It may seem that installing a dash cam in your car or company vehicle will only prove to have benefits; however, there are also disadvantages to having a dash cam.
With this guide to the advantages and disadvantages of dash cams, you will be able to easily make your decision when it comes down to purchase and installation of a vehicle camera.
Do I legally need a dash cam in my car?
Legally, there are no laws against not having a dash cam installed into your car.
When it comes down to installing your dash cam, there are laws which need to be followed. Some laws include the positioning of the dash cam itself and whether privacy is being breached.
These laws and all the others are talked about in depth in our guide to dash cam law in the UK.
Advantages of a dash cam
There are multiple ways having a dash cam installed will benefit you in the future, especially when you unfortunately experience certain events around and in your car.
Always have a witness
In the aftermath of a small road traffic accident, there is always the debate of who is at fault. Sometimes these debates are very easy, however, there are times when both drivers believe the other is in the wrong.
Usually, an unbiased witness is able to provide the police with the final decision of who is to blame. In certain situations a witness is not available, however, with a dash cam, a witness is always there as there is recorded footage of the whole incident from your point of view and can be used as evidence.
A reduced price to your insurance
Insuring your car can prove very expensive to some people.
It is highly approved by insurance companies that a dash cam should be installed, so much so that they will reduce your insurance premiums when you’re using a dash cam to record your driving, as it shows intentions to be a safe driver.
Reducing dangerous and reckless driving
Behind the wheel, having a dash cam installed will help the operational driver make better decisions as they know that they are being recorded. It can also be a safety net to other drivers around as they may notice the camera and realise they are being recorded, and then make better decisions themselves.
Even with the operation of dash cams, some drivers will still drive recklessly.
Most of the time when reporting reckless driving, the police cannot do much as there is no evidence, just the word of the reporter; however, with the video footage, the police are able to do a lot more with getting a hold of the correct reckless driver.
Stopping fraud
It has become a more frequently recurring event that fraudsters are trying to benefit from road traffic accidents; whether that is someone jumping in front of a slow moving car or people staging an accident in an attempt to reap the insurance claim.
With a dash cam, the fraud attempt will be recorded, meaning that they will have a hard time to get their claim and you will most likely get one yourself!
Disadvantages of a dash cam
There aren’t many disadvantages to having a vehicle camera, but there are a few and some of them may put you off purchasing a dash cam. However, with each disadvantage, there is a way to prevent it.
Distraction
It is a contradicting statement to suggest that a piece of equipment designed to prevent accidents and reduce the amount of time it takes for a decision about whose fault the road traffic accident was, can also be the reason for why an accident was caused.
The placing of a dash cam can sometimes create a new blind spot as they are either placed on the windshield or on the dash cam. Some dash cams are quite large in size and it has been known that the reason for some accidents are because of a distraction caused by a dash cam.
Your car being broken into
The positioning of dash cams leaves them sitting in plain sight constantly, which may encourage thieves. This happening is very unlikely, but it is definitely something to consider before purchasing.
Breaching privacy
The use of the footage recorded could result in breaching someone’s privacy and GDPR rules, as it may reach social media when certain aspects of the video should only be used in court settings.
Should I invest in a dash cam?
It is well worth investing in a dash cam.
Dash cams can prove cost effective in multiple ways. The first way is that if you do end up in a car accident and it was not your fault, then the video footage from the dash cam will be able to have your back and fight in your corner.
With this, it will save you from someone claiming against you and also, that your insurance will have to pay for the repairs.
The second way is that it can stop fraudsters being able to claim injury through you.