Attached to the windscreen by adhesive pads and hardwired to each vehicle’s battery, the units record video footage but also monitor driving styles and speeds. The data, stored on a secure SD card, can be reviewed at any time, as and when required.
Commenting on the partnership, Auto Windscreens’ managing director, Chris Thornton, said: ‘Driving standards are essential to any fleet and our investment in SmartWitness cameras is part of our commitment to promote better driving behaviours among our technicians. It will also help to safeguard them in the event of an accident that is not their fault and identify if any retraining is needed.’
The primary reason behind creating the cameras used by Auto Windscreens is to provide evidence when road traffic incidents occur, meaning false claims can be avoided and proof can be provided where no witnesses are present. It has also developed into a training tool, since video footage from the camera can be used by fleet managers to see their drivers’ behaviour on the road, helping them to quickly establish whether any improvements are required.
‘We’ve already received very positive feedback from our drivers as they feel the cameras offer reassurance, eliminating the potential for them to be falsely accused of causing a crash and driving recklessly,’ added Thornton.
Part of a wider fleet operating strategy giving a comprehensive activity overview, the SmartWitness technology complements the Ctrack vehicle tracking solution installed last year into all Auto Windscreens’ vehicles to reduce overheads such as fuel consumption, whilst boosting the utilisation of mobile technicians in the field.