DALLAS, Texas — Omnitracs announced today the launched of its Critical Event Video ­– a fully integrated in-cab video solution.

According to Omnitracs the CEV is a tool that can be used by fleets to improve driver training and mitigate liability risks associated with accidents and other critical events such as hard braking, hard stops, loss of stability control and improper following distance.

“Incorporating in-vehicle video into their company’s safety and risk management strategy is an important choice more and more of our customers are making,” said Drew Schimelpfenig, safety product management and integrations manager at Omnitracs. “We want to give those companies a fully integrated in-vehicle video solution that fits seamlessly within their day-to-day operations, and ensures that the culture of safety they’ve spent years building is well-defended and fully leveraged.”

Omnitracs research found that the Federal Highway Administration reports that fatal accidents involving trucks and passenger cars are more than three times as likely to result from the car driver’s behavior. However, when cases are litigated, the transportation company historically bears as much as 90% of the damages. Omnitracs says that Critical Event Video can provide irrefutable visual proof for fleet managers toward the exoneration of drivers in the litigation of critical events.

CEV is also fully integrated with with Omnitracs’ Critical Event Reporting (CER). This pairing matches front-facing and driver-facing (optional) video with factors such as hard braking, speeding, stability control, following time and collision warning/mitigation, as well as information about the time and location of the event and the truck’s actual speed. The driver-facing camera option automatically disengages through a unique integration with Omnitracs Hours of Service – allowing drivers to preserve their own privacy when not on duty.

After minutes of the triggered events, CEV allows companies to review high-quality video. CEV also comes with DVR functionality, so customers can also request video for specific dates and times to provide insights into driver behavior and assist during investigations into incidents that may have occurred without triggering a critical event.

“At Gypsum Express, our drivers make the difference and we believe in using all of the tools and technology at our disposal to enhance their jobs.  This provides us with the supporting evidence to understand what happened at a given encounter and either supports our driver’s actions, or gives us tools for ongoing training.  We believe in our drivers and believe in getting better every day,” said John Wight, owner Gypsum Express.  “Omnitracs’ Critical Event Video supports and enhances our central focus: providing exceptional safety and risk management.  We evaluated other solutions, but CEV was the best fit.”