SmartWitness has launched a modular road-facing/driver-facing dashcam for fleets, said to mark a first for video telematics.

The compact road-facing camera comes with a snap-on driver-facing camera option

The KP2 is a compact road-facing camera with a snap-on driver-facing camera option that enables commercial fleets to add driver-facing video at any time with no wiring changes, no added installation cost and no downtime.

Available immediately through telematics service providers, the KP2 includes a choice of real-time ADAS (Automatic Driver Assistance System) and DSM (driver state monitoring) features for accident prevention, plus cloud-based AI event analysis software that eliminates hours of time that is often wasted in reviewing false alerts of risky driving behaviour.

Sensata Technologies, which recently acquired SmartWitness, said the modular design provides an easy upgrade path for fleets that want front-view video documentation in the event of an accident but are not yet ready to record driver behaviour inside the cab.

The 4G/LTE camera records HD video at up to 30 FPS per channel with a 140-degree forward-facing and 130-degree driver-facing field of vision. It contains a 64GB SD card upgradable to 128GB storage, and measures 126mm x 82mm x 64mm including the driver-facing camera.

The driver-facing functionality can be added later if needed, with the 2.5cm x 2.5cm snap-on driver-facing module able to be deployed in seconds, eliminating the time and expense of adding a separate camera or replacing the entire system.

Later this year, a version with a J-1939 connection for heavy-duty trucks will be released.

“Until now, fleets deploying video telematics have had to choose between road-facing and road-and-driver-facing cameras. There was no way to add driver-facing functionality to a road-facing unit,” said Michael Bloom, vice president of product and marketing at Sensata Technologies and SmartWitness.

“Our new KP2 is the first camera that gives fleets the flexibility to implement the technology in stages, ensuring they will not lose their initial investment if they decide to add the extra protection of driver-facing video at a later date.”