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Five reasons why you need a dash cam: from protecting against scams to avoiding speeding fines

Umito November 10, 2024

I’ve grown to love dash cams, mainly because they have the potential to help a driver when assistance is needed most. Best of all, the base models are so affordable that getting one seems like a no-brainer. Want more features? Then head towards the best dashboard camera you can afford it. However, I have been helped by companies like these that are reasonably user friendly. Thinkware X1000 and, more recently, the Nextbase Piqo Dashcamwhich is a piece to buy.

There are many reasons to own a dashcam, but I think the main one is that it helps give you peace of mind. Where I live, driving standards are falling, the roads are becoming more and more congested, and often the roads themselves are in such poor condition that I tend to drive with the “everything” mindset. can happen.” It’s a stressful, pothole-riddled minefield, so owning a dashcam for a relatively small outlay makes perfect sense to me.

Added to this are more and more headline-grabbing stories about how scammers cause accidents in a cynical bid to make a quick buck. I didn’t have to look far to see evidence of this and most social media feeds seem to give examples of this happening very regularly. Having a dash cam can really help, because if the worst happens, you’ll hopefully have irrefutable evidence of what really happened.

So I’m a big believer in owning a dash cam, and maybe these five reasons why might convince you to buy one, too.

Nextbase Piqo Dashcam — (Image credit: Future)

1. Dash Cams Can Help You With Insurance Claims

I’ve seen first-hand how invaluable a dash cam can be after our car was rear-ended and written off by some who ran backwards at around 40 mph. At the time, I only had a forward-facing dash cam model installed on the windshield, but the impact was such that it captured the car being pushed across two lanes.

Submitting the images, along with our insurance claim, helped us a lot and convinced me that owning one was not only desirable; it was essential. Of course, it’s possible to boost your evidence collection capabilities by purchasing a set of dashcams, with both front and rear dashcams contained in the box.

On-board camera footage — (Image credit: Future)

2. Dash cameras can help avoid fines

I had an instance very recently where I was driving late at night on a major highway, where there were roadworks, lane closures and varying speed limits. Oddly enough, as I approached an overhead gantry following a single line of traffic, which was well below the speed limit due to congestion, I could see the overhead radars flashing.

I’m pretty sure it must be some sort of technical problem with the speed cameras, but you can be sure I downloaded and saved the footage after I got home. The on-board camera shows exactly what’s happening and vital data such as date, time and my speed are all time stamped on the footage. I will keep it; just in case.

Nextbase Piqo dash cam attached to a car windshield — (Image credit: Nextbase)

3. Dash cameras can combat car insurance scams

As I mentioned above, insurance scams are on the rise and therefore being able to provide video proof of any incidents is a definite bonus. Rather than relying on a written “your word over theirs” submission to insurers, or even the police if necessary, being able to provide video and audio in the event of a claim or legal action can prove invaluable.

An added benefit of having video evidence, even if the case is so blatantly false that it is hardly worth taking seriously, is the fact that examples can be shared online. This can be a convenient way to inform others about fraudulent activities taking place, although some of these attempts are so poorly executed that they are hardly worth spreading, as long as no harm or injury occurs. took place.

Garmin X310 on-board camera — (Image credit: Garmin)

4. Dashboard cameras can capture evidence

There are several reasons why owning a dash cam has become essential, but the most important one has to do with evidence. When incidents or accidents happen, things can often get lost in the heat of the moment. People might be in shock; they might be angry or confused. Worse still, there could be injuries. With a dashboard camera installed and operational at all times, a permanent recording of proceedings captures audio and video when it is needed most.

The other advantage of most dashcams is that they can also automatically capture selected events. This can range from minor bumps and erratic driving scenarios, including going over speed bumps or potholes, to actual contact with other vehicles. Better yet, these incidents are often captured and stored both locally on the microSD card and, increasingly, in remote cloud storage, meaning they’ll be secure without you even having to think about it.

Nextbase 522GW Dash Cam

(Image credit: Future)

5. Dash Cams Can Monitor When You Can’t

I’m obviously not always in my car, which is where a quality dash cam can help. Most of the latest models of dash cams come with the option of parking monitoring, which can help you monitor your vehicle if you have parked it and left it locked up for the night, for example in a parking lot or a hotel somewhere. A dash camera can be wired into your car and set up to capture any activity that might be happening around it. This means it will film a door or bumper sound, or even any unwanted criminal activity, like someone trying to force a door or, even worse, steal the vehicle.

Advanced parking and monitoring features typically require the dash cam to be hardwired into the vehicle, so the camera can have a power source at all times. This means the installation is a bit more permanent, so it won’t be suitable for everyone who might need to move their dash cam from vehicle to vehicle. However, this is a great feature option to think about.

Nextbase Piqo dash cam app on a phone screen — (Image credit: Nextbase)

Why you should avoid a dash cam

While I’m a strong advocate for purchasing a dash cam, that doesn’t necessarily mean that owning one will protect you against every eventuality. For example, remember that driving conditions are constantly changing, and natural events like fog, unexpected storms, and other unpredictable weather events can make life difficult for even the best dash cam models you can buy. buy. Even something stupid like a dirty or foggy screen can harm recordings.

I like to think of my own dash cam as a complement to my driving. It’s great to know the unit is there and capturing events as they happen, but technical issues can also arise. Sometimes a dash cam’s microSD card can become faulty. Sometimes they may need reformatting to restore their capabilities. If failures occur regularly, the microSD card may need to be completely replaced.

Checking this regularly is a very good idea as there is nothing worse than having to rely on images as evidence, only to find that the card has been corrupted and failed to capture a vital event. That might not be enough to dissuade you from buying one, but it’s still worth noting.

Considering how affordable they are, I think it’s even worth having another dash cam as a backup – just in case, but maybe that’s just me and my continued mindset to my own experiences on the road. There are always deals to be made, as evidenced by our Roundup of Black Friday dash cam deals while I have included links to some of the best dash cams below. Dash cams have helped me a lot, and I hope they will do the same for you. Remember though: they too, like us, can be fallible.

Apre-salomemanzo

Apre-salomemanzo

Five reasons why you need a dash cam: from protecting against scams to avoiding speeding fines

1. Dash Cams Can Help You With Insurance Claims

2. Dash cameras can help avoid fines

Umito

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Five reasons why you need a dash cam: from protecting against scams to avoiding speeding fines

1. Dash Cams Can Help You With Insurance Claims

2. Dash cameras can help avoid fines

Umito

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