A new vehicle-centred video-telematics platform has launched in the UK and Europe, bringing live tracking, video, driver-safety information and reporting into one system.
Brigade Electronics says around 1,000 vehicles trialled Haloniq before launch. The company expects applications across van and truck fleets as well as construction, where cameras and sensors may already be fitted to individual vehicles.
Those are the supplier's claims about its own product, not independent proof that every fleet will reduce collisions, insurance costs or administration. The wider development is still useful: increasingly capable systems give operators more choices, but also more decisions about cameras, data and workers' privacy.
For a farm, contractor, plant operator or rural business, the buying question should not begin with the longest feature list. It should begin with the risk or operational problem that needs solving.
1. Define one measurable purpose
Write down why the system is being considered. Possible purposes include obtaining evidence after collisions, locating vehicles, protecting drivers, improving incident investigation or identifying a recurring risk such as harsh braking.
Avoid vague objectives such as “improve driving” or “gain visibility”. State the current problem and the result that would justify the cost. That might be faster retrieval of collision footage, fewer unverified claims or a reduction in a defined type of incident.
This purpose controls later decisions about camera direction, audio, tracking, alerts, retention and who may see the information. Adding functions simply because the platform offers them can increase cost and privacy intrusion without improving the original outcome.
2. Map what the system actually records
Video telematics can involve much more than a forward-facing camera. Ask the supplier to list every data field and sensor: outward or inward video, audio, GPS location, speed, acceleration, time, driver identity, proximity alerts and any analytics or automated scores.
Then test each item against the stated purpose. An outward-facing camera may be sufficient for collision evidence. An inward-facing camera, continuous audio or driver-behaviour analytics are more intrusive and require stronger justification.
The Information Commissioner's Office says identifiable images and telematics data are personal information. Its worker-monitoring guidance says employers considering cameras, audio or analytics to monitor drivers must assess the higher privacy risk and carry out a data protection impact assessment where required.
3. Test the installation on real vehicles
A demonstration in one clean van does not prove that the same arrangement will work across pickups, tippers, telehandlers or plant.
Check camera views in daylight, darkness, rain and when the vehicle is loaded. Look for blind areas created by bodies, booms, trailers, beacons and attachments. Confirm that lenses can be cleaned safely and that cables, mounts and screens will withstand the vehicle's vibration, dust and daily use.
Farm Packs supplies working-vehicle seat covers, but compatibility with the vehicle's safety equipment comes first.
Run a limited trial on the hardest-working vehicles before agreeing a fleet-wide installation.
4. Consult drivers before switching it on
Explain what is recorded, why it is necessary, when monitoring operates and how the information may be used. Drivers should also know what the system does not do.
Consultation can reveal practical weaknesses: false alerts on rough tracks, cameras blocked by equipment, private use outside working hours or poor mobile coverage. It also helps distinguish a safety tool from covert performance monitoring.
ICO guidance says workers and passengers must be informed about vehicle monitoring. Where private use is allowed, monitoring during that private use will rarely be justifiable. Audio should be off by default unless exceptional circumstances support its use.
Put the final rules into the relevant vehicle, privacy and disciplinary policies. Do not quietly repurpose collision footage later to measure productivity without reviewing the lawful basis, impact and information given to staff.
5. Set access, retention and disclosure rules
Decide who can watch live feeds, retrieve recordings, export clips and change settings. Use named accounts, appropriate permissions and an audit trail. Shared passwords make it difficult to establish who viewed or copied footage.
Retention should follow the purpose, not the maximum storage available. The ICO says there is no universal statutory retention period. For routine dashcam footage with no incident or other reason to retain it, its small-business guidance suggests that deletion after roughly a week may be appropriate. Different events may justify a documented hold.
The process must also handle subject-access requests, police or insurer requests, data breaches and secure deletion. Check where cloud data is stored, whether international transfers occur and how quickly usable footage can be exported without losing timestamps or image quality.
6. Test alerts and investigations, not just cameras
A system that generates hundreds of unreviewed alerts creates noise rather than control. During the trial, record how often each alert is correct, who reviews it and what action follows.
Define the investigation workflow before a serious event. Preserve the original file, note who accessed it, collect the driver's account and consider relevant context such as road conditions, load, route, working hours and vehicle defects. A short clip or automated score may not explain the whole event.
Use information proportionately. Coaching may be appropriate for a pattern of low-level events; a vehicle defect or poor route plan may require an operational fix. Drivers need a fair way to challenge incorrect identification or misleading data.
7. Measure total value and the exit route
Compare the full cost with the original objective. Include hardware, installation, subscriptions, data connections, repairs, training, management time and vehicle downtime. Confirm whether existing cameras can be retained and what happens when a vehicle is replaced.
Measure useful outcomes during the trial: time taken to retrieve evidence, investigated incidents, disputed claims, recurring risk patterns and management hours saved. Treat supplier estimates of insurance or fuel savings as assumptions until the fleet's own evidence supports them.
Before signing, establish contract length, data ownership, export formats, service levels, cyber-security responsibilities and the method for removing hardware and deleting data at the end. A platform should not become permanent simply because leaving it is difficult.
Buy the control, not the dashboard
The fresh launch shows how quickly tracking, cameras, sensors and reporting are converging. That can simplify fleet management, but a unified screen is not the same as a controlled system.
The strongest deployment has a defined purpose, proportionate recording, tested installation, informed drivers, restricted access, a working incident process and measurable results. If those foundations are missing, more data may create more risk rather than more safety.
Start with a small trial, document the decisions and keep only the functions that solve a real problem.
This article provides general information and does not replace legal advice, current ICO guidance, employment advice, a data protection impact assessment or a vehicle-specific safety assessment.
Sources
Van Fleet World: Brigade launches video telematics platform - published 30 September 2026
Haloniq: Fleet telematics and video safety platform - product information accessed 3 October 2026
ICO: Dashcams and UK GDPR - what small businesses need to know - guidance accessed 3 October 2026; currently under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act
ICO: Monitoring work vehicles and workers - guidance accessed 3 October 2026; currently under review
