible via a remote system that can be accessed at all times.
On this note, you also want live remote footage so you can see what’s happening with the vehicle at any one time. Not necessarily to check up on your drivers, but also if they break down and can’t contact base to inform you. Having this function should also mean you can locate the vehicle by GPS at any time.
Monitoring & Analysis
With each vehicle running it’s own monitoring at all times, the system you use should give you an overview for monitoring and analysis purposes which allows you to see if any vehicles are flagging with alerts, off the road, broken down etc. this will then allow you to face any crisis head on as well as flag any downtime due to malfunction or driver error.
This type of system should also flag if any specific vehicle is consistently causing alert flags, which can allow for deeper analysis to find and repair any faults or issues quickly.
Tracking
Nobody wants to feel like they’re being tracked but let’s face it, as a fleet manager you do need to have the facility to know where both your drivers and vehicles are at any point. A connected camera system will allow this to happen whilst keeping track of all the other day to day running of the business.
Will You Save Money Using a Connected Vehicle Camera System?
So, back to the original question – will using a connected camera system help to save money? The broad answer is yes – as long as you work with an insurer who will offer a discount to do so. Is it worth the investment? Again, yes, as long as you ensure that it meets all the criteria to streamline your fleet accordingly, and you use it daily.
