8 Ways A Dual DashCam Benefits Your Fleet – Matrack Insights
Dashcams and their manifold benefits have become an integral part of automobiles. Dashcams have proven beneficial due to their versatility, whether used for personal or professional purposes. The functionality of a camera in a vehicle restricted only to a tiny camera earlier fixed in the rear for parking assistance has diversified manifolds. The next stage of evolution was the dashcam, which revolutionized the usage of cameras in daily commutes.
Initially, dashcams were used to monitor the road and traffic conditions and proved useful in case of accidental claims. The introduction of dual-camera dashcams in vehicles to monitor the interior of the cabin and the road outside simultaneously proved beneficial to fleet operators in particular. In many instances, there have been disputes regarding the erring party in case of accidents. The dual camera system has brought about a significant change in such disputes.
What Features Must A Dual Camera Dashcam Have?
Before diving into the benefits of using a Dual Camera Dashcam, let us go through some essential features required in a dashcam.
Loop recording: This is when the camera records continually and endlessly in loops. A microSD card is needed to store the recordings. The earliest recordings begin to be overwritten once the card memory is replete, and so on.
Storage capacity: Compared to a mobile phone or digital camera, where the microSD card may never reach its total capacity, dashcams do not have such limitations. The dashcam starts recording once your ignition is on. The recordings are retrieved only on a need basis resulting in the memory card filling up to its capacity. It is necessary to use high-endurance cards for better storage capacity and heavy dashcam usage. Alternatively, you can even go for dual camera dash cams with cloud or local storage.
HD Resolution: For a good resolution, the standard followed is a dashcam with a resolution of 1080p with a frame rate of 30fps.
Line of vision: It is essential to have a clear view of the road ahead. The field of view will be greater as a result of broader lenses. Contemporary HD dashcams have wide angles between 120° to 140° This range should be wide enough to capture incidents to the side without distortions.
Categories of Dashcams
Dashcams & cams are available with varying features, depending on your requirement. Dashcams are categorized as follows
Front-facing dashcam: This is the most basic dashcam that is either mounted on the windshield or sits on the dashboard. These dashcams perform the functions of recording the road ahead when the car starts. They provide decent quality footage that is helpful for insurance claims and producing to law enforcement officials on demand.
External cameras: A multi-camera system combines rear-facing (or rear dashcam) and side exterior cameras to provide a 360-degree view of the vehicle. It also includes cameras mounted on the exterior of the vehicle. For removing blind spots and inspecting sideswipe accidents, backup cameras, or rear cameras are helpful.
Advanced dashcams: They are available with features like GPS, audio recording, accelerometers, speed sensors, and UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) The built-in GPS receiver gives a video overview of the precise location of your vehicle in case of an accident. The accelerometers and speed sensors capture your vehicle speed at the time of an accident or change in acceleration that may have occurred if you collided with another car. The UPS feature continues to record even if the power in the car fails.
What is a dual-camera dashcam?
Dual-facing dash cams, dual-lens dashcams, or simply dual dashcams are terms for dash cameras that record both the road ahead and the driver inside the car. Most other dashcam models only have a front or internal camera, which can only record the road conditions just before an accident. A dual dashcam provides total visibility by filming the drivers too, which helps to curtail high-risk conduct and provides additional evidence as proof to clear drivers in accidents where they were not at fault.
The Matrack AI-powered dashcam is a very compelling product in the space of dual-camera dashcams. The dashcam gives the most comprehensive remote visual of the truck and ensures the highest safety for your fleet. Matrack caters to a wide range of on-road solutions for fleet and personal use. The AI-enabled dash cams are one such world-class offering. The dual camera dash cams are 1080p resolution, with 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS wireless connectivity.
The instant collision alert detects any obstacles in advance and issues warnings to the drivers. D.U.I (Drive Under Influence) is a critical feature that notifies the drivers not to drive when driving under alcohol influence is detected. Instant alerts are issued when drivers text or use their phones while driving.
The Matrack dual-camera dash cams for commercial fleets have life-saving functions like driver monitoring. This feature captures images and video footage and sends alerts to the driver if found drowsy or distracted. The AI-enabled dash cam alerts the driver when vehicles change lanes without the lane change indicator.
Benefits of Dual Camera Dash Cams
A dashcam fulfills the purpose of recording events and happenings on the road and outside the vehicle. The introduction of dual dash cams added value like real-time recordings done outside the vehicle and inside the cabin at the same time. The benefits of using dual dash cams are manifold and outlined herewith.
Monitor driver habits
Driving on long stretches of isolated highways has its challenges. The likelihood of drivers erring is very high on these routes. A dual dashcam is very useful in such situations, which can monitor driver behavior inside the cabin while monitoring the road conditions parallelly. When drivers are conscious of being watched on duty, they drive more cautiously. Additionally, the in-cabin recordings help detect harsh driving, braking, and sharp turns leading to accidents.
The dashcam recordings also play a pivotal role in understanding the drivers’ psyche by tracking their driving habits, like hours spent on the mobile phone, smoking, or even drinking. Additionally, it aids in a better understanding of the stress and fatigue levels of your driver. All the footage captured has a date and time stamp, thereby authenticating the events as they happened. It gives you a birds-eye view of all the happenings inside the cabin of your truck, thereby allowing you to manage the risks proactively. Moreover, these recordings help facilitate the necessary changes to make lives easier for both the employer and the employee.
Tracking Real-time location
Real-time tracking of drivers and vehicles is possible using the inbuilt g-sensor of the camera. The g-sensor or gravity sensor is a sensor that registers vibrations in the dashcam. In other words, the dashcam will identify any abrupt changes in direction.
