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ATRI Wants Motor Carriers for Driver-Facing Camera Study

In this new study, the American Transportation Research Institute will explore how driver-facing cameras can impact safety and operational metrics in trucking fleets.

Deborah Lockridge
Deborah LockridgeEditor and Associate Publisher
Read Deborah's Posts
June 17, 2026
Illustration of inside truck cab with dashcam on window, definition of research, and ATRI logo

The new study is a follow-up to a research report on in-cab cameras released in 2023.

Credit:

HDT Graphic/ATRI

2 min to read


As in-cab cameras continue to become more prevalent in trucking, the American Transportation Research Institute is looking for motor carriers to participate in a study on driver-facing cameras.

Fleets are increasingly adopting in-cab monitoring systems alongside other safety technologies, noted the group, which is the research arm of the American Trucking Associations.

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Do Truck Drivers Trust Driver-Facing Cameras?

ATRI previously conducted research examining drivers' perspectives on these systems, with a specific focus on DFCs.

In its 2023 report, “Issues and Opportunities with Driver-Facing Cameras,” ATRI found trucking companies weren’t using driver-facing cameras for reasons such as:

  • Driver privacy issues/concerns.
  • Confusion over video use, personal access and recording models.
  • Concern the systems will magnify truck driver negligence.
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This new study builds upon that work, collecting before-and-after safety metrics to identify any statistical relationships between deployment of in-cab monitoring systems and improvements in safety outcomes.

Growing Acceptance of In-Cab Cameras

Since then, anecdotal evidence appears to indicate a growing acceptance of these cameras, especially in an increasingly litigious environment.

The HDT/Work Truck 2025 safety survey found dual-facing dashcams were gaining traction among fleets.

And in 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gave trucking companies one more reason to use in-cab cameras – allowing them to be used in a catch-all category to remove non-preventable crashes from their federal safety scores.

Driver-Facing Cameras and Safety

In this new study, ATRI will examine how driver-facing cameras can impact safety and operational metrics.

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The research will also map specific carrier and driver strategies for managing in-cab data that improve safety outcomes.

Motor carriers are invited to participate in the study, Safety Impacts of In-Cab Monitoring, by Friday, July 24, 2026. Data can be submitted online or by PDF at this link. All data will remain confidential and published only in an aggregate format.

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