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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Dennis Yang

Thu, May 26th 2005 12:12am





Video Recorder Keeps Tabs On Fleet Drivers

from the big-brother-is-watching dept

A little like the automotive black boxes that we saw a few years ago, DriveCam is a new "driver behavior management system" that installs a small video recorder behind the rear-view mirror for fleet drivers. The recorder is constantly recording; it saves the footage whenever it senses an accident, sudden stop, or otherwise dangerous driving manuver. The idea here is to enable companies with a fleet of vehicles to monitor their drivers more closely with the hopes of reducing the number and severity of accidents while in a company vehicle. Why can't employers trust their employees? Studies show that the more you trust your employees, the more productive they are. By putting these cameras in employee vehicles, they put undue emphasis on how smoothly (and slowly) they drive instead of how well they do their actual jobs.

4 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Do a search on "noseatbelt.avi"

    identicon
    Dave Griffith, May 26th, 2005 @ 12:19am

    Do a google search on "noseatbelt.avi" - it gives a view from one of these cameras of some tired person having a rollover accident after dropping off to sleep at the wheel.
    Good for emphasising the point of having to wear a seatbelt, but I can't help but notice that when he realises he's having an accident, he still tries to correct it one handed! It'd be both hands white-knuckle time on the steering wheel for me.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Re: Do a search on

    identicon
    dennis, May 26th, 2005 @ 12:33am

    sounds like he needs IBM's Virtual Passenger -- the Virtual Passenger detects if you're falling asleep and tries to keep you awake by rolling down the windows, telling you jokes, and squirting the driver with water...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Counterproductive for sure...

    identicon
    Brian, May 26th, 2005 @ 9:44am

    Who would want to work for an employer who insisted on watching you every single second of the work day? The net effect of implementing this kind of technology is that your very best people -- who have the pick of the litter in terms of job openings -- are going to work elsewhere. Then you'll be stuck with the second- and third-rate employees who won't be productive no matter how much you watch them.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    But does it work?

    identicon
    Anonymous of Course, May 26th, 2005 @ 10:43am

    The noseatbelt.avi guy seems to indicate that continuous surveillance doesn't work. He was driving with one arm over the passenger seat back and when he was too tired to stay awake. The camera probably had some effect when it was first installed but over time it became familiar. I'm guessing there was no periodic feedback to tell him that the records were reviewed, maybe they're not except after an accident. A lot of data is collected these days that isn't utilized effectively except in assessing blame or guilt.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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