Dash cams, also known as dashboard cameras, have been used by police officers for years and are becoming increasingly popular in commercial and passenger vehicles. In this article, we’ll explore six compelling reasons why you should consider getting a dash cam for your vehicle.
The Benefits of Dash Cams
Dash cams record your drive & capture what’s going on around you. This helps reduce the insurance premiums on vehicle coverage, and helps prevent fraudulent claims from coming in. Dash cams can be used on the front or the rear of car’s.
A second eye on the road using dash cams help prove fault during an accident. A dash cam is an important tool to catch reckless drivers.
There are many insurance & law enforcement reasons to own a dashcam as well, spanning from dealing with sloppy dishonest drivers with road rage, to video evidence of rockfall. Lets jump into the 6 reasons you need a dash cam in your vehicle!
1. Undeniable Proof in the Event of an Accident
“I’m a good driver” is the most widely used reason we hear from non-dash cam users as to why they don’t have dash cams. While most people drive well, not every person you encounter on the road is the perfect driver.
Besides, being a good driver isn’t always enough to prevent accidents, and the road can be full of surprises that are out of your control.
With dashcams, you’re prepared for whatever comes your way. When you catch everything on video, you have the video evidence you need to file a valid insurance claim and cover your losses. The dash cam was not designed as a safety device but instead an esthetic device to provide evidence of accidents.
Your insurance & police department will appreciate dash cam footage as these provide an excellent snapshot & make it easy to keep yourself from unnecessary nonsense.
2. Easy Insurance Reporting
In the United States, automobile insurers face more than $18 billion in losses every year. When it comes to claim reviews, insurance companies need to ask themselves if the case in front of them seems like fraud.
By providing a dash cam recording as evidence for your claim, you make it easy for both you & the insurance companies.
Submitting an insurance claim is a massive hassle and can take valuable time away from your personal life. In the event you get in an accident, the last thing you feel like doing is spending days on the phone to get money from your (or their) insurance company.
Depending on the severity, reliving the accident while being forced to explain who’s at fault can be traumatizing. With a dash cam, all you have to do is pull the dash cam footage & send the evidence to insurance companies & police.
Since dash cams record the surrounding environment when driving, these images can also be used for accident claim reports. It may also help you avoid tickets or fight lawsuits against you. If nothing else, you can sleep better knowing a dash cam will save you money in the event of an accident.
Are there any traffic violations or just a misunderstanding? Your dash cam will show you if your vehicle is at fault. You can also use the dash cam for other personal purposes.
3. Capturing Memories and Surprising Footage
Whether you’re on a family trip or driving with loved ones in the car, you can be sure you’ll always have fun memories recorded.
Maybe a family of ducks crosses your path, or you visit a cool destination, dash cams allow you to cherish these forever, and also share immediately.
When you have a dash cam that automatically uploads to your phone, you’ll be able to easily send or post your driving videos.
4. Affordable and Accessible Technology
We live in a technological world, why not make the most of it?
In the modern times, many Windshield Camera companies provide a smart-driving experience by offering extra features.
These features include but aren’t limited to – having an app that allows you to watch your commute immediately, to using your smartphone sensors to identify impact when an accident occurs. Additionally, there are plenty of affordable options for those on a budget, as mentioned in our dash cam price guide.
Many dash cams are tough to install and auto-save incident clips to the cloud. You can also use apps to manually save clips of any part of your drive, generate reports to send to insurance companies, and even a few that let you ask Siri where you parked your car!
5. Peace of Mind
In our opinion, this is the most underrated part of owning a dash cam – peace of mind. Don’t let terrible, careless drivers bully you into letting them off the hook.
Some drivers tend to get away with dangerous driving through denial & intimidation tactics. Not anymore. Thanks to dash cams, you can show them they’ve been caught on camera – on the spot, in real time – so there’s nothing left to argue about.
We’ve all seen video clips from car crash victims or pedestrians trying to steal money through insurance fraud. Some of these are humorous to look at, but it won’t be joke if it happens to you.
