Road safety is of paramount importance to us all, peace of mind on your travels or when friends and loved ones are in their vehicles is at the forefront of many people’s minds.
The emergence in popularity of the in car dashboard camera – or ‘Dash Cam’ is testament to that. A steep rise in uptake like this has not been seen in any on board vehicle tech since Bluetooth® car kits became a must-have some years back.
Being able to record what happens on the road in front of you gives you the peace of mind that in the awful event you are involved in a road traffic accident – be it your fault or that of another driver – you have a device that captures what actually happened. It is also widely believed that humans behave less selfishly when we think someone will see us. This demonstrates that investing in a dash cam should improve your behaviour as a driver. Anything that makes us think twice and consider our actions should in turn create safer roads for all.
One alarming reality of 21st century life is insurance fraud and this is certainly prevalent when it comes to traffic accidents. This is a strong factor as to why UK drivers were hit with a 4% average climb on premiums in Q4 2017 compared to the previous quarter. Being able to submit high quality video evidence to back up claims that you were not at fault when hit by these fraudsters is the only safeguard a driver can have.
Consumer awareness of this type of in-car technology has been heighten by a number of factors including: appearances on the news & crime programs, insurance companies’ acceptance of footage as evidence & social media viral videos. Recent studies show that dash cam ownership has gone from 1% to 15% in just four years. They're an effective way to see how we and others drive and useful for finding out who was at fault in a car accident.
Dash cams are one of the most useful in car gadgets, especially for those who spend a long time behind the wheel. Even if you’re a careful and cautious driver, accidents can happen, and it can be difficult to resolve claims quickly without objective evidence. Dash Cam video recordings can help your insurer settle a claim stress and hassle free, leaving you to get on with the more important things in life. As time passes more insurers are prepared to take hi-res footage from a dash cam to support / dispute claims (important note: you would need to check with your provider). In some cases a discount is given at the point you take on a policy with discounts ranging from 10% - 15% dependant on insurance company.
So what are the key features to look forward when choosing a dash cam for your vehicle? As with any technology product you get what you pay for, however buying by consumer electronics brand name doesn’t always guarantee performance or feature set. There is always ‘cheap and nasty’ options direct from Far Eastern vendors but would you really risk your families safety to save a few £. The most important feature is the quality of the recording – HD recording will give high resolution recording that are crisp and clear – think standard definition and high definition on your TV. The quality of lens, lens angle and resolution is important as it would be when investing in a digital camera. GPS data is important so your location, speed etc. is recorded on the video file whilst a G-Sensor detects impact locking in and storing the video around the point of impact.
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