If you’ve ever been in an accident, you may have wished you had a dashcam. A dash cam provides you video evidence of exactly what happened during a car accident. Police cars often have them, and increasingly individuals are investing in small dashboard cameras too.
Dash cams are legal in most states, but there might be some rules to using them. For example, they have to be properly mounted on your dashboard or maybe your windshield.
Some dash cams will record what happens in front of your car while it’s in gear. Others will include interior audio and video as well as rear-facing video.
While having a dash cam can be a pretty good investment for a number of reasons, you do have to remember it’s going to record if you’re at fault in an accident as well.
Some cars have built-in dash cameras, and they might end up being a standard feature in the not-too-distant future.
With those things in mind, the following are some considerations if you’re wondering whether or not to get a dash camera.
How Do These Cameras Work?
A dashcam mounts in your car’s interior, and it’s primarily to capture the road ahead of you, but again, you may be able to find options to get what’s happening behind your vehicle too.
You might power a dashcam by plugging it into your lighter port, or you could have it wired to your battery.
With vivint alarm newer options will also transmit data to your phone or another device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Dashcams overall are pretty small and discrete, and they’re not incredibly expensive either. A higher-end option is going to cost more but also give you better video resolution and wider viewing angles. A more expensive dash cam is also more likely to keep getting pretty good video quality even when you’re in low-light situations.
What Are the Benefits?
The following are some of the major benefits of having a dashcam:
- You can challenge a ticket if you get one. Keep in mind that while a dash cam can be a good way to challenge a speeding ticket, for example, every state has different rules on admissible evidence. Sometimes, footage from dashcams has actually been used to show that people were wrongfully targeted and pulled over because of their race.
- Dashcam evidence might be useful to settle an insurance claim. In some countries, such as the UK, insurance companies even offer discounts when drivers use a dashcam. If you have video evidence, not only are you more likely to settle your claim for an amount that you think is fair, but it will also speed up the process in many instances.
- When your car is parked, and you’re not in it, you can keep an eye on thieves. You might even be able to get pretty clear footage of someone breaking into your car that you can hand over to the police.
- Interestingly, some people use dash cameras to see if mechanics are really doing the work on a vehicle that they’re promising and charging for.
- Some dash cameras have safety features like collision alerts and lane departure warnings.
- You might find it enjoyable to record the scenery if you’re on a road trip, for example.
- Increasingly, dash cameras are being equipped with great features like GPS positioning and event detection, where the camera will automatically save footage if you’re in a serious accident.
Are There Downsides to Dash Cameras?
Before you go out and buy a new dash camera, there are a few downsides to be aware of.
First, if you’re getting the best option available and it has all the newest features, it can be upwards of $500. Cheaper options are certainly available but may not give you the functionality you’re looking for.
You might also end up recording yourself doing something you shouldn’t be, making your footage of no help if you get a ticket or get in an accident. You may also be worried about privacy issues that arise from the recordings your dashcam captures, particularly if the data is uploaded via the cloud.
Overall, for a lot of people the pros of a dashcam outweigh the cons. While you certainly don’t expect that you’re going to get a ticket or be in an accident, you could be and you might be extremely glad you have the evidence recorded by your camera.
