Dash cams are undeniably a hot trend. It seems that everywhere you look, there’s another vehicle with a camera mount recording everything that’s happening in front of its windshield. Why are they becoming so common?

In fact, there are many ways that dash cams can help your trucking business stay safe on the road and boost your bottom line.

If you’re asking yourself “Should I get a dash cam?”, these three key benefits of dash cam technology could help you decide if a dash cam is right for you.

1. Protection from being found at-fault for accidents

Currently, most truckers are using dash cam technology to protect themselves in the event of an accident, as well as to clear up any misunderstandings with law enforcement or the Department of Transportation.

Even though passenger vehicles represent nearly 85% of at-fault responsibility in truck-passenger collisions, commercial drivers are more likely to take the blame. Using a semi-truck dash cam can help reverse this trend by providing an unbiased visual account of the events. It’s much easier to prove and assign fault to the correct party with the availability of recorded video evidence.

2. Coaching truckers on safe driving techniques

Dash cam technology can be used to coach drivers on safe driving practices by capturing real life incidents and driving behaviors on video. These videos can be used to help drivers recognize and avoid risky situations and driving habits.

“There has never been a more effective coaching tool created for truckers than the dash cam,” says Rishi Arora, Product Development Manager at Progressive. “It’s so exciting because the technology can be used both as a coaching tool and to incentivize truck driver safety.”

It’s true that many events recorded by a dash cam are positive events. It records both good and bad outcomes and creates context about them, shining a light on safe drivers and recording their actions when they’re at their best.

3. Faster insurance claims and lower costs

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that the average commercial truck accident costs $91,000. By partnering with KeepTruckin, a national leader in fleet management and truck dash cam technology, Progressive Commercial is working to lower claims costs and reduce the time it takes to resolve claims. This has real-world benefits, not only to Progressive customers, but to almost everyone on the road.

“We can handle claims more accurately because we have a more accurate description of the event,” says Arora. “With a dash cam, things are pretty black and white.”

The stream of information from dash cams includes both the video of the event and any electronic sensor data from the dash cam itself. Depending on your particular model, several types of electronic data can be recorded and stored for later use.

Many dash cams record speed, location, hard stopping and change-in-direction data. Some can even upload the data to remote cloud servers in the event of an accident. “The more we know about the accident and the events leading up to a claim, the faster we’ll be able to resolve that claim. Dash cams are one of the best ways we have to get that info,” added Arora.

How Progressive is using dash cams to benefit customers

One of the main ways dash cam technology can improve your bottom line is by helping heavy truck insurers, like Progressive Commercial, reimagine the way they offer products and services to their customers, including more personalized pricing and reduced claim time.

Through a partnership with KeepTruckin, Progressive has created a pilot program that uses KeepTruckin’s dash cam platform to monitor and analyze how this technology can help reduce the time and cost associated with insurance claims.

What does the future hold for dash cams?

With the advent of artificial intelligence, the notion of a truck dash cam that only records the road in front of the driver will soon be out of date. Dual-facing smart dash cams (ones that record both out the front of the cab and into the cab itself) will be able to give real-time feedback and deliver active safety measures.

Dash cams have the potential to become a powerful driver assistance tool if a trucker gets into a dangerous situation. This technology is similar to the high-tech methods currently being used in Teslas and other cutting-edge vehicles.

Dash cams are here to stay. Now is the time to put them to work and start saving time, money and resources for your trucking business.