For years, the idea of installing cameras in commercial vehicles has generated predictable resistance. Fleet managers worry about a backlash and drivers worry about constant surveillance. Unions have raised concerns about privacy and abuse, as the technology is seen as a surveillance tool imposed by companies on their workers. But Aaron Jarvis, vice president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Geotab, one of the world’s largest telematics providers, said the push for in-car camera technology is increasingly coming from the drivers themselves.
Geotab sees a need for bottom-up protection
What was once viewed as intrusive is now reinterpreted as protective, providing drivers with greater safety. “We are now seeing drivers pushing for their fleets to be safer,” Jarvis explained. “We are working with some of the largest fleets in Europe and drivers are asking why other fleets have better technology than them.” This shift marks a deeper shift in the way workplace technology is adopted in the traditional grade industry. When it comes to fleet operations, drivers are no longer passive recipients of policies. They are becoming active advocates for tools that directly impact their safety, reputation, and livelihoods.
From Jarvis’ perspective, the most compelling data point is the scale of this need. “Ninety-nine percent of the drivers we surveyed said they wanted technology in their vehicles to help them personally,” he said. This statistic alone would have been almost unthinkable a decade ago. Historically, even suggestions to install cameras in vehicles can derail conversations with fleet operators. The concern is always the same: How will the driver react?
Some fleet drivers have been purchasing their own dash cams, often against company policy.
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“Five years ago, if we were talking to a large fleet about installing cameras, they would be scared of what the drivers would think,” Jarvis recalls. Today, those conversations have been reversed. In some cases, drivers are frustrated not by the presence of cameras but by their absence. “Right now, in my conversations, drivers are getting annoyed with their fleet managers because they say you can’t just buy your own camera,” he said. “There are all these risks with what you’re filming.”
The paradox is obvious. Drivers are willing to purchase consumer-grade dash cams themselves (often from online marketplaces) to ensure they have some form of protection on the road. But unmanaged devices create compliance, privacy and legal risks for employers. This forces fleets to step in and provide standardized, safe alternatives.
How Geotab takes advantage of disclaimers
For example, London’s Direct Vision Standard (DVS) regulations, introduced in October 2024, provide for passenger-side blind spot coverage to help reduce the risk of injury when commercial vehicles travel within narrow road systems such as cities. However, while the DVS rules concern vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists), at the heart of the shift in driver acceptance is a simple but powerful reality: cameras can protect drivers from false accusations.
Jarvis points to multiple realities in which video evidence fundamentally changes the outcome for the driver involved in an accident. “We have some very good examples where teams are very anti-camera,” he said. “Businesses have made the decision that we’re going to adopt this technology, and then almost immediately they have a situation where drivers are being acquitted.” He cited one case in particular where a driver swerved to avoid a collision with another car, only to hit a parked car instead. Without video evidence, this situation may be interpreted as reckless driving.
Cameras can help fleet drivers prove they did not cause an accident.
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“The worst outcome is to be arrested for dangerous driving,” Jarvis explains. “But that driver was actually celebrated because footage showed him avoiding hitting a car that was driving away. It was the other car’s fault. “This type of incident is not an extreme case. They are becoming central to how drivers assess the risks of their daily work. In an environment where responsibility can be life-changing, the ability to demonstrate what actually happened is invaluable.
“Before all the cameras were installed, the same accident could land a driver in jail because he couldn’t prove his innocence,” Jarvis added. This “exemption effect” redefines the camera as a form of personal insurance. Instead of feeling watched, the driver feels protected.
Geotab takes drivers from fear to familiarity
Cultural shifts don’t happen in isolation. This trend is accelerating amid broader changes in the way people interact with technology in their daily lives. “We also see technology advancing and stories about technology spreading more freely,” Jarvis noted. “That way people are more willing to engage.” Consumers are now accustomed to being recorded in a variety of settings, such as via smartphones, home security systems and public infrastructure. At the same time, AI becomes more visible and accessible, further normalizing the technology’s presence in everyday decision-making.
