8 REASONS TO HAVE A DASH CAM!
The dash cam, or dashboard camera, has become increasingly popular over the past few years mainly because of its numerous benefits. Simply put, this is a type of camera that is mounted on the dashboard of your car, and it is designed to record sounds and images while you are driving.
The purpose of the dash cam is to carefully record every detail that takes place both on the road and inside the car, and it can be used for a variety of purposes.
Currently, these cameras are widely used all around the world by regular drivers, driving instructors, taxi and bus drivers, police officers and so on. An important function of these affordable and feature-rich cameras is the fact that they can be easily coupled with different onboard technologies, such as recorders and GPS devices.
That being said, here is a deeper insight into some of the most notable reasons why you should consider buying a dash cam and installing it in your vehicle:
1. You Have First-Hand Evidence Of A Car Accident
This is by far the main reason why millions of car drivers have decided to invest their time and money in dash cams, especially in Russia, where you can see the highest number of dash cam users at the moment. Simply put, the camera will start recording as soon as you start your car’s engine and it will provide real-time, efficient, straight-to-the-point proof in case of an accident.
If a car crash took place and your vehicle was involved, then you can prove that it was not your fault and you can send the imagery as evidence, should there be any court trial. This way, the other party will be held responsible for the accident and will be obliged to pay for your own vehicle's repairs. Without the video evidence, the other driver may claim that the fault was entirely yours, as it often happens that the guilty drivers tend to put the blame on the victims.
The dash cam is the strongest and most efficient proof you have for defending yourself, in case of a car crash. In the end, it is better to have one and to stay on the safe side, as it can help you save a lot of time, money and trouble in the long run.
2. A Dash Cam Is The Perfect Solution For Undisciplined Drivers
Another important reason why you should consider buying a dash cam is that this will help you report undisciplined drivers. Every driver has had at least one bad encounter with a bad driver, throughout his “driving career”.
Not only are these reckless and irresponsible drivers very bothersome and annoying, but they might actually put the lives of other drivers and innocent passengers in danger. However, reporting the bad behaviour of an undisciplined driver can be a daunting task, as this often requires proof – if you do not have an eyewitness to testify on your behalf, then the case usually goes cold.
This is where the dash cam steps in and provides the ultimate proof against bad drivers. However, the dash cam can actually be used to report a variety of drivers who do not act according to their status, when in traffic. You can use it for drunk drivers or reckless drivers who text and drive, you can use it for reporting road rage accidents and such.
Most of the US states have special programs dedicated to those who want to report bad drivers and make the United States roads a safer and better place for everybody. If you do not take action against these reckless people, then you already have your share of the fault, if anything happens to another driver or passenger.
It often happens that even if you are a good, experienced and professional driver who always sticks to the rules (both the written driving rules and the unwritten, common sense-related ones), there comes somebody else who is disrespectful and irresponsible. These people can cause a major accident in the blink of an eye, and the dash cam will capture every single detail that takes place on the road.
3. The Dash Cam Is Perfect For Driving Instructors And Worried Parents
Are you worried that your child may take your car for a ride, even though you have repeatedly forbidden him to do so? Do you own a courier company and you suspect that your drivers may use several extra miles in personal interest, or perhaps you have a company of any kind and you want to limit the fuel consumption, yet extra miles keep adding up without any apparent reason? If that is the case, then the dashboard camera is certainly the best solution for you.
On the other hand, buying a dash cam is also perfect if you constantly lend your car to your friends or relatives, or you want to see what happens whenever you drop your vehicle off at the local mechanic. Your car may be one of your most valuable assets, and it is perfectly normal to be concerned about it and its integrity.
Most of the modern dash cameras come with GPS devices that are embedded in them, therefore in addition to recording every single detail that takes place both inside the car and outside of it, the dash cam will also record the driving speed as well as the different street routes.
4. You Can Prevent Fraud
Insurance fraud is one of the most common problems of the 21st century when it comes to vehicles and traffic. Not only does the fraud affect insurance companies on a large scale, but it actually takes its toll on car drivers (the honest ones!) as well.
Simply put, some drivers purposely cause car accidents just to put the blame on the other party, in order to extort money from the victim. This is a widely used fraud practice nowadays, where those who commit it usually look for high-end car drivers to extort.
In addition to extorting money from the alleged victim, who is usually innocent but has no way of proving it, these people also fake injuries in order to collect the insurance money from their insurance companies. Those who commit the fraud claim that they have suffered a whiplash injury, and they commonly claim that they suffer from back pain as well.
