Driving is the most dangerous thing we do on a near-daily basis. Between new drivers, distracted drivers, angry drivers, poor weather conditions, and sheer misfortune, even the most skilled and attentive drivers can experience trouble on the road. Adding a dashcam, a small video camera mounted inside the car, to your drive can protect you in many ways. Here are five reasons you should get a dashcam for your car.
Challenge tickets
If a law enforcement officer stops you for a traffic violation you didn’t commit, you can show them the dashcam footage to potentially avoid receiving a ticket. If the officer won’t watch it or writes you a ticket anyway, you can bring the footage to court to contest it. Scott R. Ball, an attorney in Orange County, California, tells the story of an Uber driver who avoided a 95-mph speeding ticket by playing dashcam footage in court that showed he had been driving at 70 mph. “He would have absolutely been convicted” without the dashcam, Ball told NerdWallet.
Settle claims
If you are involved in an accident, dashcam footage can go a long way toward helping you prove that you were not at fault. Sending video evidence can ensure the other party is held responsible for the accident and for covering your repair expenses. “While state laws vary regarding what can be used as evidence, it certainly can’t hurt your case to have dashcam video,” writes editor Caroline Anschutz in an article for U.S. News. Even if your video footage does not help you with the police or the court, it can help convince your insurance company that you were not at fault and thus avoid a premium increase.
Prevent fraud
According to the FBI, insurance fraud costs Americans more than $40 billion per year. One of the contributing factors is staged accidents. Someone may intentionally slam their brakes to cause you to rear-end them, wave you through only to get in your way, or even bump into your hood, on foot, in a low-speed parking lot and attempt to claim damages. In these situations, turning your dashcam footage over to the insurance companies can help you prevent an increase in your premium. In fact, it may even lower it. “Catching a fraudster in a staged incident can indirectly lower your rates,” says Mark Vallett, contributing researcher for Insurance.com. By reducing fraud, you help lower premiums for all motorists — including you.
Capture memories
Dashcams can help spark or revitalize a love for scenic drives and long road trips. With a dashcam, you can turn a trip into a memorable journey that you can revisit and share with loved ones time and time again. “Footage from a high-quality dashcam can be used to create a timeless record of those road trip memories,” Anschutz says.
Improve driving skills
It can be helpful to review dashcam footage to identify areas of improvement for both yourself and other drivers, such as teenagers. “Just like an athlete reviews video of themselves to become a better player, you can review video of yourself to be a better driver,” Anschutz advises. A dashcam can incentivize you to drive more safely, knowing that if you get into an accident, the video footage is likely to exonerate you. It can also motivate your children to do the same if they know you can review their driving later on.
There are many upsides to having a dashcam and virtually no downsides besides the initial cost of purchase. Regardless of how often you drive, a dashcam is a worthwhile investment, and there are many to choose from that can suit a wide variety of budgets.