Top 10 Advantages of Dash Cams

Dash cams, commonly called driving cameras or car cameras, are small video cameras designed for recording while driving.

Unlike traditional video cameras or recording devices, such as an iPhone or GoPro, dash cams come equipped with many unique features specifically designed and engineered for recording while driving.

If you still haven’t invested in a dash cam, it’s time you do. Here are the top 10 reasons why every driver should own a dash cam:

1. Discount on insurance premiums

With a dash cam, you can enjoy savings on insurance premiums. Since a dash cam is considered to be a preventative measure, some insurance companies may provide a discount of up to 15% on cars equipped with a dash cam.

Quality dash cams are inexpensive, costing about $150 and they can last for years, making dash cams a cost-saving purchase and great investment.

Looking at some very simple math, the average person spends $1,000 annually to have their vehicle insured. By saving 15% on your insurance premium, that represents $150 in savings, which would cover the entire cost of the dash cam in just one year.

2. Record driving accidents

Often, the memories and description of accidents that drivers have are completely different from what actually happened. However, a video recording is irrefutable evidence of what actually happened, clearly showing who was at fault during the incident.

Records can help you file police reports and insurance claims as well as help expedite your insurance payouts.

Similarly, if you've been stopped for a traffic violation that you didn’t commit, you can simply give the police offer the footage before the ticket is issued or contest it with ease and confidence in a court.

3. Capture parking accidents and car theft

Dash cams have features that help to capture car theft as well as parking accidents. Dash cams come equipped with motion sensors and a secondary camera (dual cam models) facing the inside of the vehicle.

The motion detection feature activates when motion in or around the car is detected, helping you file police reports and insurance claims as well as helping you speed up your insurance payout.

If your car is scratched just because someone parks near your car poorly, if another car bumps into you while making a turn, or if someone vandalizes or tries to break into your car at any time, a dash cam will record all of it. Then, you may be able to have a look at the footage and try to identify the person responsible.

Further, you can give the footage to the insurance company as proof of how the damage occurred, thus keeping your rates low. Similarly, you can also hand the footage to the police and have them locate the culprit and hold them responsible.

4. Small and low cost

Unlike other traditional video cameras, GoPros or smartphones, which can cost up to thousands of dollars and be large in size, dash cams are very cheap and tiny devices.

Car cameras only cost about $80 to $160 depending on the model. They are also very small and compact.

5. Turn on + record automatically

One key feature of dash cams that do not come with any other type of camera is that dash cams turn on automatically and begin recording automatically. Many take these features for granted but they arguably the most convenient and practical aspects of a dash cam.

If you were to use any other type of recording device, you would be required to not only install it each time you entered your car, but you would need to turn it on and hit record each time. This is a huge inconvenience as you may be in a rush and not have the time to set it up or simply forget. It only takes one mistake that can cost you big time.

Further, motion sensors automatically turn on and activate a dash cam, so you know that someone is watching over your car 24/7, even when it is off.

6. Easy to use + install

You don’t need any technical expertise to use and install a dash cams. Essentially, there are four components that come in the package including the camera itself, the memory card, a suction cup, and a power connection cable.

Simply insert the memory card into the dash cam memory slot, attach the suction cup to your dashboard or windshield and lock the camera into the mount. Lastly, plug the dash cam into a power supply (cigarette lighter outlet or USB slot) and you’re good to go.

When you need to review footage, eject the memory card and connect it to a computer for viewing. Getting up and running with a dash cam takes no more than 5 minutes.

7. Contest insurance fraud

One common problem of today is insurance fraud, particularly traffic accident fraud and pedestrian fraud. More and more staged car accidents are surfacing, affecting insurance companies and honest drivers alike.

Traffic accident fraud occurs when a car accident is staged and the fraudster tries to blame you in order to get a free insurance payout. This is often done to try to get free work done on their car or even worse, to claim different injuries like back pain and whiplash to extort more money from insurance companies and drivers.

Another type of fraud is pedestrian fraud which is when a pedestrian throws themselves in front of your car, claiming you weren’t paying attention in order to get a large insurance payout to cover their injuries and damages.

If your car or truck is equipped with a dash cam, these fraudsters will be out of luck. You’ll be able to prove your innocence and also sheds light on the antics of these fraudsters to the relevant authorities.

8. Loop and smart recording

As mentioned earlier, dash cams have some impressive features. Two of these include loop recording and ‘smart’ recording.

With loop recording, the camera continues to record in an indefinite loop without any human intervention and without stopping. Thus, it constantly overwrites the oldest video files with new ones. The loop recording function is also automated. Traditional recording devices would simply stop recording and inform you that your memory is full.

Smart recording (G-sensor technology) is an automatic feature that securely stores footage from shortly before, during and shortly after an accident.

G-sensors are specifically designed to detect an accident by measuring impact, shock and force levels. The smart recording that ensues is automatically saved in a secure folder within the memory so that the loop recording doesn’t record over it and you can be confident that the footage will be available for your police report and insurance claim.

9. Monitor your kids

A dash cam is ideal for those parents who only let their children use their car. The dash cam will record all that happens in the car, even if your kids are not present inside.

Plus, most modern dash cams with an embedded GPS device in them so you can ensure that your kids are going where they told you they are going. Meanwhile, with features like speed tracking and of course, the video, you can ensure that your kids drive responsibly and follow the law.

10. Record a road trip

Everyone loves a good roadtrip. Whether you enjoy nice long talks, singalongs or beautiful landscapes, dash cams can help you record all of it. With a dash cam, you can turn your road trip into an unforgettable journey and keep the memories forever.

Bonus - Fleet Management

If you are the owner or manager of a delivery or taxi service, dash cams can help you run a better business.

Not only do you have a dash cam for driving and parking accident protection, but you can also monitor where your drivers are going, how fast they are driving and protect against theft and other illicit activities.

For your business, your fleet can be your most valuable asset. Thus, it is only understandable that you’re concerned about your cars. Installing a dash cam will surely provide you with many benefits.