Are dash cams worth it? The answer is nearly a resounding yes. Some folks have bought the device for their cars in order for them to protect themselves. Dash cams are incredibly useful in helping those who utilize them correctly.
6. Protection While Parked (Parking Statistics)
Something we frequently hear from our friends and family is “I don’t drive enough to need a dash cam.” The fact is, if you own a car you have to park it somewhere & there is nothing that guarantees safety when you’re away from your vehicle.
Many accidents happen with only 1 driver involved & the other parked. Be sure no one is able to “hit & run” by securing a dash cam that records 24/7. Parking where you want is important for many people, especially those who live in the city.
There’s many things that can happen when your car’s parked: scratches or holes, collisions and vandalism, and thefts. The principle of an alarm system is to discourage thieves and burglaries. As covered in one of our recent posts, a dash cam can deter burglars.
However, we all know this system will not stop car burglaries. Typically, vehicle alarms that ring at night in the neighborhood became commonplace, and the alarms are ignored.
Do not leave it up to chance and use dashcam parking surveillance recordings for back up security on your vehicle.
Should I get a dash cam?
Yes, as mentioned above, there are several benefits & reasons to own a dash cam in 2024. Typically, in the event of an accident, it’s a ‘he said’ ‘she said’ game, where both drivers blame each other.
Dash cams help in tracing and recording incidents as well as providing vital information regarding who was involved and help assign fault. Without video footage, it is impossible for investigators to find who truly caused the car accident. Lets talk about the different types of dash cams that are available on the market today.
Types of Dash Cams
Dashboard cameras come in all shapes & sizes with different features and quality. Some cameras archive video in the cloud, some use GPS tracking devices, and even two camera systems with both cameras recording at the same time.
Each model has its benefits & disadvantages so it’s important to pick one that’s best for the driver who will be using it. Find out which type of dash cam is best for you.
SD Card Dash cams
Dash cams with SD cards saves the recording as loops. If the card is full, they record at saving the most recent videos. There won’t be any problem in memory. The recording can be downloaded on a computer, then reused by using a card.
A 16-GB card can hold approximately two and 32 inch video files to record. When there are accidents the dashcam can detect the incident and save the recording. This won’t replace recording the events that led to the effect.
Cloud Dash Cams
There a few dash cams that have their own apps & can be accessed via cloud storage. This helps it store data faster, and the car will keep its tamper-free hood protected from unauthorized uses.
If the data can be uploaded to an external cloud, it requires a wireless network that is connected via the Wi Fi hot spot or by a SIM card on the smartphone. It’d be useful to have a Cloud account in order to retrieve your files.
3-channel systems
3-channel dash cam systems provide comprehensive coverage of your vehicle by using three cameras: one for the front, one for the rear, and one for the interior. The front camera captures the road ahead, while the rear camera records any incidents or collisions that may occur behind your vehicle. The interior camera is particularly useful for rideshare drivers or taxi operators, as it can provide evidence in the event of a dispute with a passenger or help monitor passenger behavior.
These systems offer a more complete record of your driving experience and can be invaluable in providing evidence for insurance claims or legal proceedings.
4-channel systems
These systems take the concept of multi-camera coverage even further by adding a fourth camera to the setup. This additional camera is typically used to cover the driver’s blind spot or provide a wider rear view, eliminating any potential blind spots in the recording. The fourth camera can also be positioned to capture footage from the side of the vehicle, which can be useful in the event of a sideswipe collision or hit-and-run incident.
4-channel dash cam systems are popular among fleet managers who need coverage for all of their vehicles. The extra camera ensures that no incident goes unrecorded, providing a comprehensive record of any event.
Radar Detector Dash Cams
These devices combine the functionality of a traditional dash cam with the added benefit of a radar detector. Dash cam radar detectors not only record the road ahead but also alert drivers to the presence of speed traps, red light cameras, and other radar-based law enforcement tools. By providing advance warning of these potential hazards, they help drivers maintain a safe speed and avoid costly tickets.
