Intelligent Driver Safety by Connecting your Cameras

We are certain that many readers will feel overwhelmed by the myriad of options available on the market. With the list of so many different features and add-ons, it is hard to tell what is the best combination for your fleet and might even put you off from even making the decision itself!

You may already have taken the decision regarding a dash camera for your business operations and if that is the case then your platform solution may well be already decided based on that choice but if you have yet to make the decision, take a moment of pause. At Daltec our advice is simple, ask yourself these two questions:

• Will the data that comes with cloud-connected dash camera technology be beneficial?
• Do SD card dash cameras offer enough for your fleet?

The Daltec team will help you find answers to these 2 important questions:

SD Dash Cameras and SD Dash Camera Functionality

SD card dash cameras offer simple recording functionality without a lot of additional bells and whistles. These devices are easily accessible with many different off-the-shelf brands available for purchase at most major electronic retailers. They also tend to be less expensive and are usually easy to install by attaching directly to your vehicle dashboard without a lot of additional wiring required.

Once the dash cam is powered up, it begins recording on the assigned SD card. The recording length will depend on the memory capacity of the device’s SD card, and once the memory card has reached capacity, it will re-record over existing footage. In order to retrieve the desired footage, one simply needs to remove the SD card from the device and download the footage manually on their computer.

SD card cameras offer a certain ease of use for businesses through the simplicity of their installation, lack of data management needs, and budget-friendly price tag. However, there are a few additional aspects to consider in determining if this is the right option for your fleet. Here are some examples:

• SD card camera functionality often supports owner-operators or very small fleets that will only be travelling short distances. This is mainly due to the recording capabilities of the device but do you want the additional effort to access the data?

• If an event of interest is recorded early on in a trip, a vehicle travelling a great distance before stopping will run the risk of losing the footage through re-recording over the local SD card storage before being able to download the incident. Another factor is the retrieval of key data and footage runs the risk of having the SD card being lost or damaged, or having a significant delay before being able to download the footage. This could be more damaging to fleets attempting to get ahead of the false claims cycle from a First Notice of Loss perspective.
• Taking careful consideration of your specific business goals for investing in this technology before purchasing their dash camera is advised.

Cloud-Connected Dash Cameras and their Functionality

If you find that you are looking for a more flexible solution and therefore more security for your fleet and your team than what is available on an SD card dash camera, a cloud-connected dash camera might be a good option for you. These devices such as our VF4000 DVR could be the solution you require. The installation is not typically very complicated but can be longer and may likely require support from an installation specialist due to additional wiring and vehicle configuration needs.

Unlike SD-based dash cameras that can require drivers to turn on the devices for recording, cloud-connected dash cameras automatically power on when the vehicle ignition is turned on to ensure all travel with the vehicle is recorded by the device.

Their recording capabilities also offer additional protection for fleets as they have the ability to record incidents that set off trigger settings within the camera and transmit the footage wirelessly or “over the cloud”. This footage can be delivered directly to the fleet manager’s computer or mobile device as the incident occurs in near-real-time for automatic viewing. This offers a number of benefits for fleets looking to dismiss false claims quickly, or for fleets looking to use driver footage to help improve overall fleet safety through video-led coaching practices.

Cloud-connected devices are typically recommended for businesses with fleets that spend more time on the road but in reality, this technology is beneficial for all fleets that are looking to save time and therefore money. The speed of notification capabilities and wireless transmission of data make these excellent options for fleets with insurance risk or security needs as the footage allows you to get real-time information about your assets.

Many cloud-connected devices come with an associated data package that allows you to view your video footage remotely, monitor the locations of your assets, and use the associated driver safety information to benefit your team. This can be achieved through a variety of coaching and dispatching practices.

Summary

Businesses may well be overwhelmed by the thought of having to manage large amounts of data on a daily basis. Many connected dash camera devices offer a variety of management platforms that allow you to access your team’s information in a way that best works for your business.

