There are quite a few benefits to be had by installing an in-car camera system or dash cam in your vehicle. One of the main ones has to be the protection of you as the driver, when it comes to your word against someone else’s about what really happened in a road accident.

Avoid “crash for cash” scams

Imagine this for a scenario: you’re innocently driving to work one morning just as you usually do, minding your own business. You get caught up in a little bit of traffic and then something unbelievable happens. Someone literally throws themselves onto your car bonnet and sprawls across your windscreen before rolling off onto the road.

An ambulance arrives and before you know it, you’re accused of driving into that person, causing them injury and now they want to make a claim against you. Sounds unreal doesn’t it? Yet sadly, in this blame-filled world we live in, there are plenty of “crash for cash” scammers out there who will take advantage of innocent drivers in the hope of making some quick money.

Another example of a well-known “crash for cash” scam is demonstrated in this YouTube video where a scammer rolls his car backwards into another vehicle and then demands money for damages before threatening to call the police.

Luckily the car that was backed into had a dash cam installed. Otherwise, the driver of this vehicle would have had to pay up through an insurance claim. This is because if no evidence is available to prove whose fault an accident was, it’s the driver in the vehicle behind that automatically gets the blame.

So you probably see already from these two examples just how useful a dash cam can be. Dash cams are designed to record video and audio footage from the road ahead and they fit discreetly onto the dashboard of a vehicle so that they are virtually impossible for other drivers to see.

Other ways dash cams can offer protection

Dash cams can also protect other drivers and pedestrians on the road as well as yourself. For example, if you have a dash cam installed in your vehicle, you might be able to capture an accident or incident that’s happened to someone else. Your video evidence could help someone else to get justice and keep dangerous drivers off the roads.

In addition, some dash cams are able to operate in a “parking mode”, where they provide surveillance around the vehicle when parked up. All too often, other drivers damage vehicles in car parks and quickly leave the site of the incident if no-one is around. This surveillance feature is ideal for providing evidence in these cases.

Are dash cams worth the investment?

When you think about how much money you might have to pay out if you’re the victim of a “crash for cash” scam, then yes, in just about every situation a dash cam is worth the investment – for peace of mind alone.

What’s more, you can pick up a dash cam for under £200. Take a look at our RoadHawk DC-2 as an example. This is a great quality forward facing in-car camera, with some excellent features - it costs just £177 including VAT.

For more information on our range of dash cams for personal or business use, please get in touch on 01274 733 633. We’re more than happy to advise you on product features and answer any questions you may have.