Humans have lately become obsessed with recording everything they can, and one manifestation of this obsession is the dash cam. Dashcams are everywhere these days, and in addition to satisfying our recording compulsions, they serve as useful tools in many different ways when you’re on the road.
If you’re looking to install a dash cam on your vehicle (click here to see our range), here are 4 things you might find interesting and helpful in making an informed decision.
Many insurance companies offer discounts to dashcam owners.
Owning a dashcam has to be the most low-effort way of saving money because some insurance companies offer as much as a 10% discount on your premium just for installing a dashcam.
One reason for this encouragement is that dashcams can save insurance companies from incurring financial losses at the hands of insurance fraudsters. These people fake whiplash and back injuries to claim money from insurers and because these injuries can’t be verified by medical tests easily, insurers have no other option than to pay.
With dashcams installed, insurance companies can easily verify any claims of injury made and potentially save themselves from fraud.
Plus, that’s not the only way dashcams save you money. Because they act as an extra pair of eyes — eyes that keep everything they see — dashcams can help you get out of accidents where you weren’t on the wrong side as well as insurance frauds.
And by the way, don’t forget to let your car insurer know when you install a dascham as this may affect your policy premium.
Dashcams can get you in trouble!
People normally think of daschams as tools to keep you out of trouble but sometimes things can go in the opposite direction.
That’s because if you get into an accident and submit dashcam footage to the police as evidence, the police have a right to prosecute you if they find that your conduct on the road has been illegal or inappropriate.
In fact, whenever you submit dascham footage to the police, they don’t look at only the accident footage. You’re required to submit extended footage — of before and after the accident — so that the police can assess your conduct and the whole circumstance of the accident to make fair and accurate conclusions.
So, if you think your conduct might have been shaky, submitting dascham footage to the police might not be a good idea!
Dashcams are far more intelligent than you think.
If you’ve ever watched dashcam video, you might be inclined to think that the only function of a dashcam is to record video, which isn’t really true.
In addition to recording video, many daschams now come with built-in microphones that allow them to record audio as well. Not only that, higher-end dashcams are now fitted with amazing technologies like loop recording, lane departure warning system (that alerts you if you stray out of your lane), GPS tracking, and front collision warning system.
Some daschams also come with G-force sensors, which allow them to detect moments of impact, leading to activation at the right time. Finally, parking mode is another useful (and now common) feature of dashcams and allows your cam to start recording if a collision occurs while you’re parked.
You (probably) do not need a 4K dascham.
Contrary to what marketing campaigns would have you think, you don’t have to squander money on high-end dashcams that record in 4K. 4K resolutions can be certainly useful if you’re trying to record a roadtrip to a scenic location, but for most practical purposes, dashcams with lower recording resolutions would do just fine.
What you need to ensure, however, is that your dascham records a clear footage during both the day and night. By clarity, we mean it should be able to record another car’s details like the license plate and year clearly enough for them to be tracked down should you get involved in an accident.
Many dashcams that record in Full 1080 HD (not 4k!) provide clear footage during daytime and the night. So if you’re on a budget or a breathtaking road trip to an exotic location is not on your agenda, don’t waste money on a super-expensive dashcam!
However, it might be a good idea to invest on a new SD card every 6-12 months. That’s because the longer an SD card stays in your dascham, the higher the risk of it getting corrupted. And nothing could be worse than getting into trouble and finding that your SD card stopped working at the crucial moment, dashing your hopes of proving your innocence.
