This is the moment a dash cam in Brisbane, Australia captures a truck running a red arrow causing a head on collision. Amazingly the driver only suffered from whiplash.
We have slowed the last second of the collision down. The dash cam fell off the windscreen, the last frame shows the driver cuddling the air bag.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/5cVNa65QnGs&w=640&h=385]
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A G sensor is commonly referred to as an accelerometer. They are used in a wide range of devices like smart phones, vehicles and of course, dash cams. A G sensor in a dash cam will monitor the proper acceleration, aka G-Force.
In other words, the dash camera will detect a sudden change in direction. This could be caused by hard braking, impact from crashing, or even movement when stationary i.e. someone rocking the vehicle. When a dash camera detects this change in direction it will automatically switch to ‘event mode’ and save the current segment of footage in a protected section of memory. This varies across brands, but the dash cams tend to save footage from 10 seconds before an incident, through to a minute after. This ensures that the point of impact will be saved into memory for later retrieval. The time frame and sensitivity of the G sensor can usually be adjusted.
The true benefit of a G sensor in the dash cam environment is the ability for the dash cam to be able to automatically store crucial footage without intervention from the driver. If you have a dash camera and are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident the last thing you need to worry about is pressing a button or checking the recording has been stored.
Any worthwhile dash cam should have a G sensor- all of the dash cameras featured on Dash Witness have one. If you would like more information on a particular dash cam and the G sensor functionality, please get in touch.
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When our customers ask, “why should I buy a dash cam?” our most common response is, “to protect yourself from other motorists”. Every driver we’ve come across has either been involved in, or knows someone that has been involved in an incident resulting in an insurance claim. Nearly all of those people have experienced the nightmare of dealing with a dishonest driver or simply disagreeing on the series of events that caused the incident. In most cases this leads to a ‘knock-for-knock’ decision, meaning that neither party has taken responsibility and a pay out is made from each insurance company. If you are the innocent party this can result in a feeling of injustice but also a heavy bill when your insurance company calls for the excess. Not to mention a loss of any no-claims benefits that you’ve carefully built up over the years.
Having video evidence of the incident can not only prove your innocence, but also drastically decrease the time taken to process your insurance claim. Being involved in an accident is stressful enough without having the worry of a lengthy claims process hanging over you. With a dash cam you can avoid unnecessary costs, retain your no-claims benefits and give yourself that extra piece of mind when driving.
This point also rings true for scam accidents, otherwise known as ‘Crash for Cash’, which usually involves a full car of people purposely causing an accident in order to obtain a payout from the insurance companies. Again, a dash cam can provide the video footage needed to prove your innocence and keep your stress levels to a minimum. The last 12 months has seen ‘Crash for Cash’ become a more common headline in our morning papers, this increase in fraudulent motorists is another good reason to be proactive and get yourself a dash cam.
Save Money With A Dash CamA benefit that offers a more immediate return on investment is a dash cam that can also provide you with a discounted insurance premium. Most motorists don’t even realise this is a possibility but there are a growing number of insurers that are willing to provide a sizeable discount for motorists that have fitted a dash cam. We work closely with these insurers and can steer you in the right direction, this is something that is applicable for both individuals and fleets.
If you spend £200-£250 getting a dash cam professionally installed and see that return in discounted insurance premiums over the course of 24 months, that’s a no-brainer. This is especially applicable to new and young drivers alike, new drivers have a tough time when insuring their vehicles for the first couple of years. It’s also a fact that new drivers are among the likeliest to be involved in a road traffic accident. Although we can’t give you any hard proof, there has been research to suggest drivers with a dash cam are less likely to drive recklessly as they are acutely aware that they’re being recorded.
The benefits of a dash cam don’t end there. How many times have you seen someone with a death wish dangerously swing across three lanes on the motorway to avoid missing a junction? Or watched someone comically attempting to reverse into that tight parking space? I bet that nearly everyday on your commute into the office you see something that deserves to be caught on camera. Whether entertaining or just outright dangerous, a dash cam will allow you to capture and document these crucial moments.
