The idea of getting a dash cam should be seen as an investment! Here are 10 reasons why investing in a dash cam is a no brainer...
Pendle Vehicle Contracts encourage all of our lease customers to invest in a dash cam. Whether you are leasing a personal vehicle, or lease a large fleet of company vehicles, include commercials, there are many benefits to purchasing a dash cam. But what is a dash cam? A dash cam is a video camera that is installed in your car, often in the front and/or back windscreen that continuously records your journey whilst you are driving. Capturing sound and, sometimes, audio, it acts as your car's own CCTV camera. This allows you to capture any events that you may witness or be involved in. According to research carried out by the AA, in the last 4 years dash cam ownership has risen from 1% of drivers, to 15%! The police have been using dash mounted cameras for years (for those that remember the days of Police, Camera, Action!) so there are clearly many benefits.
The roads can be a dangerous place and Pendle want to make sure you have as much protection as possible, but also save you some money along the way if possible! As with anything in life, dash cams come in all shapes, sizes and prices. After a quick Google search, we found dash cams as cheap as £8.69 on eBay with some going all the way up to £499! Whatever your budget, there is one there. Now we will take a look at 10 reasons why you should invest in a dash cam, again whether that is for yourself or your employees.
- Improving your own way of driving - by human nature, when we are being watched we change our behavior. This is no different to when we are being recorded. So, by recording yourself you will be more aware of your own manor of driving. Should an incident occur and you need to use your footage, the last thing you would want it to show is you speeding or driving dangerously. This would only incriminate yourself. Having the camera on makes you conscious of your driving style and, hopefully, improve.
- Broken down and need help? - many higher end dash cams have built in GPS trackers. Some even display your exact coordinates at the bottom of the screen. If you are broken down with no idea where you are, quoting these coordinates or GPS location provide to recovery or emergency services will allow them to locate you easily.
3. Proof your innocence of traffic offences - unfortunately there may be cases where you are mistakenly stopped or reported for road traffic offences. This may include things like speeding; receiving PCN for being stopped in yellow boxes. It is not uncommon for these to be issued by mistaken or wrongly, but without sufficient evidence to proof otherwise you may find yourself liable to paying the fine. Having a dash cam can prove speed and location at exact dates and times, providing vital evidence if you believe you are being prosecuted wrongly or accidentally.
4. Reporting someone for dangerous/careless driving - Some people are outright dangerous drivers and need to be stopped. Dash cam footage submitted to the relevant authorities and the police can be enough evidence for the driver to be issued summons to court, points or even a ban. This could a save a life.
5. Driving instructor vehicles for learner aids - the video footage recorded can be used to replay to the show the student where they are going right and where they are going wrong. This sort of replay can be invaluable to students and teacher alike.
6. Documenting an accident - This is applicable whether you are the one involved in the accident or if your camera has captured it. For the latter, it would definitely be helpful to stop and take the details of those involved in order for you to send over your footage to aid in their insurance claim. Insurance claims for car accidents are very lengthy, with insurances companies going to war against each other to pass the fault to avoid pay out. Dash cam video provides irrefutable evidence in the event of an accident where you are not at fault, shortening the stressful and lengthy process. This can save you money when it comes to your renewal premium, as you are not found at fault.
7. Lowering your insurance premium - some insurers will reward drivers who have dash cams fitted, as they deem them lower risk. But also by having valuable evidence available, you will save your insurance company time and money should a claim arise.
8. Protection from 'crash for cash' and fraudulent claims - 'crash for cash' is the term used to describe the act of someone deliberately causing a car crash that is made to look like your fault in order to claim against your insurance. These have been increasing common over recent years, and in the absence of a dash cam it will be your word against there's. Not only will dash footage protect your insurance but will also help in the police prosecuting the fraudster.
9. Capturing a random moment - sometimes we just come across the weird and wonderful and wish it was on film. We spend a lot of time in our car, so often see some funny moments. A dash cam will capture these moments and allow you to share them with friends, family and online communities.
10. Keeping check on a new driver - if you have a child who has just passed their test, having a dash cam installed will have all of the above benefits mentioned. But it will also allow you to keep record of them, making sure they are driving in a safe manor.
There you have it! 10 reasons from Pendle Lease why you should invest in getting a dash cam for your vehicle.
