You might be thinking, “Honey, the next time someone walks into my car with a shopping cart in the Target parking lot, I’ve got this!” But purchasing a dash cams has a lot of advantages, many of which can help you save money.
1. Insurance
Unfortunately, insurance companies do not offer a specific discount for dash cams in the United States. However, owning one will not immediately help you save on insurance premiums. Sometimes it is not always clear who caused the accident. And let’s face it, folks aren’t always, um, truthful. Video recording an incident with another driver can help you avoid these unfortunate moments, allowing law enforcement and your insurance company to clearly see who is at fault. It can also speed up your claim.
2. First Hand Evidence
The main reason why millions of drivers, especially in other countries, choose to use a dash cam is to have first-hand evidence of all traffic accidents. As we mentioned above, sometimes people lie, or sometimes it’s not immediately clear who is to blame. Video footage of accidents on the road, in a parking lot, or even in your own driveway can help determine fault and hold the culprit accountable.
A dash cam can also be used as evidence to challenge a traffic or parking violation. While state laws vary as to what can be used as evidence, it certainly won’t hurt your case to have dash cam video. For drivers concerned about racial profiling, a dashcam can help prevent inappropriate police stops or unfair treatment. In addition, you can help a stranger by passing on dashcam footage to the police if you witness an incident with other drivers.
For instance, what would you do if a car accident occurred in front of you and the at-fault motorist sped away? Maybe your camera caught her license plate! You can also use dash cam footage if you see a drunk or reckless driver and help them get off the road before they hurt someone.
Finally, dashcam footage can be used as evidence in the event of a road incident. If another driver is off the road, your footage can capture their license plate number or identify the driver’s characteristics, potentially helping to bring them to justice. .
3. Encourages Safer Driving
Children behave better when they know their parents are watching, and adults are no different. You can study film of yourself to improve as a driver, much as an athlete reviews their own footage to do better at their sport. Does your partner regularly gripe that you irritate other drivers by lane-changing without signalling? Check to see whether it’s true on your dashcam footage.
Better driving skills may also have insurance benefits in addition to making you a safer driver. Insurance companies frequently provide premium discounts to drivers with stronger safety records. Speaking of kids, most parents dread the day their kids get behind the wheel, and drivers under 25 have higher insurance rates than older drivers because they tend to drive recklessly and have more accidents.
If your child knows you can watch the video every time they drive, they may be more inclined to drive safely and obey the law. This is where a two-way dash cam can come in handy. Not only can it record what’s going on outside the windshield, but also what’s going on inside the car, hopefully discouraging things like texting and driving.