The dashcam will record a file that cannot be deleted in the event of an accident, and the g-sensor will transmit a notification in that instance. Real-time tracking enables fleet managers to help drivers during accidents. There is no need to manually remove the memory card from the vehicle because the dual-facing dash camera sends the video directly to the cloud. For up to 10 days, fleet administrators can access and recover personalized footage from a specific day and time.
Mitigate false claims
There is a widespread belief that the truck driver is typically at fault in truck accidents. This belief is not always true, as accidents are caused due to varying factors and not just by the truck driver. This problem has been largely resolved, since the introduction of dashcams in trucks. However, in cases of a crash with no witnesses, it is difficult to prove that it is not your driver’s fault. The dual-camera dashcam comes in handy in this situation as it captures the exterior and interior of the vehicle simultaneously at the time of the collision.
When used in conjunction, with a powerful GPS tracking system, you can also determine whether your driver was speeding, braking suddenly, or engaging in any other risky driving practices. Dual-camera dashcams are a defense against unfounded claims that your employee was texting or otherwise inattentive during an accident. The video footage will prove your drivers’ innocence if they are charged with jumping a red light & also refute claims of overspeeding.
Insurance benefits
Having a dual-camera dashcam is an influencing factor on how an insurance company would perceive your fleet. It is a deciding factor in claims procedure and coverage options. Since the video footage is available on call for backing up any claim, the insurance company is at ease during negotiations and settlement of claims.
In many instances, there has been unethical crash for cash scams, where accidents are caused deliberately with the intent to claim false insurance. A functional dual-camera dashcam along with a GPS Tracking System will provide the necessary evidence while disputing such claims. Another factor influencing insurance coverage is the issuance of citations for traffic violations. Issuance of tickets in terms of volume or gravity to your fleet, not reflecting the true story can hurt your business. This could be in the form of higher premium demands or insurance companies finding your line of work risky to insure.
As insurance firms are currently focusing on preventing insurance fraud, having trustworthy films of driving occurrences can make all the difference. A dual-camera dashcam of repute will cover all the necessary points from an insurance viewpoint. Dashcams can aid in the resolution of claims, albeit you won’t see a reduction in your premiums. Dashcams can be used to resolve any disputes about who was at fault. You can maintain a spotless driving record and keep your premium low by avoiding at-fault claims.
Assists in driver appraisal
A dual-facing dash cam system that records good driving habits gives your drivers confidence that the business recognizes and values their commitment to developing their abilities. Long-term safety compliance is assured by providing incentives and prizes like a cash bonus, gift card, and public acknowledgment (an achievement award or mention in a corporate newsletter). Nice reinforcement techniques help create a positive work environment where drivers feel appreciated for their efforts and fleet management can see that their drivers are improving.
Improving company safety policy
Using a dual-camera dashcam will help fleet and safety management better understand the performance of their drivers. Managers can contextualize specific driving habits using the acquired data to customize their coaching according to individual requirements. Additionally, this information can enhance vehicle maintenance, reducing the likelihood of costly breakdowns and roadside assistance. These advantages of dual-facing dash cams lay the groundwork for a strong safety program at your business.
Prevention of thefts
One extremely significant benefit provided by dual-camera dashcams is the prevention of thefts. The most popular dual-facing cameras are 4G connected, allowing fleet administrators to access the video from any device. The accelerometer and g-sensor employ sophisticated algorithms to recognize collisions and other jarring events. If robbers try to steal the car, this works well because fleet vehicles often have sophisticated systems installed, and thieves are interested in them because they can usually sell them for a substantial profit.
When someone tries to break in or tamper with the vehicle, the dual-facing fleet dash camera alerts fleet managers as it detects an impact. Instead of turning off when not in use, the camera enters sleep mode. For instance, if motorists stop their car at a rest area and robbers try to take it when the motorists aren’t looking, Quick notification by connected dashcams enables fleet administrators to stay in contact with drivers, mitigate thefts and address unforeseen issues.
Integration with technology
The most recent generation of dual-cam drive recorders goes beyond simple video recording, enhancing the record with information from the vehicle’s CAN (controller area network) bus and position and driving data. These features allow for various efficiency gains. For instance, fleet managers can adjust routes to avoid congested highways in real-time using driving recorders with GPS.
Data such as engine idle time, fuel consumption, brake usage, average speed, and total distance traveled may all be readily obtained from the engine management system thanks to CAN bus connectivity. In addition to highlighting drivers who frequently go over the posted speed limits, this data helps to reveal information about the performance of the vehicle, the condition of the roads, and other factors that may reduce overall efficiency for time-sensitive delivery and haulage operations.
In addition to highlighting drivers who frequently go over the posted speed limits, this data can reveal information about the performance of the vehicle, the condition of the roads, and other factors that may reduce overall efficiency for time-sensitive delivery and haulage operations.
Achieving optimal fuel efficiency might result in significant cost savings for operators. Maintaining ideal driving speeds and ensuring tires are inflated to the correct pressure can cut fuel costs dramatically. Data insights into vehicle optimization and driver training can lower operating costs across big haulage or passenger vehicle fleets.
Conclusion
The purpose of dual-camera dashcams is to protect and enhance the performance of your drivers. Your team will be more receptive to the cams’ presence if you demonstrate the benefits offered by the dual dashcams. The benefits of dual-camera dash cams will go a long way in creating a bond of mutual trust between drivers and employers.