“You’ll see drivers using AI agents in their homes to help solve problems,” he said. “Their businesses are using AI to implement workflows. It’s natural to say that being guided by AI in the cab is a positive thing, not a negative thing.” This normalization reduces the psychological barriers that once made in-cab cameras controversial. Drivers no longer see them as control tools, but increasingly as extensions of systems they already trust.
Another key factor in changing perceptions is how data from these systems is used. Historically, monitoring techniques have been associated with discipline, such as tracking errors, enforcing rules, and punishing poor performance. But this model is now being replaced by one focused on coaching and rewards.
“As an industry, we’re taking more of a carrot than a stick,” Jarvis said. Initiatives such as Geotab Vitality, which links driving behavior to incentives, exemplify this approach. Drivers who drive safely can be rewarded, creating a positive feedback loop. “Now we can help fleets reward their drivers. If you’re a driver and you drive well, we can help your company create a program to reward you.”
The result is more active collaboration between drivers and fleet managers. Not adversarial oversight, but a shared interest in improving safety outcomes. In effect, this also changes the way conversations about performance are conducted. “This isn’t just someone calling the phone in the van and complaining about bad driving,” Jarvis said. Instead, it’s about looking at data from various fleets using Geotab telematics and finding areas where improvements can be made. By taking data-based feedback and combining it with support and incentives, fleets can make monitoring feel constructive rather than punitive.
Geotab Go Focus camera helps solve privacy concerns
Despite the positive shift, privacy concerns have not gone away. They just became more nuanced. Jarvis admits that in any racing team there will be a range of attitudes towards the cameras. Some drivers welcome them, while others remain resistant. “There are always outliers in any industry,” he said.
To address this issue, technology providers are designing systems with varying levels of intrusion, allowing fleets to tailor deployments to their workforce and regulatory environment. In the case of Geotab, the new Go Focus camera line was unveiled at the company’s international conference in Las Vegas in February.
Geotab launched its Go Focus camera line in Las Vegas in February.
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“We’re launching a series of cameras, starting with a very basic camera that only shoots the front-facing lens,” Jarvis explains. “No microphone, no ability to have a microphone.” From there, fleets can expand to more advanced configurations, including driver-facing cameras and multi-camera setups for full vehicle coverage, designed to meet regulations such as the UK DVS. Crucially, these systems can also be configured to limit when and how footage can be recorded and accessed.
“We can configure it to only transmit footage in the event of a collision,” Jarvis said. “If you’re a very privacy-focused fleet, you can get away with excusing drivers without constant monitoring.” Access control adds another layer of assurance. In some cases, footage is only available to designated personnel outside frontline management, such as health and safety teams, which reduces the risk of misuse. These design choices reflect a broader recognition that, for surveillance technologies to be accepted, they must be seen as fair, transparent and proportionate.
Geotab’s new standard for fleet safety
As these trends converge, in-car cameras are moving from optional extras to expected features. Drivers compare employers not only on wages, but also on the tools and protections provided. In a competitive labor market, this can be a differentiating factor. Employees are considering which company they might work for would best protect them.
“They start to become the differentiators that fleet managers need to create,” Jarvis said. This has implications for more than just recruiting. It also reshapes how safety is defined and measured across the industry. Fleets can now leverage real-time data and evidence to create a safer operating environment, rather than relying solely on policy and training. In this case, the camera is part of a broader ecosystem that includes telematics, AI-driven insights and behavioral guidance. The result is a more proactive approach to risk that aligns the interests of drivers and employers.
Perhaps the most important takeaway from this shift is how quickly the narrative around technology can change. What was once viewed as surveillance is now viewed as support. For Jarvis, this shift was both practical and philosophical. “It’s starting to become a more positive story,” he said. This story is still developing. Issues surrounding data ownership, privacy and ethical use will continue to impact how these technologies are deployed. But the direction of travel is clear. In modern fleets, cameras like Geotab’s Go Focus series are no longer just for viewing. They are protecting, guiding, and perhaps even empowering those they once thought they were limiting.
