Benefits of a car dashboard cam

In this blog we introduce you to the benefits of owning a dash cam. A dashboard camera, or car camera is a device that is fixed on the wind shield or dashboard. Hit and runs are very common and insurance companies specialise in denying claims. Since your insurance won’t pay unless the offender is found and brought to justice, you’ll be at fault. A dashboard camera helps the insurance companys identify fraudulent claims and determines who is at fault when someone gets into a minor or major accident. It does not only record the accidents but everything that happens during driving.

Benefits of having a dashboard camera:-

Have a record of your accident 

With video proof the driver can expedite the claim; as it may prevent from having drawn-out discussions with insurance companies about who was at fault and receiving the higher insurance rates that go with that finding.

Capture unexpected events

You may not catch something as astonishing as an astronomical event but with the footage in hand, you can show your car insurance company what brought about your claim and may save you from a surcharge.

Make you a better driver

By reviewing how you drove last week can help you see ways to correct the driving mistakes, such as braking too hard or switching lanes abruptly with the help of footage helping you become a better driver. Not only that, knowing that you are being filmed (even though its by yourself anyway) will make you more cautious; because if you were to send your footage elsewhere you don’t want to be driving like a lunatic do you?

Report Bad Drivers

With roads getting busier, the number of bad drivers keeps increasing, especially in large cities. Video evidence from a dash cam can be used to report drunk drivers, distracted drivers, dangerous drivers and road rage incidents.

Vehicle Abuse and Misuse

Whether you’re lending your car to your kids, friend or dropping it off at a valet or mechanic, you will know exactly where your car was and how it was treated.

Things to look for when buying a dashboard camera:

Video Quality– It is the most important criteria for selecting a dash cam. When purchasing a dash cam, it is important to get one that shoots in high definition (720p or 1080p) so that important details are captured when the footage is required.

Reliability– Another important factor to consider is reliability. If there are serious problems with a dash cam such as sensor burning, blurry picture, recording stopping abruptly then such cameras should be avoided. Look for cameras that can withstand high temperatures, especially in parking mode.

Processor– Many dash cams advertise what processor the camera is based on. The processor is the CPU of the camera. While the processor is important, the quality of the CMOS sensor and lens are key as well. This is why different dash cams with the same processor can have dramatically different video quality.

Discreetness– Dash cams come in various sizes, and a smaller dash cam is always better. Of course, cramming lots of features in a small device normally comes with a higher price tag. The colour black is definitely preferred for a dashboard camera, as any other colour would draw too much attention to it.

Night Video Quality- The ability to grab good quality video footage at night is what separates the great camera models from the average. While true night vision is not necessary for a dash cam as you will normally have your headlights on when you drive in the dark, it is necessary that your camera is able to capture quality footage independent of sunlight if you drive a lot at night.

Loop recording– Loop recording means that once your storage is full, the camera automatically overwrites the oldest files on the memory card, thus enabling it to record indefinitely. If your camera has a G-sensor files are automatically marked for safekeeping whenever an impact is detected.

Auto On/Off– Another must have. This means that your camera automatically starts recording when you turn the ignition key. You don’t want to get into a situation where something happens that you would like to keep the video of, just to find out that you forgot to turn your dash cam on that day.

If someone damages your car in your absence, a dash cam with parking mode will come to life and start recording, so you can see who hit your car. Some have built-in GPS which records street routes and speed and keeps a track of where your vehicle has been.

Now that dashboard cameras are more affordable and a hot-sale car accessory, more and more people including police officers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and private car owners choose to install such an item in the vehicle.