Some models also include GPS functionality, which allows the device to learn the locations of fixed speed cameras and provide more accurate alerts over time. While these devices can be more expensive than traditional dash cams, they offer a comprehensive solution for drivers looking to enhance their safety and avoid legal issues on the road.
Parking Mode Dash Cams
Parking mode allows the device to continue recording even when the vehicle is parked and the engine is turned off. It provides 24/7 protection for your vehicle & is especially useful for those who park in high-traffic or high-crime areas.
This feature is made possible by either a built-in battery or a hardwiring kit that connects the dash cam directly to the vehicle’s battery. When your dash cam is in parking mode, it typically uses motion detection or time-lapse to capture any incidents. Including but not limited to hit-and-runs, vandalism, or theft.
The dash cams with advanced parking modes even have a “buffered recording” function, which continuously records footage but only saves the moments leading up to and following a detected event to save space.
Dash cam with External Batteries
For those who want to use their dash cam as a parking mode security device, models with external batteries can provide extended recording time without draining the vehicle’s battery. When using a dashboard cam as a security method in parking mode, it requires electricity.
Related Post: How to Hardwire your Dash Camera
The battery power can keep cameras running overnight and even longer in some models. However, this shouldn’t be used as a long term solution because hard wiring your dash cam is far superior to using an external battery.
FAQ
Yes, dash cams record car collisions & provide undeniable evidence of hit-and-run situations. They catch pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone else who’s acting dangerously on the road. Rear dash cams aren’t required but should be considered as a useful tool for those who can afford it. The rear camera can capture the rear collision and any incident behind a vehicle.
A car camera is made by a well-established car manufacturer that is built with quality parts and is covered by warranty. There’s a fairly broad pricing range and the better your purchase, the better the quality of the product.
Good quality third party dash cams typically cost from $100 to $400. At that price range, you’ll get the chance for a reliable car camera with reliable parts, and the manufacturer offers a warranty to you. It is quite an expensive range, however the more expensive it gets, the more features it has.
It’s possible to use dash cam footage against someone to prove that you have done something unlawful that led to an accident. But many argue that it could also work against you in the same way.
The only way your insurance company could know you have a dash cam, is if you notify them to get a discount. Therefore, they may ask for footage if you are filing a claim. Otherwise, if you are at fault you don’t necessarily need to provide anything or tell people about the footage.
The only other disadvantage of a dash cam we can think of is that it could compromise your personal data. A dash cam can be intrusive if you’re it uploads the to cloud.
This is especially dangerous when devices are connected via WiFi as data breaches are becoming more and more common. However, the benefits outweigh an potential negatives.
Most dash cams feature a camera placed on front windshield, but there’s also cabin cameras that record & keep an eye on the interior. This helps taxi or rideshare drivers monitor the interior activity inside their vehicles.
Normal dash cams & even the infrared dash cam are equipped to display detail in poorly viewed environments. As a taxi, Uber or Lyft chauffeur, there is no idea what state or person is coming in to the vehicle. In putting up a video record, you can avoid false allegations which can damage the reputation of the business.
In most states, dash cams are legal as long as they don’t obstruct the driver’s view. However, it’s essential to check your local laws and regulations regarding the use of dash cams, as some states have specific restrictions or requirements.
Dash cameras in U.S. law may cause serious damage unless they are properly mounted and properly installed with a reliable power source. Some states prohibit the installation of cameras on your windshield. Find out what states or local laws limit the use of dash cams in cars if they are required.
Depending on your dashboard cam you will need a license to inform your passengers of your on record. In such cases the camera isn’t installed. For instance, it could be useful to post signs on vehicles for rides with the ride-sharing companies.
A G-sensor, also known as an accelerometer, is a feature found in many dash cams that detects sudden changes in motion, such as those caused by an accident or hard braking. When the G-sensor is triggered, the dash cam automatically saves and protects the current footage, ensuring that critical evidence is not overwritten. This feature is particularly useful in hit-and-run situations or when the driver is unable to manually save the footage.
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