5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Dashcam

Image from: Esther Tuttle on Unsplash

5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Dashcam

Dashboard cameras, or dashcams, are useful little devices that have become even cheaper and easier to own in recent years. Despite this, many people still don't have them; either because they believe they’re too expensive or simply because they don't see the value in having one.

Here are five simple reasons why you should have a dashcam in your car, and in the cars of your loved ones:

1. To collect evidence

When accidents take place, it’s often difficult to determine who is actually in the wrong and who's innocent. Usually it's up to the police officer and insurance adjusters to decide who ends up getting fined, and whether or not a driver is able to claim from the insurance companies for repairs.

This is also true in cases of fraud, when people try to pretend that they've been hit by your car just to scare you into paying up.

Most dashcams, even low-end ones, are able to display basic information like the date and time which allows relevant authorities to see what happened with their own eyes and analyse the situation accurately. Higher-end dashcams even have GPS information that helps you prove your exact location during the time of these incidents!

Think of a dashcam as extra insurance; after a crisis involving your car, you’ll be glad you bought one!

2. To keep everyone honest

If you ever plan on lending your car to someone, or even if you're leaving your car at a workshop for extended periods of time, a dashcam is a good way to keep track of your car's movements.

Since most dashcams automatically start recording the moment the car starts, you'll know exactly when your car is ever moved and where its parked. You’ll be able to see if the person driving your car was speeding or driving dangerously, despite what they may have told you in person.

This can come in handy for workshops that claim they're working on your car even though they haven't even started, or for making sure your friends and family members don't drive dangerously when they borrow your vehicle.

3. Recording the scenery

In the driver's seat, its sometimes difficult to appreciate the scenery since we have to be alert and focused on what's happening in front of us at all times. Instead of trying to record a nice video with our phones while driving, dashcams are constantly recording everything that you'd see from the driver's seat which you can then revisit later to edit as you see fit!

Imagine easily recording a beautiful open highway or a lovely sunset with your dash-mounted camera while you're focused on driving.

4. Added safety features

More sophisticated models of dashcams also come with added safety features that actively benefit the driver.

Some cams are able to detect when a driver is departing from his or her current lane and issues a warning, or when the camera senses that a collision is about to happen.

Typically these warnings are in the form of a loud sound to wake up a sleepy driver and snap them back at attention so that they can take defensive manoeuvres. Imagine how useful this could be on long road trips!

5. Like-worthy content

At the end of the day, a dashcam is also a great way to capture share-worthy content to be posted on social media. Having a dashcam isn't just about recording dangerous events, but search online and you'll see dashcam footage of funny animal behaviours and meteors flying across the sky above.