McGehee Describes Use DriveCam Placement in City Vehicles

According to a Des Moines Register article, 125 DriveCam surveillance cameras will be installed in City of Des Moines vehicles, "under a pilot project aimed at holding public employees accountable for their driving, decreasing accidents and saving public dollars, officials said." The program will begin April 1 and last 120 days, ending in August. It is then that city council members will vote to keep the cameras or not.

Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Research Program Director Dan McGehee was quoted in the article about the possible positive effects of the decision. "Overall, it will help (Des Moines). It will reduce the cost for the city in terms of property damage crashes," McGehee said. "It's very accurate."

There is concern from labor groups that these DriveCams are of a "Big Brother" nature. McGehee was among the first to study DriveCam and its effect on motorist behavior seven years ago. He and his human factors and vehicle safety researchers have conducted several national studies on DriveCam cameras. Their overall conclusion is that the cameras work and drivers often times quickly adapt to their presence causing the drive to change their driving habits for the better. 

The decision to try these cameras came after city data showed that between July 2011 and June 2012, city drivers were involved in accidents totally $210,000 in vehicular damage costs and $125,000 of liable property or personal damage.

Orange County, Fla. officials adopted the usage of DriveCams in 2009 and saw some skeptism, at first, by employees but many adapted to the use of the cameras, bettering their driving habits. As a result of having the DriveCams, the county fired five employees who were still driving dangerously and recklessly.

During the pilot project in Des Moines, there is no risk for employees to be fired for their driving practices.