MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Station motor transport has installed new "DriveCam" cameras in some of the vehicles aboard station to help ensure safer driving and answer unknown damage reports.
The DriveCam is similar to a black box from an airplane. If someone swerves to miss an object in the road or they begin driving erratically it will start to save the already recording data. The DriveCam is always recording and when an event happens to trigger the camera it will store ten seconds prior to the event and ten seconds after, according Chief Warrant Officer Justice M. Lasyone, station motor transport officer. Once a government vehicle is brought in to motor transport, they will check the vehicle's camera to see if it has saved any events.
"When the camera turns red, it lets us know that something has happened. We will then thoroughly screen the footage and notify the responsible officer of the incident," said Lasyone.
Monitoring government vehicle drivers may cause people to feel a little insecure, thinking their privacy has been invaded.
"Some people see the DriveCam as a negative, but its not. We're not invading privacy. We are just monitoring the use of government vehicles," said Lasyone. "Besides, if people are caught doing something stupid on camera they probably shouldn't have been doing it in the first place."
The DriveCam's aren't solely for catching people's wrong doings.
"The main reason we got these cameras is not to burn people for joy riding, it's to take care of those unknown damage reports," said Chief Petty Officer Scott E. Barker, Station motor transport operations chief.
The DriveCam can help people find out what really happened when a car is damaged and also prove whether the driver of the car is responsible or not.
"The cams can be used to clear someone of negligence. If someone side swipes a driver and runs away, the cam can record the other vehicle's license plate," said Lasyone.
The DriveCams are proving to be nothing but a positive innovation, not only will it stop the vandalism of cars, stop hit and runs, but it can also be used to help some Marines do their job, according to Lasyone.
"MP's (Military Police) can even use them to help do their job, the cams have a panic button, which once pressed will save the recorded scene just like when the camera goes off on its own," said Lasyone.
There are currently only five DriveCams aboard station. These cams will prove whether or not it is cost effective to have more.
"Several GME (Garrison Mobile Equipment) fleets are using these cams throughout the Marine Corps and (the DriveCams) are proving to be very useful," said Baker. "We can't monitor everyone all the time and this is just the right tool to help us."