We’ve all heard that having a dash cam can save you money (amongst other things), and it definitely can.
However, you don’t often to see that side of things when looking at funny dashcam footage online. This often leads to people being sceptical about saving money with a dash cam.
At Dash Witness, we are very aware of just how much money can potentially be saved from a small original investment.
Because of this, we have gathered 3 real-life examples of dash camera footage saving a driver a lot of money.
Angry Cyclist
The first example of dash camera footage helping an innocent driver save money can be seen in the video below.
The footage shows a public road rage attack from a cyclist who decided to lift his bike and hit it against the hood of a Mercedes Viano SUV costing £56,000
Thanks to the discreetly installed dash cam, there was no hiding his blatant criminal damage.
This allowed the innocent driver to use the footage in court in order to prove the damage was caused by the cyclist, and claim back the cost of repairs.
The savings from this one, relatively small incident came to a massive £1,500 – far more than installing a dash camera will cost. This is exactly why investing in a dash cam will save you money in the long term.
£16,000 Red light Run
The next real-life example of a dash cam saving a huge amount of money is shown below.
The recording shows a Nissan Note running a red light at a junction in London, at a high speed. This resulted in an inevitable head-on collision with a Ford Transit van, causing a lot of damage.
The Nissan driver denied responsibility for the crash and attempted to claim third-party costs of £16,206. This consisted of claims of vehicle damage, personal injury, and more.
The dash cam footage was submitted to the Nissan driver’s insurers in response to this. The claim was immediately withdrawn and full liability was admitted.
Without the dash cam footage, it is likely that the innocent Ford Transit driver would have been charged over £16,000 for an accident that wasn’t their fault – plus repair costs for damage to their own vehicle.
The value of a dash cam here is undeniable.
A saving of £16,000 is enough to purchase 94 Thinkware F200-2CH dash cams – and that’s a high-quality front and a rear option – let alone enough to cover the cost of 1.
Click here to pick up a Thinkware F200-2CH (or 94 of them).
Mobile Phone Distraction
The third real-life example of dash cams saving drivers money can be seen in the clip below.
The footage clearly shows a white van driver taking a phone call while driving at a five-lane motorway intersection.
While distracted by the mobile phone, he slipped from the correct lane and crashed into a lorry. This did considerable damage to the bodywork, front headlamp, and front grill.
After this incident, the dash cam footage which clearly shows the vehicles registration plate was used to prove him to be guilty.
The guilty drivers’ insurance company were issued a repair bill for the full cost of the HGV’s repairs. The innocent driver may have had to pay this without the dash cam footage.
Perhaps the scariest thing about this footage is that the white van driver was so distracted by the phone call that he wasn’t aware that he had smashed into the lorry. He only found out when presented with the dash cam footage later on.
Where To Submit Your Dash Cam Footage
If you have dashcam footage of an incident, you can use it to prove your innocence.
In response to the constantly increasing amount of driving offences caught on dash cam being submitted, the National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDSP) has been set-up to help make the UK’s roads safer.
This will allow you to submit your footage directly to your local Police. They will then review it and provide you with the next steps.
How To Save Money With A Dash Cam
As you can clearly see from the real-life examples shown throughout this article – car cameras can save you money. Lots of money.
In order to be covered in a situation like the ones shown here, there are a few things you will want to ensure.
For a dash cam to provide evidence which is court admissible, it will need to record in good quality. This is to clearly capture the registration number and other necessary details of an incident.
Luckily, there are lots of inexpensive options which will have suitable quality.
An example of this would be the Thinkware F200 which will record in 1080p HD from the front camera, and 720p HD from the rear.
Alternatively, for a more premium option – the Thinkware Q800 PRO will record in 1440p Quad HD from the front and 1080p HD from the rear, providing one of the highest video qualities available.
You will also need to ensure that your dash cam is installed legally.
If it’s installed in a way that could be a distraction to the driver, then it is not legal. This includes the device partially blocking the driver’s vision, or loose wiring interfering with the ability to drive.
The best way to ensure that your dash cam is legally fitted is to get a professional installation. Your device will be installed in the most discreet place possible.
All wiring will be hidden out of sight in the trim of your vehicle.
For advice on the best dash camera for you or for more information on our mobile installation service, contact us on 01865 598 599, or use the contact form below.
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