Owning a car is no doubt a source of joy for many people. Well, besides the maintenance costs. Having spent all that money it is therefore vital that you protect your car. How? You may wonder.
Well, a dash cam or car camera is a high tech gadget that has many beneficial uses. It has been a necessity for truck and cab drivers who depend on its footage in case of an accident. The dash cam is slowly making its home on the dashboard of many mainstream car owners. It enables you to be in charge of your car’s security since you are able to record scenarios of vandalism, theft and collisions among others.
Below are some of the reasons why you should definitely install a dash cam.
- With a dash cam you can save money on car insurance
Insurers understand how valuable dash cams are as a tool when evaluating claims. Hence they give dash cam owners car insurance premiums at discounted rates. For example in the UK, some insurers give up to 15% off monthly premiums to car owners when they use a dash cam. This has increased their popularity, to say the least.
- Dash cams equip you with raw evidence
When driving, your dash cam turns on, capturing everything that happens as you drive thereafter storing the footage on a memory drive. This footage goes a mile with law enforcers in the event of an accident. For example in case another driver makes a wrong turn or breaks whatever traffic rule, colliding into your car, you can replay your dash cam footage that shows he was on the wrong.
Obviously this eliminates any argument that would arise, thanks to your dash cam.
- Dash cams are cheap and accessible
Unlike the high end dash cams that police and other emergency vehicles use, you don’t need to break the bank to get a dash cam. They are affordable with one of the bestselling at under ten thousand shillings. Surely that’s a great price when compared to the amount of invaluable work it does for you.
The best part is that you don’t need to be a tech guru to set up one. They come with a mount and a car charger. All you do is insert an SD card in the dash cam, secretly mount it on your windshield and then plug it into your vehicle’s standard 12V DC outlet. However if you buy the GPS module that tracks your vehicle’s location and speed, you could just plug that into the camera with no additional power source needed.
When you start your car, so too does the dash cam and it shuts down when you switch off your car. When you want to watch your footage all you do is press the play button. Of course in case of any technical problems, your dash cam provider could always be found a phone call away.
- Dash cams take your driving standards up a notch
There is something about having a dash cam that reinforces a standard of accountability. With a dash cam, a driver becomes more conscious of their driving leaving nothing to chance.
Since without one, a driver at fault may be dishonest about what really happened; shifting blame on others, installing a dash cam really enables motorists to be accountable for their actions on the road. This in turn elevates the driving standards.
- Dash cams help you monitor other drivers of your car
After spending a lot of money on your vehicle, you surely don’t need to be stressed about its condition on the road when someone else is driving it. Say for example you lend your car to your teenager or a third party, a dash cam will provide you with a form of surveillance that is non-intrusive yet comforting.
Additionally, you could monitor where the driver goes using the dash cam’s GPS accessory and also review footage of how well they are driving.
Control back in your hands.
Having gone over the immense benefits of a dash cam, you don’t need to rely on second hand accounts or police reports to explain details pertaining to your car. A dash cam will do that, effectively giving you peace and reassurance.