As more and more drivers are looking for ways to protect themselves on the road, dash cams have become increasingly popular. But what are the real pros and cons of using a dash cam? Let’s take a closer look.
How does a dashcam work?
A dashcam is a small camera that is mounted onto the dashboard of your car. It records video footage while you are driving, which can be used both to provide evidence for a claim or prove innocence should a claim be made against you.
Some dashcams record footage to an internal memory card, while others use cloud storage to back up the recordings.
Pros of dashcams
Dash claims can support your claim following an accident
Some dashcams have an accident detection feature that records the moments leading up to a collision or other incident and can provide valuable evidence for a successful claim.
Dash cams can also provide evidence of dangerous driving by others, which can be used to help your case in court. This could come in the form of footage of unsafe drivers engaging in reckless behaviour or even drunk drivers.
Dash cams can help you avoid unfair accident claims
Many drivers assume that the knowledge of who’s responsible for an accident comes down to a ‘he said, she said’ type argument. Unfortunately, that can lead to undeserved blame or insurance fraud.
However, installing a dash cam in your car provides undeniable proof of what happened before, during, and after an accident. These cameras record the road ahead and potentially provide evidence to refute any false claims.
In some cases, they can even be used to defend you against criminal charges such as reckless driving.
Encourages safer driving
The video footage recorded by dash cams can also be used to encourage safer driving. For example, parents can use the footage to show their children how they drove, which can help instil good habits in newer drivers.
Also, having a dash cam installed in your car may make you more conscious of how you’re driving and act as an extra deterrent against distractions like cell phones or poor concentration.
Easy to install and use
Dash cams are incredibly easy to install and operate. All you need to do is mount the camera on your windshield, plug it into a power source such as a cigarette lighter port, and then start recording.
Using the device itself should also be simple; most dash cams have intuitive menus, and many come with voice commands, so you don’t even need to take your eyes off the road.
Cons of dashcams
Dash cams can be expensive
Dash cams can be a great way to monitor your driving and document evidence of accidents. However, the technology can be expensive.
Some dash cam systems are all-in-one units with integrated displays and memory cards for easy installation, while others require additional components like wiring harnesses and memory cards that can add up to large expenses.
There may be blind spots
Additionally, certain dash cams can have blind spots when a vehicle is turning or lane changing; they also may not detect objects outside of the range of their field of view. It’s essential to know these potential limitations before investing in a system so that you understand exactly what type of video quality and coverage you have with the camera.
You also have to be careful about where you mount dashcams
Dashcams might be incredibly convenient for recording views during long drives, but it’s important to remember where exactly you’re mounting them in your car. Obviously, you’ll want to have a clear view of the road ahead at all times, and any obstruction can make driving difficult, so you’ll need to map out a location for your dashcam that won’t interfere with that.
There are some parts of the windshield where mounting a dashcam would cause major obstruction, usually either the thin strip on the very bottom or the wide strip at the top of the windshield. Depending on your agility, these areas could also make regularly checking if they need to be adjusted quite tough too.
It’s also worth noting that installation kits may restrict how much adjusting you can do when pointing and angling your camera in certain directions.
If you want to keep as much visibility as possible while still having one mounted up front, try fastening it up close to one side-view mirror instead – this will reduce its impact on line-of-sight, but it will keep it an optimal distance from potential points of wind buffeting or extreme temperature fluctuation too!
Can dashcam footage be used as evidence in a personal injury claim?
In some cases, dashcam footage can be used to support a personal injury claim.
However, do be aware that dashcam footage may not always provide an accurate representation of what happened during an accident because there are often discrepancies between what we see with our own eyes and what is recorded by the camera. So while it could potentially help your case, it can also show contributory negligence.
This means that you should talk to an experienced legal professional before relying on any evidence from a dashboard camera.
Takeaway
Overall, if you are careful about where you mount your dash cam and what kind of footage it captures, a dash cam can be a valuable tool for helping you avoid accidents and proving your innocence in the event that you are involved in one.
Zuella Montemayor did her degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
