Continuous Recording versus Event-Based Recording Several new options for mobile video security and surveillance have emerged in the technology marketplace. Small, compact, event-based recorders offer video review services and driver behavior modification (DBM) reports. Their employees look over any generated events and create a number of analytics and reports that can be displayed on a dashboard for your convenience. Event-based/DBM recorder makers enjoy touting the advantages of these kinds of systems but they come with significant drawbacks that reduce the benefits and value that should be considered. First and foremost, event-based recorders only record events, and only a few seconds at that. Without the continuous recording that full-featured recorders can provide you simply won’t get the full story. For example, let’s say a vehicle in your fleet is involved in a serious collision. An event-based recorder is only going to capture approximately 20 to 30 seconds of video which may not provide key details, such as passenger activity, driver distractions, swerving to avoid traffic, or dozens of other critical details to constitute the complicated nature of a vehicle collision. A continuous recording system captures all of this, from many more camera angles, complete with meta-data that can show which vehicle lights were operational, if brakes were applied, and more. Additionally, it captures all of the activity that always happens after the collision. With this information you can see how the driver reacted, confirm he followed the correct procedures, and have a record that could possibly exonerate him from any wrongdoing. Second, event-based recorders typically record events at a very low resolution quality and frame rate from only a few cameras. In demanding situations, the detail of the recorded video is absolutely vital. In another example, imagine a physical altercation occurs on one of your buses. When police and other authorities are called and the video is reviewed to understand the circumstances that led to the event, it is obviously important to understand who or what any aggression was directed towards, any weapons used, and the identity of the assailants. With low quality video from limited perspectives, you’re not going to see any of this. Only a serious continuous recording system, with the capacity to record many views from a multitude of quality, high definition cameras, is going to capture all of the elements that could possible lead to apprehension or conviction. The reason for these short event recording times is this video is transmitted automatically to the manufacturer for review. In order to keep monthly customer fees remotely competitive, cellular network and labor costs must be minimized. This also involves unnecessarily high shock thresholds that reduce the amount of generated events. These compromises directly increase your risks and costs when they fail to capture critical events or evidence, are of too poor quality to be useful, or even just completely overlooked because a reviewer wasn’t familiar with your fleet operations. And when your video and data is being transmitted across a commercial network and stored in a far off location, are you truly satisfied with who actually owns your data? Continuous recording systems record video and data on storage devices you own. While there may be some additional labor involved in you or your personnel managing and reviewing video, you are absolutely certain you own the video, you own all of the video and you know exactly where it is and where to find it. Continuous recording systems typically work in tandem with exceptionally powerful back-end video management systems (VMS). Combined with the configurable parameters on the recorder itself, you are in control of the quality and length
video is recorded, where it is stored, how long it is stored, who is in charge of reviewing it, and who even has access to it. A piece of video may need to be recalled for a court case months or years after an occurrence, or perhaps you want to study the routines of a specific driver or the peculiarities of a route over a long period of time. Extensive analytical reports can be customized to the exact requirements of the agency and the preferences of the personnel reviewing them. You can be content all of these features are open and available to you with continuous recording. Another thing to consider: are event-based/DBM recorders physically up to demanding mobile environments? These recorders are usually mounted simply to the windshield to capture inside the cabin and the road ahead. What’s to stop a poorly behaving, angry driver from simply reaching up and ripping the entire device off? Are any security measures in place that protect the integrity of the data storage or prevent tampering with power cables? A complete continuous recording system is much more involved when it comes to installation; however this pays dividends in benefits. A continuous system can be seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s body panels. The cameras are mounted securely and more discreetly, all connected to the recorder which rests safely inside a secure radio or lock box. If any tampering or vandalism is attempted, disabling one camera is rarely enough. Even more importantly, are these cameras the correct camera for the location they’re installed in and for the angle they are attempting to catch? Vendors of continuous recording system offer myriad camera models with an incredible array of specifications. Often you have a really tight, but critical space in the cabin that requires a specific field of view and image quality, such as a fare box. It’s also necessary to capture video from exterior perspectives; this requires specialized, sealed camera housings designed to endure an outdoor environment. The robust and flexible nature of the equipment is clearly crucial to the effectiveness of the camera system! Event-based /DBM recorders rarely feature any specifications or descriptions of their physical hardware; they are more concerned with charging a monthly fee for their automated service. With these critical security compromises, ask yourself: do these event-based/DBM recorders provide the value that full-featured network video recording systems offer?