Is A Dashcam Right For You?

In a recent Nationwide survey, at least 1 in 5 drivers admitted to frequent distractions behind the wheel. Whether texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, changing radio stations or music, checking GPS systems, or even watching TV on your display, 70% of these same drivers fear being killed or injured on increasingly hazardous roads.

With more employees returning to offices and traffic volumes increasing across the U.S., company drivers and commuters are navigating increasingly hazardous roadways. In a significant perception gap, drivers of passenger vehicles place the problem on commercial drivers (60%), while commercial drivers feel their own driving is good or excellent.

The survey found that all of these drivers believe other motorists are using phones more behind the wheel (69%), driving faster (66%), and behaving more aggressively (70%).

In addition, high work pressures exacerbate these issues as 53% of drivers regularly take work phone calls while driving, with roughly a quarter reading or responding to work texts (28%) or emails (24%). Another 40% reported frequently taking personal phone calls while driving company vehicles.

Many employers and individual drivers install dashcams in their vehicles in response to these challenges. In fact, this past year saw a dramatic 29-point year-over-year increase in dashcam usage.

Basic Dash Cam Facts

What is a Dash Cam

A dash cam—short for dashboard camera—is a video recording device that you install in your vehicle to record what’s happening while you drive. Whether it’s capturing scenic road trips or providing crucial footage in the event of an accident, a dash cam can be a smart addition to your car setup.

Where Do You Mount a Dash Cam?

Most drivers attach dashcams to the inside of the windshield using a suction cup or adhesive mount. Some place them in different spots depending on the view they want to capture—inside or outside the vehicle.

How Does a Dash Cam Work?

Dash cams are designed to start recording automatically when you turn on your car, and they usually record in a continuous loop. That means you don’t have to worry about missing an important event, such as an accident.

How much do Dash Cams Cost?

• Front-View Dash Cams: Typically range from $60 to $250.

• Dual-Facing Dash Cams (Front and Rear): These can cost over $400.

• Professional Dash Cams: Generally cost between $100 and $500, with advanced features like night vision and AI.

• Budget-Friendly Options: Some budget-friendly dash cams can be found for as low as $50, but reliable models usually cost between $90 and $500.

When purchasing a dash cam, it's essential to consider the features that are most important to you and ensure that the price aligns with your budget.

Why Should I Get a Dash Cam?

Even if you don’t drive for a living (e.g., you’re not an Uber/DoorDash driver, etc.), there are good reasons to purchase and use a dash cam.

Provide Accident Evidence

Dashcam recordings can show what happened in an accident in real time. They will show who is at fault and provide other details that may contribute to the cause of injuries and damage.

Example: A driver with a dashcam was driving through an intersection on the green light. She is T-boned by another car who claims he had the green light. The video from her dashcam shows that not only she had the green light, but that his head was down as if looking at a cell phone at the time of the collision.

Protect Against Accident Fraud

Insurance fraud is a significant problem in Virginia and across the U.S. It costs consumers more than $300 billion each year. It can be an at-fault driver shifting blame to drivers cutting off another driver and slamming on the breaks in clear traffic to cause a collision.

Example: A driver is exiting off the freeway when suddenly another driver in front of them at the intersection puts his car in reverse and slams into the exiting car. A dashcam caught the reverse lights and movement of the second car, making a rear-end collision his fault.

Prevent Vandalism or Theft

If you get a dashcam that films as soon as it detects motion, it can capture video of vandals or thieves as they approach your car. If they see a dashcam, it may keep them from attempting anything.

Example: You are shopping for holiday gifts at the mall and just put a few bags of gifts into the trunk of your car. You have a forward and rear view dashcam in your car that starts recording when it detects movement outside the car. Teams of thieves are casing the lot, looking for victims just like you. As soon as you are back in the store, one of the team approaches your car to try and use a crowbar on your trunk when he sees the red light on your dashcam blinking. He quickly ducks his head and moves away from your car because he knows you now have evidence of a crime on tape.

Uncover Mystery Damage Causes

Here are some surprising and alarming statistics about accidents and damage in parking lots:

• Nearly 1/3 of all traffic accidents happen in parking lots.

• 66% of drivers are on the phone when driving through parking lots.

• Driver liability in parking lot accidents is usually not 50/50, unless both cars are backing out simultaneously and collide.

• 60,000 people are injured each year in parking lot accidents.

• 5000 people are killed each year in parking lot accidents.

• 67% of child pedestrians aged 2-10 are unsupervised in parking lots.

• Low-speed parking lot collisions in Virginia cause an average of $4000 in damage, totaling $2 billion annually.

• 25% of all parking lot accidents are hit-and-run.

A dashcam can help prove the truth of who did what in a parking lot accident, and can help identify hit-and-run drivers, even if the damage isn’t to your car.

Example: A six-year-old girl is walking to the car with her parents, whose arms are full of bags. She suddenly decides to run ahead to her car, which is on the other side of the aisle. Her father drops his bags and manages to catch her by her coat before she is hit by a car driven by a driver who is texting on his phone. The driver swerves sharply and clips the bumper of another car before he speeds away. Your car is opposite the struck car, and you have a motion-activated dashcam.

When you come out of the store, you see the police talking to the driver of the car that was hit and offer up your footage to show what happened. The camera caught good images of the car coming and going, so the driver and his plates were readable. The hit-and-run driver is tracked down and has to pay for the repair to the car he hit.

Avoid Illegitimate Traffic Tickets

Some dashcams record more than just video. They can record audio, GPS location, and speed as well. If you are pulled over and believe the officer is mistaken, you can use your dashcam information to help your defense in traffic court.

Example: You are driving through an unfamiliar city and make a left turn at an intersection that has a no-left-turn sign for specific hours. You are immediately pulled over, told you cannot make a left turn at that time, and given a ticket. You look at your dashcam footage, and it shows that you made the turn 10 minutes before the no-turn times went into effect. This footage gets your ticket overturned.

Check on your Teen Driver’s Habits

If you have a new or young driver you’d like to make sure he is obeying most (let’s be real here) traffic laws, you can check the dashcam footage to see how he’s doing. You may see he’s weaving a little and can ask if he’s texting while driving. You can also see if he went to Jimmy’s house and did not meet up with friends at a less-than-savory spot in town.

Example: Virginia’s new law says drivers can’t even touch their phones while driving. Your teen driver is pulled over for texting while driving, but swears he wasn’t doing that. When you look at the dashcam footage, you see that he was late starting up at stoplights and had to overcorrect a few times when swerving off the road. Now would be the time to talk with Johnny about the dangers of texting and driving, the importance of telling the truth, and how his phone will be confiscated until he earns back the money for the ticket.

If you are still on the fence about a dash cam, why not start off with a simple and less expensive one and see if you like it. Hopefully you'll never have to use the footage, but better to have it and not need it, than to need it and regret that you didn't get one.

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Sources: Risk and Insurance, LookUpAPlate.com, @samedaydumpsters, River Run Law