London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 14, 2026

Amazon is putting cameras in its delivery vans and some drivers aren't happy

Amazon is putting cameras in its delivery vans and some drivers aren't happy

For Kamille Elizabeth, delivering Amazon packages in Wilmington, Delaware feels carefree and comfortable. She has deliveries to make and rules to follow, but says she enjoys being on the road by herself with what she calls a "limited freedom."

But Elizabeth's work environment is set to change as Amazon announced this month that it has begun to roll out cameras inside its delivery vehicles that monitor both the road, and its drivers.

Road safety experts say Amazon's driver monitoring should bring safety benefits for the company and everyone it shares roads with. At the same time, drivers like Elizabeth are bracing themselves for what happens when cameras can scrutinize their every move, delivering feedback that could impact their livelihoods.

Amazon (AMZN) said in a recent video that it hopes the new system gives drivers "peace of mind" while delivering packages, but drivers like Elizabeth say they're nervous.

"If one thing messes up, I'm going to freak out," Elizabeth told CNN Business. "That's my job, it's over. They're going to see it on camera."

Amazon spokesperson Deborah Bass told CNN Business that drivers could not lose their jobs for a single mistake, but declined to detail how Amazon recommends the partner companies that make its deliveries handle feedback, coaching and discipline. Amazon has said video footage from the cameras will only be sent to it in certain circumstances, including hard braking, hard acceleration and U-turns.

"Safety is Amazon's top priority," Amazon's Bass said in a statement. "Whether it's state-of-the art telemetrics and advanced safety technology in last-mile vans, driver-safety training programs, or continuous improvements within our mapping and routing technology, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in safety mechanisms across our network, and regularly communicate safety best practices to drivers."

Amazon is rolling out AI-powered cameras that monitor its delivery drivers.


Companies monitoring commercial drivers isn't new. Businesses like UPS and DHL rely on telematics systems that track driver behavior such as seat belt use, speed, acceleration and braking. UPS says it's relied on telematics for more than 20 years. Amazon is going further and embracing cameras consistently pointed at drivers, which rely on artificial intelligence to voice real-time feedback. Drivers will get real-time warnings if they run a stop sign, tailgate, or are distracted.

Amazon drivers say negative experiences with the company's existing driver monitoring system contribute to their concerns.

Drivers already use an app called Mentor that scores driving by tracking braking, acceleration, cornering, speeding and distraction. But drivers interviewed by CNN Business say the app can unfairly penalize them as it misinterprets reasonable driving behaviors. Their smartphone falling on the floor, or sliding around their vehicle can be interpreted as hard cornering or harsh braking, they say. Receiving a text message can be considered distracted driving, they say, even if they don't check their phone to read it. Mentor scores can impact a driver's compensation.

The app has a 1.2 rating out of 5 on the Apple App Store, and a 1.3 out of 5 rating on the Google Play App Store. Many reviews of the app say that it causes fear, as the scoring can feel unpredictable.

"This app has given me nightmares!" said one reviewer on the Apple App Store.

Bass told CNN Business that Amazon works with vendors to continue to improve their products, but declined to comment on whether it is satisfied with the quality of the Mentor app, and if it feels the reviews reflect the quality of the app. Amazon also declined to share data on if its new camera monitoring system has been shown to improve safety.

But "the potential is huge," said Matthew Camden, a researcher at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute who has studied driver monitoring systems.

Camden's research has found that legacy driver monitoring systems reduced crashes by 38.1%. The addition of AI-powered abilities should add to the benefits he said, as real-time feedback can coach drivers to improve. Companies that offer AI-powered driver monitoring systems have reported collision reductions of more than 50%, but independent researchers haven't yet studied the systems, according to Camden.

Elizabeth said there are some positives, such as drivers' security and safety. She said she's had colleagues who have been robbed, or had a gun pointed at them. (Amazon says in its video that drivers can upload footage in the case of someone approaching their vehicle.)

Juan Ramos, who delivers for Amazon in Garland, Texas, told CNN Business that he likes some of the cameras' new safety features, such as tracking distracted driving, speeding and following distance. The cameras could clear drivers of trouble if they're in a crash, he said. But he's heard from drivers who think the cameras will micromanage them, and worry about getting in trouble or losing their jobs for what seems like a small infraction. He said he knows of drivers who have covered the cameras facing them, out of concern.

Victor Fuentes, an Amazon driver in California, has said on YouTube that he hates the cameras, as he sometimes needs to bend or break rules to get his work done quickly.

"In order for me to be fast, I gotta do some stuff that I should not do," said Fuentes, who cited the example of often not wearing his seatbelt, but plugging it in behind him. He declined to comment on this story.

"If a driver needs to do a U-turn or needs to back up or do something to keep the deliveries going and they're going to get scored or talked to about that, I feel like that's not fair," Ramos told CNN Business.

Still, Amazon may be on the frontier of a new trend.

The market for automated cameras is expected to triple over the next five to seven years, according to Jason Palmer, an executive at Omnitracs, which offers a driver monitoring system. Amazon relies on a system from Netradyne, which declined to comment for this story. Its competitors include Omnitracs, Lytx, Jungo and Samsara.

Amazon's largest delivery competitors, UPS, FedEx and DHL all declined to say if they've considered using AI-powered driver monitoring systems. FedEx has worked with Lytx before, but declined to comment on the arrangement. UPS said it had briefly tested a camera unit, but hasn't decided whether to adopt it.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
Bayeux Tapestry Draws Large Crowds at British Museum
Cuts to International Aid Raise Concerns Over Fragile Overseas Health Systems
UK Airlines and Logistics Operators Adjust Capacity as Fuel Costs Rise
UK Mortgage Arrears Edge Lower in Second Quarter
UK Government Advances New Devolution Offers for English Councils
UK Parliament Begins Debate on NHS Governance and Single Patient Record Reforms
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North Devolution Initiative
UK Parliament Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults
UK Bans Goods From Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Technology Services Strengthen
Metropolitan Police Continue Investigation Into Reform UK Political Financing
Chinese Crypto Entrepreneur Leon Li Identified as Seller of £190 Million London Mansion
Trades Union Congress Proposes Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Surcharge
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for State Pension Triple Lock to Be Scrapped
Anthropic Says Claude Helped Disrupt Biological Weapons and Cyber Espionage Threats
UK Imposes Sanctions Over Israeli Settlements and West Bank Violence
UK Reimposes Sectoral Sanctions on Iran’s Aviation, Shipping and Energy Networks
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as AI and Programming Services Lift Activity
UK House of Commons Rejects Assisted Dying Bill by 286 Votes to 270
UK Reviews Nationwide Emergency Alert Tests After Systems Meet Reliability Targets
UK Seeks Faster Rail Links Across Northern Industrial Corridors
British Business Bank Allocates £150 Million for High-Growth Companies in Northern England
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Possible Amid Pay Dispute and £500 Million Savings Drive
UK Backs Short Extension of UN Sudan Sanctions Regime
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Early Prison Release Reforms and Growth Strategy
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Effort to Circumvent Foreign Donation Rules
UK Analysts Warn Tax Rises or Spending Cuts May Be Needed to Preserve Fiscal Headroom
Jaguar Land Rover Plans Up to 4,000 Job Cuts in £1.7 Billion Cost-Saving Drive
UK Chancellor Warns of Difficult October Budget as Borrowing Costs Rise
UK Declares Israeli Occupation of West Bank Unlawful and Expands Sanctions
UK House of Commons Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for England and Wales
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
×