After a stationary period of 5-10 minutes most dash cameras will switch to parking mode. Whilst in parking mode, the dash cam will shut down unused features such as GPS, but will enable motion detection and the G-sensor. If the vehicle is knocked, or if movement is detected in front of the camera, recording will begin. This is especially useful when leaving your vehicle in a public place, it can capture crucial evidence if someone reverses into your vehicle. This can be extremely effective – especially when a front and rear camera has been installed.
A dash cam or in-car camera is an on-board camera that usually attaches to the vehicles windscreen, this is achieved through the use of a suction cup or adhesive mount. The in-car camera will face forward continuously recording the road ahead, in the event of an accident the camera is able to lock the appropriate segment of footage.
See the picture for an example of the available in-car camera mounting solutions. In the majority of cases the in-car camera can be tucked up behind or near the rear view mirror, this makes for a discreet solution. It also stops the dash camera from imposing on the drivers view of the road.
Now your in-car camera is mounted to the windscreen you need to provide a power supply. For a dash cam to be most effective it needs to have a constant supply, this is usually 5v or 12v DC but does vary across manufacturers. Having a constant power supply will allow you to take advantage of features such as parking mode which will keep an eye on your vehicle even when it’s left alone.
You really have two options, you can either plug the provided 12v cigarette adapter straight into your vehicles cigarette socket or you can hard wire the dash camera into the vehicles electrical circuits.
We would always advise the latter option as most cigarette sockets will only provide power whilst the ignition is on, it also leaves your cigarette adapter free and avoids the dreaded hanging cable.
To achieve this you should use a professional automotive electrician, we have a network of nationwide installers that are available should you wish to use them. See our installation page for more details.
If you are happy to use the cigarette socket then just plug it in and away you go.
With a dash camera you have irrefutable video evidence so that in the event of a crash for cash scam your innocence is not at question.
The accident might not have been intentional but it is often the case that the guilty party will protest their innocence. With a dash camera fitted you have the video footage to quickly prove the truth.
Many of our dash cameras have a parking event mode, these dash cams will capture footage even when the vehicle is parked. This is triggered if the vehicle is knocked or if something crosses in front of the camera’s field of vision.
Ever wanted to be the proud owner of a viral video? Sometimes all it takes is a chance encounter. With your dash camera recording 24/7 you are sure to capture something interesting.
A recent road trip down to the Italian Alps was a fantastic reason to get the dash camera out, cue the high capacity SD card. For most people it’s not everyday you drive through snow capped mountains. For those fond of social media this is a great way to let the world know where you’ve been.
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This year has seen a noticeable spike in the airtime given to ‘crash for cash’ scams, this has bought an increased awareness to a previously almost unknown illegal industry worth 100s of millions a year. Unfortunately, it is the law-abiding citizens that ultimately fund this industry through increased insurance premiums.
Of course, the more immediate problem arises when you happen to be the victim of a crash for cash scam. Not only is it almost impossible to prove your innocence without solid video evidence, but there is also a good chance that you might not even realise a scam has taken place.
This brings us neatly to the first reason you need a dash cam. Protect yourselves from these criminal gangs in the only reliable way you can. Ensure you have a dash cam recording the evidence needed to prove beyond doubt that you are not at blame.
In accidents, you often find that the guilty party seems to have a fuzzy recollection of where the blame lies. Without solid video footage, it simply becomes your word against theirs. This is a common occurrence and often results in the insurance companies concluding in a ‘knock for knock’ outcome. If you are the victim this is not only frustrating and unfair but also costly.
The video below perfectly demonstrates the value of having dash cam video evidence:
With a dash camera fitted you have the evidence needed to speed up insurance claims and save your hard-earned cash falling prey to the dishonest, criminal gangs and individuals.
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