It may surprise you to learn that dash cams have been around since the late 1980’s.  They were installed into police officers vehicles in Texas to protect their officers while they were on duty.  They were a bit bigger back then however, as they were VHS camcorders mounted on a tripod in the front or rear window of the police vehicle.  The word ‘sardines’ comes to mind.

Nowadays dash cams are lovely compact designs that can sit on a windscreen or vent mount without taking up a third of your driving space.  Happy days!

Since 2015 the use of dash cams has become commonplace with 1 in 4 people using a dash cam in their personal or work vehicles.

But how can this tiny little device save the day? Well this technological superhero has a few super tricks up its sleeve.

Accidents Happen

Whether it’s a bump or a crash we’ve all had some experience of road traffic accidents

Dash cams can really save the day in the event of a road traffic accident. If you’ve been hit and the person that hit you is screaming at you that it’s your fault.  Do you know the Highway Code back to front?  Do you know the thousands of case laws about road traffic liability? If you don’t work in the industry then it’s unlikely that you will have the knowledge to know the answer.  So are you going to accept that it was your fault because this angry person tells you? Of course you’re not, because your dash cam is there to save the day.  Instead of bickering at the road side with a disgruntled third party.  Just download the footage and send it to the people who know their stuff! Dash cam to the rescue!

Fraudsters

What about fraudulent claims?  Did the car in front of you slam on for no reason at all?  Did this result in your vehicle hitting theirs? Did you know that under the Highway Code if your vehicle hits the rear of another you are automatically held liable? Unless you are a victim of a fraudulently induced accident of course!

So how can you prove that the third party stopped for no reason and has deliberately induced the accident? If you have a friendly neighbourhood dash cam then you have the perfect evidence to prove that you have been a victim of a fraudster!  What a little life saver.

Dent and run

Ever been parked in Tesco, while you run in for a loaf of bread and a pint of milk, and on your return find your car has acquired a brand new dent that you definitely did not have before?  Did the culprit stick around? I didn’t think so.  People with dash cams don’t have this worry because they have a nifty inbuilt motion sensor so they start recording when they detect any movement of your vehicle.  So your phantom denter is caught red handed and his insurance details are only a registration number away! Nifty little superhero isn’t it?