The Daltec team is always here to help answer questions and help you make an informed decision. We have flexible connected dash camera options that could be a good fit for your business.

Contact us today to learn more about our Cloud-Connected Platform and the associated dashcam portfolio that it supports. In the meantime take a look at the features our platform provides below and arrange an online demonstration.

Daltec Cloud-Connected Platform

Tracking Features:

• Visible tracking lines/routes
• Route playback (to visually display the route of the vehicle)
• Vehicle grouping (reduces on-screen clutter)
• Full telemetry list available to view and download including:
  • • Update time
    • Time data received

   

  • Vehicle active
  • Latitude, longitude, altitude
  • GSM accuracy
  • Vehicle speed
  • Road speed limit
  • Directional heading
  • Active hours

• Geofences can be set to alert when a vehicle travels in or out of a designated area
• The ‘Route’ option can be set to alert a user when a vehicle (like a bus) deviates from a very specific route which is drawn on the map.

Alerts:

• Alert types:
  • Impact
  • Harsh acceleration
  • Harsh braking
  • Harsh cornering
  • Enter/Exit Geofence
  • Ignition state
  • Speeding
  • Excessive idling

• Highly customizable alert triggers to activate (can be applied to any alert) when:
  • In a certain time range
  • A certain ignition state
  • Inside a specific geofence zone
  • Within or over a certain vehicle speed

• All alerts can be designated a High, Medium or Low priority alert level which in turn can be applied to a specific user(s) receiving email notifications of triggered events of a specified priority, within a time range specified for that user.

For example, fleet manager #1 can be notified day or night of an impact detected, whereas fleet manager #2 can be sent notifications of a vehicle speeding during work hours only.

• Alerts can have comments left on them and reply to between users
• All alerts can also have a video up to 60 seconds long automatically uploaded upon detection of any alert (conditions permitting) for any or all cameras specified.
• All alerts are displayed in several ways:
  • On the map specific to each vehicle
  • In the alert menu, which groups all alerts of that type across all vehicles (which are also grouped together based on map zoom level to decrease visual clutter).
  • As a list with a preview image (where video uploads are taking place) as a sub-menu within each specific vehicle details.

• These alerts can then be used to create a (customizable) Driver Rating display on a per-trip basis (a ‘trip’ is defined as the time the vehicle ignition is on).

For example, the driver rating can be set as 100 points initially, with each instance of speeding or harsh acceleration etc deducting a certain number of points. The remaining points are then displayed with a star rating (out of 5) while listing the penalties detected.

Videos:

• Videos can be automatically uploaded based on events such as g-sensor activation or entry/exit of a geofenced area
• Videos can also be requested for any point the vehicle was active
• The maximum video length that can be requested is 60 seconds.
• Live streaming of video is currently under development.
• All videos requested/uploaded are available/saved on the platform for 1 year
• Uploaded videos are available to download at any point

Reporting:

• Report types available:
  • Alerts/Events
  • Location
  • Driver ratings
  • Speeding
  • Vehicle ignition state
  • Vehicle stopping
  • Telemetry
  • Vehicle trips
  • Geofence
• Reports can be set to run automatically, as often as every hour on any combination of days.

These can also be set to be delivered via email at a set time/day for any number of users.

• Certain reports can be used to create an ‘Analytics graph’ which is basically a visual representation of the data in the form of a pie or bar chart. This can also be set across a relevant time frame (1 day/week/month) for a single vehicle or for multiple vehicles.

Other:

• The server is based in Ireland and complies with all EU regulations
• No mobile app is required. The website is fully functional on all modern web browsers, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
• Vehicles can be organized and segregated into Cost Centres (like depots or company locations) with certain users granted access to only specific Cost Centres.
• Vehicle map pin colour can be changed in order to easily determine a difference in vehicle type.

For example vehicles, up to 3.5 Tonne can be set to have a blue pin with vehicles above that weight set to green.