Dive Brief:

• Lytx has unveiled a new platform, Lytx Video Services, that will be available as an enhancement to the existing DriveCam, according to a company press release. The company described the new offering as a combination of an event recorder and video cameras that are all cloud-connected. 
• The system has a driver-facing camera that records only in 12- or 20-second increments when an event, like a sudden stop or a swerve, is detected; a continually-record outside camera, with the option to livestream to another location; an onboard DVR that can store about a week's worth of video and connection to up to 11 other cameras, offering a wider view of events that happen around a truck.
• The platform also leverages a digital workspace for fleet managers. Managers using the Lytx Workspace can choose which livestreams to watch and what video events to download and view. According to the company, the platform will be available in the first quarter of 2018.

Dive Insight:

It was just about a year ago that Lytx announced upgrades to its DriveCam platform, and now the company is releasing further improvements to its suite. The safety features, which include vehicle readings about speed, movement and location, will be utilized more efficiently by fleet managers if the new Workspace is effective. According to a 2016 survey, about a quarter of all safety spending in the waste hauling business was spent on technology like cameras and recording devices — so there is clearly a market for further upgrades to safety tech. 

Drivers aren't always a fan of in-cab cameras, as seen earlier this year in St. Petersburg, FL, where union workers experienced a trial period that recorded hundreds of "coachable" moments — and denounced the experience when the trial was over. Drivers may feel micromanaged or like Big Brother is watching them, but truck cameras have benefits — especially if video evidence can prove that a hauler is not at fault in an accident, helping the waste company avoid fines or lawsuits.

Safety in the hauling game is always going to be critical, and it bears repeating that trash collection is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. While public outreach and legislation, like the popular "Slow Down to Get Around" movement has reached plenty of states, safety can't be dependent just on other drivers. The waste industry has to continue investing in and innovating with safety technology.