It is not uncommon for these people to demand hospitalisation and even compensation to cover the expense and “pain”. This is usually a phantom pain that is very hard to show on X-rays, so scammers take advantage of this loophole and commit insurance fraud.
The dashboard cam can prevent at least one of these two unpleasant situations. By carefully installing the cam on the dashboard of your car and recording all the events, you can prevent scammers from illegally extorting money from you for something you haven’t even done.
Don’t let scammers take advantage of you! Invest your money in a dash cam that will keep you on the safe side, rather than paying these scammers your hard-worked money just to avoid going to trial or calling the police to solve things out.
5. You Can Record Your Entire Road Trip
This reason is particularly important if you are fond of road trips and you always go with your loved ones on occasional trips. Do you want to turn your road trip into an unforgettable journey that you can see over and over again, whenever nostalgia kicks in?
If so, then a dashboard camera is certainly a great investment that will help you turn your road trip into a great experience and a memory you will cherish over the years.
If you are a creative person, then you can easily turn your journey into your own adventure – all you need is a touch of skill and creativity and a high-quality dash camera that will not let you down when you need it the most. Pack your stuff, install your camera and you are good to go!
6. Dash Cams Have A Plethora Of Useful Features And Functions
You would be amazed to see how much dashes cams have evolved over the years. For the time being, these high-quality cameras come with plenty of useful features that can benefit you on many different levels.
For instance, most of these cameras come with audible notifications along with spoken status updates – this way, you will always stay up to date with the recording process and you will be notified in real-time, should there be any problem with the camera or the storage card.
As mentioned above, most of the dash cams come with a GPS device embedded in them and they will help you track your speed and location. Moreover, these cameras will also help you record your destination onto a log file and manage your journey in a fast, efficient and hassle-free way.
The cameras come with a low battery usage feature as well and, as the name suggests, this particular function is designed to make the dash camera use as little battery as possible. This feature is especially useful if your dashboard camera is not drawing its energy from your car’s battery and it relies exclusively on external batteries, as it increases their lifespan.
Most of the cameras also come with a generous, high-tech LCD screen that has touch technology embedded in them as well. With a user-friendly, comprehensive and straightforward navigation menu, these cameras now allow you to have full control over your road trip and over your recording experience.
7. You Can Efficiently Prevent Parking Accidents
Parking can be a nightmare, especially for beginner drivers who tend to accidentally scratch other cars while they are struggling to park theirs. Has it ever occurred to you to find your beloved car scratched or seriously damaged, knowing that it was perfectly intact when you parked it the other night? Are you tired of your neighbour scraping your car when trying to pull theirs out?
Also, a well-installed dash camera can efficiently record vandals who are trying to break into your car, especially if you leave your vehicle unattended in public places or in areas that are poorly lit. One of the greatest advantages of dashboard cameras is that most of them can be set to stay on throughout the entire night, without you having to leave your car engine on.
In addition to this, the dash cams can also be operated remotely from the privacy of your home, and you can send all the data to your laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. These cams are specially designed to give car owners the peace of mind they need at night, knowing that their cars are safe and sound in the parking lot!
8. You Might Be Amazed Of What A Dash Cam Can Capture!
Never underestimate the power of dash cams! If you look at the online videos of car accidents and unexpected phenomena, you will see that most of them have been accidentally caught on camera and very few of them have actually been recorded on purpose. In other words, a dash cam can help you capture the things that you least expect them to.
Besides the fact that dash cams are a great investment from a safety and legal standpoint, these cameras can actually help you record some unforgettable events as well. For instance, a Russian car driver’s dash camera has recorded the meteor that flew over Russia and the clip ended up having tens of millions of views on Youtube.
There are countless other unexpected events caught on dash cameras, from accidents involving other cars to animals surprised in the middle of the road. The dashboard-mounted camera can be used in countless different ways!
The Bottom Line
To sum it all up, a dashboard camera is a great investment, especially since it is very cost-effective and has a straightforward design that typically consists of a microphone and a fixed-lens digital camera. These simple cameras can be installed on the dashboard or the windshield of your car within seconds, thanks to their suction cup mounted design.
You have a wide array of dash cameras to choose from, from the low-end ones that only cost a few hundred bucks to high-end, state of the art cameras that come with a colour display, time and date stamps, as well as two lenses. The choice is entirely yours, depending on your budget, needs and preferences!