The Pros And Cons Of Using Dash Cams

A dashcam is a device that is used in a vehicle for recording. It records the incidents that happen in or around the vehicle. The recording is done by videotaping and taking pictures. Some new models of dash cams are capable of recording audio also. Some dash cams are GPS installed.

It will help you to record your speed, and location at the time of the incident. Accelerometers are also installed in some dash cams.

If you drive over the speed limit then this will notify you. It turns ON immediately and takes the footage of the incident. It also turns on when your vehicle is about to crash into something. Here we have compiled the pros and cons of using dash cams.

Purpose Of A Dash Cam

The purpose of a dashcam from a user’s perspective is that he can prove himself innocent at the time of the accident. If you are at fault then a dash cam cannot work in your favor.

It shows the footage of the actual incident. It doesn’t edit the video on the right side of the owner. Thus, if you have a dashcam be careful.

In situations like this, it can be a threat to you. Suppose an animal comes in front of your car suddenly or a person comes with suicidal intentions.

In these cases proving yourself innocent is very difficult, but a dash cam can be a savior for you. It can present the actuality of the situation and save you from jail, fines, and charges.

The Pros And Cons Of Using Dash cams

Pros

• Tells the actuality of the incident: A dashcam gives us a first-hand look. It provides all the details of actually what happened at the sight of the incident.
• Act as a witness: A witness plays a huge role in an accident. Dashcam act as a witness during the incident. It gives you a clean pass in the laws and insurance companies.
• Shows your true intentions: It saves you from falling victim to the culprit position. Insurance companies may accuse you of a staged accident to save their money. You can use footage from a dashcam to cancel all the false accusations against you. Thus, it proves you guilt-free.
• Provide proof for lawsuits: You can prove yourself guilt-free in front of law with the help of a dashcam. But, this is only possible when you are not at any fault. A dashcam can provide some proves to the insurance company about the accident. Thus, it helps you to provide insurance. It shows how the particular incident happened and whose fault it was. Accordingly, justice is granted.
• Prevent fraud accidents: Some people plan an accident to gain insurance money. The actuality of the accident can be checked through the dashcam. This way many insurance company save their money. However, dash cams don’t cover any insurance. This way you can save yourself as well as your money.
• Supervise the vehicle in your absence: Wreckage and theft are the most common threat to a car. If your car gets broken to or vandalized then you can show your video recording. Footage recording from the dash cam can help the police to trace a thief. It will also help you to get insurance through some proves.
• Improves driving: If you are learning how to drive, always turn ON the dashcam. It records your whole learning phase. Later you can look through the videos. Notice your faults and flaws. Work on them and apply correct techniques in the next practice. Like this dash cams can be very useful for the beginners.
• Used for capturing sites: They are not just used for evidence and insurance companies. It is a very helpful tool for any road trip also. Taking out your camera or phone for taking pictures can be risk-taking. A dashcam captures all the views of your trip. Save your energy and as a result, you can fully enjoy your trip without any disturbance. Sometimes it also captures some sudden, unexpected, and funny moments.
• The area with a high crime rate: If you live in an area with a high accident rate then dash a cam is an important tool for your car. For areas like these, you should always be prepared. A dash cam can protect you from these hazels to much extend.
• With the help of a GPS: Dashcam, you can have a record of your position and speed at a particular incident. If you ever try to cross a speed limit then this cam will let you know. You will also be able to prove your presence at a particular time with the help of recording. For example, if you are accused to present at any crime scene then you can prove yourself innocent. And this can be done by showing some recordings of the dashcam.
• Dashcams with accelerometers: Many dash cams come with GPS along with an accelerometer. Accelerometer sense the speed of your vehicle. If you cross the speed limit, it gets active. It takes the photograph or starts recording as soon as it senses the danger of an accident or any kind of crash. Later on, you can look at the recordings to get the real view of the incident.
• It has a quick start: A dashcam starts recording the moment you turn on your car. When you start ignition, it gets the power and starts recording. It doesn’t need much power to work. So it is a quick and easy start.
• Dashcams with LCD screen: Some dashcam comes along with an LCD screen. For viewing the footage you don’t need to connect it to your computer with USB. You can view the footages in your car whenever you want. This facility makes it a very handy and instant service provider.

Cons

• Causes distraction: Don’t place a dashcam in the back window of your car. They can be proved as a very distracting element if you do so. If you are camera conscious then avoid looking at it continuously. Don’t play with a dashcam while you are driving. If you want to change the positioning of a dashcam then do it before starting your car.
• The legality of recordings by civilians: In some cities videotaping someone is illegal. So, we recommend you to go through the laws of your cities on the recording before installing a dashcam. If you videotape a person without his permission then you can get fined. In some places, the law is so strict that you may get arrested and charged.
• Doesn’t have enough memory: Dashcams don’t provide enough memory to capture all the videos. If you have a dashcam of an older model then it will stop recording once the memory of a camera becomes full. If you have a new model camera it will videotape over the old recording when the memory becomes full. In either case, we lose the old recording. Therefore, dashcams are not useful for recording a long road trip. Dashcams come with two types of memories. Build-in memory and expandable memory. Few dash cams use built-in memory and mostly come with expandable memory.
• Shows only one point of view: It shows the video from the angle of the driver’s view only. You cannot see all the incidents happening around the car. For example, if an accident is caused due to the passing of any dog or cat then it can’t be captured in-camera. Therefore, sometimes it is not reliable in all cases.
• Can be expensive: Dashcam can be very expensive. The cost of dashcams depends on their models. Modern models cost more than the old ones.
• Infringe other’s privacy: You should be concerned about the privacy of others. If people are not comfortable with a camera in your car then turn it off. Always ask people before videotaping them. If you don’t ask them then it may cause some serious issues.
• Don’t implant in an open area: If your dashcam is easily visible then it can get stolen. If a thief notices a camera then he will become conscious. In this case, the camera doesn’t prove to be efficient.
• It is impartial: If you are really at fault then dash cams work against your favor. It doesn’t pick any sides and shows factual data. Therefore, if you have installed a dashcam in your vehicle then you need to be very careful. In cases like this, it works in favor of opponents.

Final Thoughts

The pros and cons of using dash cams tell you a lot like some dash cams can be expansive. Now the question is is it worth the price? Well, it depends on person to person, but we will recommend you to buy one. As you never know what happens next.

We cannot be always aware of accidents but we can be prepared for some. If you live in an area with a high accident rate then dash cam is a must buy. You should check out some great dash cams.

Dashcams are also highly recommendable for places with a high crime rate. It has more pros than cons. We recommend you to buy a dashcam for your vehicle. Please read your city or country laws regarding videotaping people.

If it is prohibited to videotape people without their concern. Then, you can face some serious consequences. You can get an arrest, charged or fine. Thus, to install a dashcam in your vehicle please consider all the above-mentioned points. After analyzes, you can make your decision.