Motorists who are choosing to drive with a dash cam could benefit from having lower car insurance premiums depending on the company they choose to insure with.
What Is A Dash Cam?
Dash cams attach to either the interior or exterior of your car and record continuously as you’re driving. Their main aim is to prove your innocence in a road accident by being able to provide video footage of the event. However, some motorists also choose to use them if they’re parked in a high crime area to potentially obtain shots of criminal damage to their car. Others might opt to invest in a dash cam with added features such as the ability to record direction of travel, speed, latitude and longitude.
Dash Cams In Use
According to recent research carried out by the RAC, they estimate that there are currently 3 million drivers in the UK who are driving with an eyewitness camera attached to their vehicle. Furthermore, 69% of those who had been in an accident where there had been a dispute over who was at fault, felt that a dash cam would have been useful.
For peace of mind, 25% of those surveyed felt that a dash cam’s presence in their own car would improve their driving.
Insurance Companies
Some insurance companies are also taking the view that dash cams help to promote careful driving. Video footage assists them in quickly and accurately identifying who is at fault in an accident. With many accidents being one driver’s word against another, dash cam recordings can provide more certain evidence as to the situation that occurred. This makes it easier to liaise with other insurance companies and reach a deal on who needs to pay out.
Due to the speed at which a resolution can be reached, companies such as RAC, Swiftcover, AXA, Adrian Flux and Zenith are offering discounted motor insurance premiums for drivers who use dash cams and choose to insure with them. Other companies such as Admiral, More Than and LV do not currently offer discounts for the presence of a dash cam but are certainly watching the initiative with interest and may implement their own price reductions in the future.
Online Service
Membership service Police Witness allows their dash cam consumers to take advantage of a list of benefits such as lower insurance and quick reporting of incidents to the police. They also sell your third party dash cam footage of events that you weren’t involved in to other insurance companies and reward you with a cash bonus!
With roughly 10% of the motorist population in the UK currently choosing to use dash cams, there is certainly a solid amount of interest in these devices at present. Due to the vast range of cams available, they do obviously come with a wide spectrum of picture qualities, so be sure to pick one with a good resolution.
If you’re looking to renew your motor insurance for 2016, consider purchasing a dash cam for possible lower premiums and the ability to prove you’re not at fault in an accident.
Simon Faulkner is the director of Eyewitness Cameras, who provide car, bike and helmet cameras that can be used to help resolve road accident disputes.
