Caught in a Legal Nightmare? How RideView Put the Power Back in a Driver’s Hands

Imagine this: you're involved in a minor accident. You stop, exchange information, and move on, thinking the situation is resolved. Hours later, you’re faced with the possibility of arrest for allegedly leaving the scene. This nightmarish scenario became a reality for Rob Pitcher, a manager at OnTrack Solutions. 

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An unexpected turn of events

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Rob is no stranger to managing challenges. But one rainy afternoon, he faced a very different kind of problem. As he patiently waited at a two-way stop sign for traffic to clear, a bicyclist riding against traffic collided with Rob’s car just as he began moving his car after yielding to sideways traffic. 

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“I was only doing about two miles an hour,” Rob recalls. “It was more kind of just getting pushed off the bike slightly.”

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Following the accident, Rob did everything by the book. He exited his vehicle, rushed to check on the cyclist, and offered to call an ambulance and the police. The cyclist, who had only minor scrapes, was adamant about not wanting any to involve the police or emergency responders. After a brief conversation and ensuring the cyclist was okay, they parted ways.

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Little did Rob know, this wouldn't be the end of the story.

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About 20 minutes later, Rob was pulled over by law enforcement and accused of a hit-and-run. “I was in disbelief,” Rob recalls. “I’d done everything right—checked on the cyclist, stayed at the scene, and exchanged information. But here I was, about to be arrested for something I didn’t do.”

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He realized video from his video telematics system can save the day. With any other video telematics service, Rob might have needed to call dispatch, wait anxiously for them to locate the footage, and hope everything would be resolved favorably. 

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That’s when RideView stepped in to save the day. Using the RideView driver app, Rob could access and download critical video footage directly from the camera—right on his phone—without depending on dispatch, cloud upload or network availability. He presented clear evidence on the spot, proving his innocence and avoiding legal trouble.

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The officers, impressed by the clarity and accessibility of the footage, quickly verified Rob’s account. “They were amazed at how easy it was to access the video,” Rob shares. “I could scrub through the footage, take screenshots, and even share them on the spot. RideView proved my innocence in real-time.”

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Driver exoneration - in drivers’ hands

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This real-world example highlights RideView’s game-changing approach: instant local video access for drivers, empowering them in critical moments. No frantic calls to dispatch, no waiting, no uncertainty - this is video telematics that is truly driver centric. It is all about the peace of mind for drivers.

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Rob’s experience is a stand-out example of how RideView walks the talk when it says it is all about driver empowerment. 

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With on-demand video on the driver app, drivers can:

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• Instantly access footage: Unlike traditional systems where drivers must rely on administrators to retrieve footage, RideView’s Companion app (driver app) empowers users to access their recordings locally from the camera directly without going through the cloud.

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• Present evidence immediately: The ability to present clear, timestamped video footage directly to law enforcement prevented Rob’s arrest and a potential legal battle, proving to be a solid protector against false accusations. 

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• Exonerate themselves effortlessly: The intuitive app design allowed Rob to download and share critical evidence within minutes.

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Video stored on the camera cannot be deleted through the app and whenever a driver makes a video request, the back office will get a notification and they can view the video too!

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To learn more and provide RideView’s driver-centric video telematics for your fleet customers, reach out to contact@lightmetrics.co

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