1
of 5— Ask the driver for permission before the debrief
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll record and transcribe post-incident driver debriefs automatically — turning verbal conversations into documented records that can feed into formal incident reports without any manual note-taking.
What you'll need
- Otter.ai installed on your phone (see guide: "Transcribe Your Driver Briefings")
- Permission from the driver to record the conversation (always ask first)
- Time needed: 10 minutes to set up; adds zero time to debrief conversations
- Cost: Free for up to 300 minutes/month
How-To Guide: Document Post-Incident Driver Debriefs with Otter.ai
Step 1: Ask the driver for permission before the debrief
This is non-negotiable — always ask first. Say: "I'd like to record this conversation so I have an accurate record of what we discussed. Is that okay with you?" Most drivers will agree when it's framed as documentation for their benefit too.
If a driver declines, respect it — use Otter to record your own summary notes immediately after the debrief instead.