Car Dash Cam – All You Need to Know

With an increase in the number of road accidents, it may become difficult at times to differentiate between the victim and perpetrator, especially due to lack of evidence. In many cases, and insurance claims, photographic and videographic evidence may be required for the actual victim to get justice. The effectiveness of car dashcams, especially to record road accidents, road rage or any other incidents, has made them a useful tool. Let’s look at the benefits of car dashcams, and how they can be used as an asset for car insurance claims.

How does a Car Dash Cam Work?

Before we get to the benefits, let’s get a simple overview of how a dashcam works. A dashcam is mounted on the dashboard of the car, with the lens facing the windshield. The power source of a dashcam is the car itself. The power cable of the dashcam is connected to the power outlet, generally the 12V point inside the cigarette light. Another alternative is a direct connection with the electric system of the car. Once the dashcam has been successfully installed and powered, it will keep recording videos continuously. Recorded videos are stored inside a storage card which can be later removed and connected to a computer to view the recorded footage. If the dashcam has a wireless option, the dashcam connects to your mobile’s internet connection and directly stores the footage on cloud storage, which can be accessed via a phone or a computer. Dashcams work as long as the car is being used. Once the car is turned off, the dashcam also shuts down.

Benefits of Using a Dash Cam:

Now that we have understood how a dashcam works, let us look at the benefits you get when you use one:

Capturing Of Evidence

Often in an accident, the perpetrator may tend to escape from the scene of the accident. This can cause major inconvenience to the victim as they do not get the time to note down the number plate of the third-party car or get to approach them in time. With a dashcam, this can change significantly. As real-time video is captured, even if the third-party vehicle were to flee after the accident, you could have a video that has captured not just the accident but also the details of the other car. This might help in your motor insurance claim process. Claims are subject to terms and conditions set forth under motor insurance policy.*

Acceptability Of Proof

Road rage incidents have increased a lot. Any minor inconvenience can lead to road rage, causing not just damage to the vehicle, but also lead to physical altercations between people. Most accused tend to deny their involvement. And not having proof of such an incident means the accused do not get persecuted for their crime. But having a dashcam in your car helps you in getting justice and making sure that the accused gets appropriately punished by the law.

Improvement In Driving

Dashcams do more than just record videos. Dashcams record the speed of your car while it is being driven. For example, if you are driving over the legal speed limit at a certain point, it is shown in the recorded footage. While over-speeding is a legal offense, the idea of getting caught and fined might motivate you to drive safely and within the legal speed limit.

Effectiveness As A Tracker

Apart from recording the speed of the vehicle, most dashcams also have an inbuilt GPS system in them. When the dashcam is powered on, it tracks and keeps a record of the coordinates while the car is being used. This is useful if you have teenagers in the house who are learning to drive the car. Similarly, if you lend your vehicle to someone, you can keep a track of their driving history.

Legal Aspect Of Dashcam

As a driver in India, you might be aware that any modifications or installations made to the car should meet certain legal regulations. Where does a dashcam fit in this? As of now, there are no legal regulations when it comes to the installation or usage of dashcam. You can install it in your car without any worries. You just need to ensure that the dashcam does not cause any visibility problems while driving. Also, if the audio of people inside the car is being recorded by the dashcam, it is important to get their consent prior to it being recorded. If any recorded video is used as legal evidence, you need to ensure the video has not been edited or tampered with before submission.

Conclusion

A dashcam can be your tech-savvy saviour, be it in an accident or to rectify your driving. The benefits it provides make it a great addition for your car. Coupling your dashcam with insurance offers you an added advantage in terms of protection. It is important to renew car insurance on time to enjoy uninterrupted benefits.*   *Standard T&C Apply Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.