From revealing who’s at fault in a crash to helping identify risky driver behavior, dash cameras have proven to be valuable tools for motor carriers.
While most company drivers have become used to the idea of outward-facing cameras, particularly when those cameras can help exonerate them in case of an accident, driver-facing video is often viewed as an invasion of privacy.
During a webinar hosted by the Truckload Carriers Association, Michael Campos, vice president of data privacy, and Adam Khan, transportation technologist at Netradyne, shared their thoughts about driver privacy and AI fleet video.
Sophisticated Dash Cams
Since the first dash cams were created and implemented, the technology has grown by leaps and bounds. The result? Sophisticated systems that use AI to automatically activate recording when specific events, such as hard braking or an impact, are detected.
“One of the things we’re seeing is that there’s greater impact in terms of risk reduction because the systems are starting to almost ‘shadow’ the driver every minute of driving,” Khan said.
“Information is generated very quickly, and guidance and coaching and recognition are provided to the driver very quickly,” he continued. “The camera has a strong history of exonerating drivers during accidents.”
While touting the benefits of dash cameras, such as lowering distracted driving rates and increasing seat belt usage, Khan also stressed that driver privacy is paramount.
Driver Privacy
“People think about who’s looking at them: ‘Are you able to see my sleeper compartment?’” Campos said. “That’s one version of driver privacy. Then there are the legal terms and definitions. One data type that’s very commonly thrown around — and people don’t always know what it means — is biometrics.”
Biometric information is personal data related to a person’s unique physical, physiological or behavioral characteristics.
Drivers aren’t the only ones concerned with privacy and the data collected through AI devices. Legislation has been enacted in some states to limit the collection and use of information, particularly biometric data.
In 2008, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, also known as BIPA, went into effect. It covers both biometric identifiers and biometric information. A biometric identifier can include things like a retinal scan, fingerprints, voice prints and facial identification.
In addition to Illinois, both Texas and Washington currently have laws regarding biometrics, and a number of other states have adopted comprehensive privacy laws where biometrics is considered sensitive data.
According to Campos, in Illinois, the use of biometrics requires consent, or at least a written release.
“But if you’re going to tune in the visual login — if you turn the system that’s meant to authenticate who this driver is, uniquely identify them — then that might likely implicate the law,” Campos said. “But there’s arguments or situations where it doesn’t.”
Not all dash cams collect uniquely identifying characteristics; those that don’t should not be considered biometric devices.
Driver Consent
“Given the development and the history and the landscape, it’s helpful to get consents from drivers,” Campos said. “Be transparent about them, about what is going on.”
When it comes to driver privacy and data collection, a best practice is to gain drivers’ consent to gather specific data. Fleets typically have five or six different options of how to connect the driver to the information that’s being generated from the telematics system, from visual log ins to mobile applications.
Privacy guidelines and consent options can vary from state to state, which can seriously impact the use of data collected by AI. By not considering consent options ahead of time and planning the best routes, fleets can limit their revenue.
“There might be a great customer you want to service in Illinois or move some freight from Ohio to Iowa, which forces you to go through Illinois,” Khan said. “Knowing that some of these states are starting to have different views on privacy, one of the things you want to do is get in front of it.”
For instance, Khan said, he was recently told by a customer that they were suspending all routes through Illinois in order to avoid any complications. However, he said, the carrier quickly changed their mind.
“They came back and said, ‘No, that doesn’t make sense for us financially. Let’s do the right work to make sure that we’re not stepping into an argument that’s going to distract us from our goal,’” he shared.
Evolving Regulations
Because facial scans are often used to log in to safety systems, biometric laws may apply. It’s always best to acquire drivers’ consent.
Regulations concerning the collection and use of personal information and data will almost certainly continue to evolve and spread.
“They’ll also be regulating things like your email address and all sorts of other personal data,” Campos said. “The point is, this is a trend that’s increasing. It’s not decreasing.”
These changing laws will particularly impact the trucking industry as drivers travel from region to region, and it’s vital that carriers stay abreast of regulations.
“I guarantee that anything we know today will evolve into something else in the next six months, 18 months, 24 months,” Khan said. “I (recommend) taking the most cautious approach to avoid interruptions to your business.”
Fleets should also be mindful of the way they store collected data. Always find out how long you are either required or allowed to keep data.
Above all, Campos said, it’s important to only use personal data for its intended purpose as outlined to the drivers.
“Just use the data for the purpose you told them … and be very transparent about what you’re going to do with it,” he concluded.
This story originally appeared in the May/June 2025 print edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
