Is a Dashcam Worth the Investment?
Dashboard-mounted cameras, or dashcams, are becoming more and more popular. They’re widely used in Russia and China, where auto insurance fraud is common and roads are packed with questionable drivers.
In the U.S., they’re still relatively uncommon, but that’s quickly changing. Many people are buying dashcams as a way to potentially catch auto
accidents and other bad driving behaviors on camera. In the event you need to call the police or your insurance company to file a claim, you
have footage you can share. But are dashcams worth the investment?
Dashcams come in a number of different varieties. They typically cost $50–$150, depending on the features. Some are designed to sit on top
of your dash, others mount under the rearview mirror, and some can be mounted next to the mirror, attaching to the windshield using an
adhesive. They can work in practically every type of automobile, from compact cars all the way up to semitrucks.
In terms of insurance savings, no insurance carriers offer any type of discount or incentive for using a dashcam— at least, not yet. State Farm
Insurance says, “While a dashcam may provide information about why a crash occurred, it is not a device that is designed to inhibit the crash from happening in the first place.”
Though a dashcam cannot protect you from ever getting into a car accident, it can protect you if someone files a claim against you or if you
need to file against someone else. A dashcam can provide footage of the wreck and give everyone involved more information about the incident.
It’s important to keep in mind that having dashcam footage does not guarantee anything. While many dashcams record in high definition,
there is always the possibility of poor lighting, glare, or just bad footage (for example, the camera may not have been pointed precisely in the
direction of the collision).
At the end of the day, dashcams offer peace of mind more than anything else. If you get into an accident, having a recording can work to your
advantage.