Are There Benefits to Having a Dash Cam?

There are many benefits to having a dash cam installed in your car.

Dash cams are becoming increasingly prevalent. Their footage is often featured on news reports. Dash cams are, as the name suggests, cameras that attach to the dash of your vehicle and record everything that happens in front of your vehicle. They usually operate cyclically, that is they keep going on a loop. When the memory is full, the earliest footage will be overwritten. If something happens, such as the vehicle being involved in an accident, then the video of the event can be retrieved.

This technology has been successfully used by law enforcement for a number of years now, but recently, the price of the equipment has dropped and we’re seeing dash cams in many everyday family vehicles. There are many benefits to having a dash cam installed in your car. In this post, our St. Louis auto accident attorney discusses some of these benefits.

How can it help drivers?

Having a visual record can be of huge benefit if the reality of a situation is in doubt. If a situation ends up being your word against someone else’s, the video footage can be the deciding factor. Proving liability in the event of a car crash is one such event. It can also help to protect your car when you leave it unattended.

There can also be benefits for owners in the form of an insurance discount. This could eventually mean that the dash cam effectively pays for itself in time. While are not presently many companies that offer these discounts, this is likely to change as the insurance companies become aware of the advantages.

5 Key Benefits of Having a Dash Cam

It Can Act as an Objective Witness in the Event of an Accident

There’s always a risk of being in a car accident, no matter how cautious you are as a driver. And if you find yourself in an accident that wasn’t your fault, having a dash cam can be extremely helpful. That’s because dash cam footage can provide an objective account of what happened, which can be invaluable when filing an insurance claim or getting compensation for damages.

It Can Help You Avoid Insurance Fraud

Unfortunately, insurance fraud is all too common. Whether it’s through staged accidents or false claims of damage, people will try to take advantage of the system. However, if you have a dash cam, you can protect yourself against insurance fraud. If you have footage of an accident that clearly shows it wasn’t your fault, you can use that footage to dispute any false claims made against you.

It Can Act as a Deterrent for Bad Drivers

In addition to protecting yourself, dash cams can also help make the roads safer for everyone by acting as a deterrent for bad driving. If drivers know that their actions are being recorded, they’re more likely to drive responsibly. That can lead to fewer accidents and an overall safer driving environment.

It Can Provide Protection Against Hit and Run Drivers

Hit and run accidents are, unfortunately, not all that uncommon. Truth be told, they’re often very difficult to solve, especially because there’s no witness to identify the other driver. However, if you have a dash cam, you can rest assured knowing that you have footage of the accident that can be used to track down the hit-and-run driver.

It Can Give You a Sense of Security

Lastly, dash cams can provide a sense of security both when driving and when your car is parked. If you’re worried about being in an accident or having your car vandalized or stolen, a dash cam can help put your mind at ease. And that’s worth a lot.

Learn how to use your dash cam

Anyone who has a dash cam really should know how to use it when needed. Due to the nature of the system, you may have it installed, and never ever use it. However, the whole point is that you can use it when you need to! If an accident occurs, or you witness something and want to access the footage, you need to know how to access the video, and how to save it. Users should learn how to do this as soon as they purchase their dash cam.

Read the manual, look for videos online, or get help from the store when you buy it. Some people have the same dash cam for many years, so it’s wise to check it once in a while to ensure it is working correctly and recording your journey clearly each time.