What is the Future of Dashcams in Trucking?
Dashcams are becoming more and more popular in both passenger vehicles and in big rigs. For those commercial vehicles, they usually have multiple cameras – including those that face forward, backward, and show the driver. In part these are to protect the trucking company; if the driver falls asleep or is texting while driving the liability shifts. But they’re also helpful to show all of what’s going on, and we don’t really have to rely on witness testimony as much anymore.
While the footage is crucial in investigations and litigations, these cameras aren’t required under federal trucking laws. Currently only about 50% of commercial vehicles have cameras, and while British Columbia is pushing to make them mandatory, is this going to happen the USA? The Car Crash Captain, who serves truck wreck victims in Richardson, Dallas, Frisco, and the surrounding areas, looks into it.
Are Dashcams Required in US Commercial Vehicles?
There are two sets of laws we have to look into here. First, there are the federal laws put out by the FMCSA; these are the ones that regulate hours of service, safety technology, and more (currently they don’t regulate or mandate dashcams). There are also state laws that must be followed. In theory, individual states could start to require dashcams in commercial vehicles, but currently they have placement and privacy rules that vary depending on which state you’re in.
Will Dashcams become Mandatory?
International requirements often flow through the borders. Since British Columbia is considering a law that will require dashcams in commercial vehicles, and to have them recording whenever the vehicle is being driven, there’s a good chance that the US will follow suit.
This isn’t, however, always the case. There are plenty of motor vehicle laws in other countries that might be a good idea here, but they haven’t been adopted. However, when it’s something as straightforward as dashcams, which don’t limit personal freedoms, it’s more likely this law will make its way to the USA.
And for good reason. Safety experts have demonstrated that accountability increases and investigations go faster when video evidence is available. Because the cameras protect both the truck drivers, the trucking companies, and the passenger vehicles, it’s largely seen as a good thing to have cameras operating when you’re on the road.
What do Federal Agencies Say about Video Technology?
The FMCSA doesn’t require dashcams, but it does accept them as video evidence in their Crash Preventability Determination Program. This program allows carrier to submit dashcam footage (as well as other evidence) to challenge crash findings.
Even though they’re not required, the video footage is officially recognized as valuable safety documentation. And even if dashcams don’t become mandatory, this strongly encourages drivers to have cameras to ensure their own safety.
Is a Driver Required to Turn Over Footage After a Wreck?
Like most things, you don’t have to incriminate yourself. If you are a truck driver, and you messed up, and the video footage shows that you’re at fault, you don’t have to voluntarily turn over the footage.
However, dashcam video is called discoverable evidence. This means that it must be provided once legally requested and is considered relevant to the crash. If involved in a wreck, and the footage is deleted or overwritten, it can be challenged and viewed as spoliation of evidence – essentially this is casting a whole lot of doubt and suspicion, as why else would someone delete footage if they weren’t guilty?
Video Footage is Great Evidence
We’re in a digital video world. It’s incredibly easy to put cameras in vehicles, and many areas within cities are constantly being monitored by the city’s own cameras. This creates multiple angles and accounts for the crash, and it creates a bunch of evidence that is hard to counter against.
If there are ten videos, all from different cameras, that show the accident, it’s a lot easier to figure out just what happened and who was at fault.
Herbert Law Group Helps Truck Accident Victims
Of course, if you’ve been injured, or a loved one was killed, in a truck crash, what you’re concerned with is healing. All of this about if dashcams become mandatory, evidence, and truck wreck reconstruction is something that you don’t want to deal with.
And you don’t have to.
Herbert Law Group has handled a lot of these cases from our Richardson, Texas offices, and we know exactly what to look for and what to do after a truck wreck so you can find the peace and justice that you need.
It all starts with a free conversation to figure out what happened and to determine how we can help. Call our offices at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll get the ball rolling.