It doesn’t matter whether you drive for business or pleasure, the roads are a busy place to be! It’s a sad fact of life that the risk of being in an accident remains a prominent one, despite numerous road traffic safety campaigns designed to make our roads safer, so it’s best to protect yourself as much as possible in the likelihood of having to make an insurance claim in the future.
Enter the dashcam! They’ve been popular for a few years now with drivers (partly due to a rise in “crash for cash” schemes) but it’s only been recently that insurers and the police have started to take the footage on board as part of insurance claims and investigations.
Having a dashcam can also knock between 10-20% (typically) off your premium with certain insurance companies, although it is best to ask before taking out a policy, as not all offer this. Some insurers also offer a certain amount off if you buy one of their own dashcams.
Speeding Up Claims & Crash Investigations
Dash cam footage gives your insurer an instant view of what happened before, during and after the crash. They can see what actually occurred, rather than solely relying on eyewitness testimonies – this also reduces the amount of disputes between the drivers of the vehicles involved.
The same applies to crash investigations – the police will be able to have a clear view of the sequence of events, which can help them work out who was at fault, why the accident occurred, and what action to take accordingly.
Some police forces also have their own websites where you can submit footage even if no accident has occurred, to report dangerous driving or driving offences. Unfortunately at this time there is no national website in place, but please check with your local area force to find out their procedure and policies around submitting dash cam footage.
Personal Use
If you use a dashcam for personal use only then you don’t need to tell anyone about it – you can choose your preferred model and install it, then drive about your business as normal. There are no restrictions about using it on the UK roads either.
It is polite to tell anyone you have in your car as a passenger that they are being recorded even if you’re driving solely for personal use.
Car Sharing
If you share a car for business use (such as a fleet vehicle) then you must tell the others you share with about the dashcam, as most record sound inside the car as well as out (and some models do also record the inside of the car). It’s a breach of privacy if any other user is not aware of being recorded.
This also goes for commercial vehicles such as taxis and buses; every passenger must be told that a dashcam is recording, especially if it is recording audio/video inside the vehicle.
Rear Cameras
Some drivers have taken the next step and also installed rear cameras. These record what happens at the back of the vehicle and capture footage from rear collisions, as well as the road behind. Whilst not as popular as dash cams, these are taking off and causing a stir in the industry where it’s currently taken as gospel that the driver behind is at fault for a rear end shunt, as this footage has proven that isn’t always the case.
To sum up, yes, dash cams are useful for aiding insurance claims, settling disputes and answering questions that may otherwise have been left unanswered. Whether there has been a minor bump or a more serious accident, having a dash cam adds an extra level of protection when on the roads. If you haven’t installed one already, then we’d strongly recommend doing so for the future.
