Did you know that using dash cams to coach new and existing drivers is one of the most influential and prominent ways to improve safety on the road? As a business owner, it's impossible to be everywhere to monitor every aspect of your business unless you have software and tools like dash cams to help. When it comes to coaching drivers there is simply no better way to provide constructive feedback than with video footage from the driver's personal performance.
According to the NHTSA, 3,142 lives were claimed in 2020 alone due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is anything that can take your total concentration from the road; typically, this is a text, changing the radio, or reaching into the backseat to grab something. Let's face it, whether you're a seasoned driver or have been driving for years, the stats regarding distracted drivers are shocking throughout the US.
If the fatalities aren't shocking enough, did you know that taking your eyes off the road to "quickly" read a text or, worse still, respond to one is the same as 5 seconds of driving with your eyes closed? At 55mph, that's the equivalent length of an entire football field.
So how can we reduce these figures and stop such road incidents? While in the future, driving automation and self-driving cars aim to eliminate human error in driving altogether, we need to explore methods we can implement immediately. So how can you, as a business owner with the need to also act as driving coach, make roads safer right now?
Enter - Dash cams. Dash cams are incredibly effective in improving traffic awareness and road safety. The benefits of dash cams are abundant, from incident reporting to proof of driver behavior and using the footage for training purposes. Let's dive in and explore how dash cams will help boost traffic awareness.
One of the dash cams' most strikingly beneficial features is proof of the incident. Dash cams are a valuable tool for insurance claims and who's at fault for a traffic incident. After all, the video doesn't lie. Video from a dash cam can help claims processes and save thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Footage from dash cams can also be used to highlight examples of good and bad driving for practical and proactive driver training. For instance, you will be able to show new drivers models of good, safe driving from the driver's perspective, making the learning experience much more relatable for the driver.
Any wrong decisions caught on dash cam footage that lead to an accident, whether minor or severe, can be shown to new drivers to see firsthand how crucial being alert is when behind the wheel. This video training is practical for fresh drivers and motorists who have had years of experience and may have become complacent.
Distracted driving led to over 3,000 fatal traffic incidents in the US alone in 2020, a shocking stat, considering how easily such incidents are avoided. Video footage can highlight moments of distraction and how consequential concentration lapses can be.
When a driver can sit down and look at the footage and see the errors in their driving, it makes them much more aware and engaged with how they drive, allowing them to see how risky bad decisions are. This often leads to drivers making better decisions and an attitude of "better not check my phone, I'll wait." For example, the footage shows where a driver may have been texting or switching songs on the phone.
For any driver, no matter how experienced, knowing that everything they do on the road will be recorded is an incentive to make better decisions and drive with more caution overall. Instead of an attitude of "I've been driving for years, I know how to read a text while I'm driving," dash cams can put drivers off taking such risks and default to much safer driving.
Analyzing driver behavior is a highly effective way for new drivers and those needing a refresher course who have been penalized for dangerous driving. Imagine if all of these drivers had POV footage of their driving, which you could sit down with them to analyze. Amazing right?
Video analysis is standard in many sports and is easily applied to everyday driving. Going through footage is one of the most constructive ways to learn and improve any skill, as you can show drivers where they could have made better decisions, revisit bad moments and highlight safe parts of their driving which can be replicated.
We can also use video footage with the local community and government bodies. Local councils and governments responsible for signage, road layouts, road maintenance, and safe roads for their citizens will massively benefit from video footage.
For example, suppose you're a coach who's been analyzing driver's footage for months and noticing a particular part of a road that presents an issue. In that case, you can take the footage to a government representative and prompt them to take action. You are making it a safer area for drivers and pedestrians alike.
For example, this could be a corner close to the town center, where pedestrians unknowingly always step into the road. Or it could be a side road without signage or a section of a residential street with a high-speed limit. The footage highlights how much of a threat this poses to drivers and pedestrians. So taking the footage to the government representative can mean new signage, reduced speed limits, and even road layout changes.
Without this video proof, it not only slows the process of change but lacks the evidence needed to prompt action. Essentially video footage highlighting dangerous areas hastens the process of designing safer roads and installing appropriate signage in towns across your state and the rest of the country.
Using video footage from dash cams alongside safety report cards is a fantastic way to incentivize safer driving. For example, if you're a driver, sat behind the wheel knowing every decision you make is recorded and reported to your boss or government, will that alone prompt better decisions? Of course, it will.
On top of that, what if businesses and departments incentivized safe driving? For example, if your boss offered a free lunch, gift cards, or even monetary bonuses if you meet a certain level of safe driving each month? Creating healthy competition between drivers promotes safe driving culture and significantly reduces risk-taking.
If you have a team of drivers or are responsible for coaching new ones, why not start using dash cams to incentivize safe driving? Please choose from our wide range of modern dash cams and take your fleet safety seriously. Provide each fleet member a safety report card and whoever scores the highest on the team wins a meal out or a gift card prize.
Dash cams are not simply a way to catch poor driving or to gather shocking driving moments to scare people; they are a constructive tool for promoting safe driving and increasing traffic awareness.
Using dash cams makes the driver more aware because they know they are being filmed, and anything that happens on the road is recorded. Dash cam technology can also be used to offer safe driving incentives.
For example, any business that uses a fleet or team of drivers can offer incentives for safe driving habits, as proven by dash cam video. In terms of training, dash cam footage of excellent and poor driving helps show new and existing drivers the right and wrong way to handle different road situations.
If you need help regarding your dash cams for your business, please get in touch with us today or check out our dash cams page to discover which dash cam is right for you. We look forward to hearing from you and can't wait to see how our dash cams can make your drivers safer on the road.
A video at the right time and place can mean a nice increase in monthly revenue. Learn more about Linxup Dash Cams here.
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