Dash cams offer features to improve driver safety. Look for one with a large display for easier navigation and video playback.
Some models feature cameras aimed at the back of your vehicle for improved blind spot visibility and to help avoid being side-swiped or caught up in road rage incidents.
1. Prove You Were Not at Fault
Dash cam footage can be the single most effective tool to demonstrate that an accident was not your fault, surpassing witness statements, tire marks, impact zones on vehicles or even descriptions from other drivers.
Cameras can also help you avoid parking tickets by showing that you were not speeding (assuming your memory capacity allows it). They may also help show that you have been driving safely, leading to discounts on car insurance rates.
Dash cams are essential tools for rideshare drivers and taxi drivers operating in busy urban environments where unexpected people, pedestrians, and other drivers could falsely allege an incident or attempt to extort you out of money. Cabin view cameras offer another useful perspective that gives these drivers peace of mind on the road.
2. Prevent Unwarranted Police Stops
No matter whether you drive professionally or just want to protect your car from theft and vandalism, having a dash cam is invaluable. Recordings show exactly what happened during an accident or stop, helping prevent insurance fraud as well as other violations.
Video evidence can also help drivers avoid costly tickets. Adam Osmond, an accountant from Connecticut, credits his dash cam for helping him avoid receiving a toll road ticket by showing evidence that his toll payment had been made.
Dash cams provide another invaluable way of protecting your car when parked. Most models feature motion detectors that activate when something moves near it and record whenever something happens near it; these features make these dash cams useful if you are concerned that it might get stolen or damaged while you’re away.
3. Save Money on Insurance
Clear video evidence can protect you from being charged with traffic tickets or insurance rate increases, and make proving your innocence easier in cases such as accidents or false accusations of criminality.
Dash cams can also help reduce your car insurance premium by showing that you’re an efficient driver. In fact, some insurance companies provide discounted rates to policy holders if their dash cam can prove that an accident was indeed your responsibility.
If you have young drivers, using a dash cam to monitor and encourage safer behavior is an invaluable way to assess their driving. Most models record in a continuous loop with impact detection that buffers recordings both before and after an incident occurs; others come equipped with rear camera to deter tailgaters as well as GPS positioning to give more of an idea of their movements.
4. Keep Your Family Safe
As you drive for either a living or commute five minutes each way to work, it is essential that both yourself and your passengers remain safe when out on the road. Dash cams can help protect against thieves stealing your car as well as prevent fraudulent insurance claims to keep premiums lower.
Recorded videos provide solid evidence to prove who was at fault in an accident, providing legal and insurance proceedings with evidence they need. They also serve as deterrents against insurance fraud by showing if an accident is staged, providing peace of mind to parents monitoring a new or young driver, with some models offering GPS functionality to record location and speed logging similar to an aircraft black box – however don’t get distracted by all the bells and whistles, some may just waste your money!
5. Help Others
If you are involved in an accident, using a dash cam as evidence of who wasn’t at fault can make the claims process faster and simpler, while providing impartial proof against claims that are sometimes denied due to conflicting statements from witnesses.
Dash cams can also assist other drivers. Should you capture footage of an unsafe driver, submit it to law enforcement so their victims can recover damages and compensation from them.
Rideshare drivers like Uber and Lyft drivers can benefit from dash cams equipped with cabin views of their passengers and driver, typically permitted under their contracts and used to deter racial profiling as well as ensure the safety of children in the backseat. Most dash cams are hardwired into your vehicle’s electrical system so they continue recording even if your engine is off!
