Not to be confused with onboard cameras that point outside the vehicle for the drivers benefit, rear view, forward facing and side views etc. has anyone actually seen a camera that is in place to observe the driver, or is this just another urban myth thought up by paranoid drivers to while away the hours on tedious motorway trips?
Have you heard of other interesting urban myths that may amuse, entertain, or educate?
Youtube is full of them, and many forward facing ones have a driver view camera too.
Or do you mean the ones that can supposedly be viewed by the transport office?
anisboy:
Or do you mean the ones that can supposedly be viewed by the transport office?
Yep those are the ones… 
I did some work for a company who do a lot of pallet work from South East London, they had cameras in the cabs that faced the driver
My company are currently debating using driver facing cameras to improve driver skill.
If it does get the go ahead, and I suspect it won’t as we’re unionised and I doubt they’ll bend over and take it, I’ll hand my notice in the same day as it’s a step too far IMO.
LIBERTY_GUY:
has anyone actually seen a camera that is in place to observe the driver
Yup
i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj13 … C00097.jpg
London’s buses.
Terry T:
My company are currently debating using driver facing cameras to improve driver skill.If it does get the go ahead, and I suspect it won’t as we’re unionised and I doubt they’ll bend over and take it, I’ll hand my notice in the same day as it’s a step too far IMO.
Union will have no power to stop it.
We have a 7-inch touch-screen display in our cabs and yes they do have a spy-hole for a camera, which the drivers have taped over.
Although the office said it would only be used for video-phone calls, I fail to see why would they want to see the driver in a phone call and that was more likely just a lame BS excuse.
This is why management can’t be trusted and just carries on the Them & US culture at work.
It crashed once and rebooted into Windows CE Embedded Edition, so I had a nose around and there was software to operate the camera and take still-images.
I currently have forward facing and driver facing cameras. So what if the boss sees me picking my nose or eating cashew nuts, it makes no odds to me 
Yarp, company i used to work for has them in a few lorrys.
I was driving for a company once and thought I would take the wife with me to hull docks, the next day I had a call asking if she was in the cab with me I new I had been rumbled so said yes, I went back to work got my warning and went on my way a day or so later I was talking to the TM and he told me the cabs had 2 camera’s in to watch the whole cab, The point am trying to make is I looked all over the cab but for the life of me I couldn’t find them proper invasion of privacy.
maga:
I currently have forward facing and driver facing cameras. So what if the boss sees me picking my nose or eating cashew nuts, it makes no odds to me
Yeh but it’s kinda embarrassing when footage of you bombing along the M4 singing along to some loud music track gets played in the canteen after you get back…
On a more serious note - people have been sacked for being seen texting/phoning whilst driving. Think food delivery rigids here.
It doesn’t affect yours truly, since I don’t even phone when breathing - let alone when driving. 
http://www.lytx.com/driving-videos
There’s no doubt that these inward-facing cameras exist though… Check out the vid on the above link on the divercam website…
Dotty D:
I was driving for a company once and thought I would take the wife with me to hull docks, the next day I had a call asking if she was in the cab with me I new I had been rumbled so said yes, I went back to work got my warning and went on my way a day or so later I was talking to the TM and he told me the cabs had 2 camera’s in to watch the whole cab, The point am trying to make is I looked all over the cab but for the life of me I couldn’t find them proper invasion of privacy.
I’d be ■■■■■■■ like a right good en on my 45, let them get an eyeful of that.
Earthline have them in their newest lorries, and are meant to activate on sudden braking. There’ll be hours of footage then.
maga:
I currently have forward facing and driver facing cameras. So what if the boss sees me picking my nose or eating cashew nuts, it makes no odds to me
You mean as a driver you can afford cashew nuts? 
Your paid far too much.
A customer of ours at the agency, have inward and outward facing cameras, and imo, they are a step too far. It’s another reason to blame the driver for something, and unfortunately these cameras are becoming far too common.
I don’t see why they should be allowed to watch me, after all, I don’t watch the MD of the company as he’s got his secretary bent over the desk.
Ken.
We had them when I worked for Comet. I was reprimanded for calling someone a “see you next tuesday” on the M5. 
Thanks for all the input guys. The reason I asked the question is someone my brother knows is a hgv driver and he had a rollicking a few weeks ago as one of the cameras caught him widdling up the front passenger wheel arch. Yep we have all been there and done that in empty laybys when it has still been a long way to the next drop, but I was surprised that drivers would, or could be spied on in this way.
I would have thought that some of these cab cameras, especially when fitted in sleeper cabs would have infringed some indecency law when the driver is in a state of undress. Despite all the jokes about hairy arsed truckers, you never know where those images could end up one day? Stobrats drivers on a gay truckers site perhaps? - heaven forbid… 
National Express coaches have 27 cameras monitoring the interior and exterior of the vehicle, including a driver facing one.
Many drivers have been disciplined or sacked for drinking a coffee while driving, smoking outside the coach whilst waiting for departure times etc.
A firm local to me has driver camera’s, they only work while the engine is running.
