Five reasons why you need a dashcam: From protecting yourself against scams to dodging speeding tickets

I’ve grown to love dash cams because they have the potential to help the driver when help is needed most. Even better, the base models are so affordable that buying one seems like a no-brainer. Want more features? Then go to: best dash cam you can afford it. However, I was helped by some reasonably pocket friendly Thinkware X1000 and lately, Nextbase Piqo Dash CamThis is a quote to buy.

There are many reasons to have a dash cam, but I think the most important one is that it helps provide peace of mind. Driving standards are falling where I live, the roads are becoming more congested and often the roads themselves are in such poor condition that I tend to drive with an ‘anything can happen’ mentality. It’s a stressful, pothole-filled minefield out there, so having a dash cam for a relatively small outlay makes perfect sense to me.

In addition, there are increasing stories in the news about how scammers are causing accidents in a cynical attempt to make a quick buck. I didn’t have to look far to see evidence of this, and most social media feeds seem to regularly reveal examples of what’s going on. Having a dash cam can really help with this, because if the worst happens you’ll have irrefutable evidence of what actually happened.

So, I’m convinced I have a dash cam, and maybe these five reasons outlining why can convince you to get one too.

Nextbase Piqo Dash Cam — (Image credit: Future)

1. Dash cameras can help with insurance claims

I’ve had first-hand experience of how valuable a dash cam can be. Our car crashed from behind and was canceled some were rear-ended at 40 miles per hour. At the time, only a forward-facing model of dashcam was fitted to the windshield, but the impact was such that it captured the car being pushed across two lanes.

Sending the images along with our insurance claim helped us a lot and convinced me that having something like this was not only desirable; This was very important. Of course, it’s possible to strengthen your evidence-gathering abilities by purchasing a dashcam package that includes both front- and rear-facing dash cameras in the box.

dashcam footage — (Image credit: Future)

2. Dash cameras can help avoid fines

Very recently, I encountered a situation where there were roadworks, lane closures, and variable speed limits on a major highway late at night. Curiously, I could see the speed cameras overhead flashing as we approached the hill ramp, following a single line of traffic, all well below the speed limit due to congestion.

I’m pretty sure this was some sort of technical issue with the speed cameras, but you can bet I downloaded the footage and saved it after I got home. The dashcam shows exactly what’s happening and vital data like the date, time and my speed are all timestamped into the footage. I will keep it; just in case.

Nextbase Piqo dashcam mounted on a car windshield — (Image credit: Nextbase)

3. Dash cameras can fight car insurance scams

As I mentioned above, insurance scams are on the rise and so being able to provide video evidence of any incident is a definite advantage. Being able to provide video and audio in the event of a claim or legal action can be invaluable, rather than relying on “your word rather than theirs” in writing to insurers or even the police if necessary.

One advantage of having video evidence is that examples can be shared online, even if it is so obvious that the subject is fake and not worth taking seriously. This can be a useful way to educate others about ongoing fraudulent activities; Even if some of these attempts are very poorly executed, they are not worth broadcasting unless there is any damage or injury.

Garmin Vehicle Camera X310 — (Image credit: Garmin)

4. Dash cameras can capture evidence

There are a few reasons why having a dash cam has become mandatory, but the biggest has to do with evidence. When incidents or accidents occur, often things can get lost in the heat of the moment. People may be in shock; They may be angry or confused. Even worse, injuries may occur. By having the dash camera installed and operating at all times, a permanent record of the proceedings captures audio and video when it is needed most.

Another advantage of most dash cams is that they can automatically capture selected events. This can range from small bumps, erratic driving scenarios including driving over speed bumps or potholes, to actual contact with other vehicles. Even better, these events are often captured and stored both locally on the microSD card and increasingly on remote cloud storage; This means they will be safe and secure without you even having to think about it.

Nextbase 522GW Dash Cam

(Image credit: Future)

5. Dash cams can monitor what you can’t

Obviously I’m not in my car all the time, which is where a quality dash cam can help. Most late-model dash cameras come with the parking surveillance option, which can help monitor your vehicle if you’ve parked it somewhere in a parking lot or hotel and left it locked overnight, for example. A dash camera can be connected to your car and configured to record any activity that may occur around it. This means it will videotape any unwanted criminal activity, such as a door or bumper slamming, or even someone trying to force the door, or worse, steal the vehicle entirely.

Advanced parking and monitoring features often require the dash camera to be wired to the vehicle so the camera can always have a power source. Doing this means the installation will be a little more permanent; Therefore, it will not be suitable for everyone who needs to move their dash cam from vehicle to vehicle. Still, it’s a great feature option to consider.

Nextbase Piqo dash camera application on the phone screen — (Image credit: Nextbase)

Why you should avoid dash cams?

While I’m an ardent advocate of purchasing a dash cam, that doesn’t mean that having one will protect you against every eventuality. For example, remember that driving conditions change all the time, and natural phenomena like fog, unexpected storms, and other unpredictable weather events can make life difficult for even the best dash cam models you can buy. Even something as silly as a dirty or foggy screen can detract from recordings.

I like to think that my own dash cam helps me drive. It’s great to know that the unit is there and capturing events as they happen, but there can be technical issues as well. Sometimes the microSD card in the dash cam may fail. Sometimes they may need reformatting to restore their abilities. If failures occur regularly, the microSD card may need to be replaced entirely.

It’s a very good idea to check this regularly because there’s nothing worse than having to resort to images as evidence, only to find that the card is corrupted and didn’t capture a vital event. It might not be enough to stop you from buying one, but it’s still worth considering.

Given their affordability, I think it’s even worthwhile to have another dashcam as a backup just in case, but maybe that’s just me and my mindset following my own experiences on the road. As you can see, there are always agreements to be made. Black Friday dash camera deals roundup I’ve included links to some of the best dash cams below. Dash cameras have helped me a lot and I hope they do the same for you. But remember this; They can be wrong just like us.

1. Dash cameras can help with insurance claims

2. Dash cameras can help avoid fines

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