Cab-Mounted Cameras Are Cousins of the 'Black Box'

June 8, 1999 9:24 AM, EDT

When you're the driver of the big rig, it isn't easy to convince a jury that the accident wasn't your fault. But what if you had undeniable evidence that the four-wheeler cut you off and then slammed on his brakes right in front of you?

At least two companies are developing video cameras that they say would give trucking companies the evidence to support their courtroom arguments.

Evicam International and re Loss Management Services each claim that mounting their cameras on trucks will reduce fraudulent claims, lower insurance costs and create better truck drivers too.

The products are very similar and are based on the same general concept: By placing a camera in the cab, you get a driver's eye view of exactly what happened.

"The benefits are that a trucking company and/or the insurance company depending upon whether the trucker is self-insured will have an actual record of any accident exactly as it occurred," said R. Jeffrey Scaman, the chief executive officer of Denver-based Evicam, which stands for evidence camera. "That will fight fraudulent claims and vindicate their drivers if they weren't at fault."

For the full story, see the June 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.