On behalf of Sayer Regan & Thayer of Sayer Regan & Thayer, LLP on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.
No longer just for professional drivers and law enforcement, dash cams are becoming the norm in many personal vehicles. Due to the pervasive nature of video in today’s society, you can assume everything is being recorded. While some may say this is an invasion of privacy, others take it as the perfect opportunity to catch injustice.
As a vehicle owner and driver, you may take it upon yourself to equip your car with devices that will exonerate you should something questionable take place. You’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars into the car you’re driving, juggling car payments, maintenance costs, and auto insurance fees. Besides your home, your car is the most expensive investment you’ll make, and it stands to reason that you want to do all you can to protect it.
Dash cams can be mounted simply in your vehicle, purchased online or in department stores. While taxi and truck drivers have consistently relied on footage as evidence in the event of an accident, this technology has recently found its way to the dashboards of many mainstream drivers. Acting just like a smart camera would inside your home, a dash cam allows you to take control of your vehicle’s security so you can safely record criminal incidents such as theft, vandalism, collisions, altercations with other drivers, and interactions with law enforcement.
Here are some great reasons to install a dash cam in your car.
Arm Yourself With Hard Evidence
Video provides irrefutable proof of a crime or to prove one version of two stories. It’s used in law enforcement all the time when pulling over drivers. Let’s say you were in a collision with another motorist. You know you were in the right and the other driver was at fault, but he pins it all on you. Video footage will show law enforcement and the insurance companies that you indeed were innocent of wrongdoing, with the case ruled in your favor. Without that footage, that insurance battle could have gone on for months or years.
Monitor Teen Driving
Nothing strikes terror in the hearts of parents quite like watching their teen sons and daughters drive off in their own cars. Keeping an eye on your teen driver is easy with a dash cam, as they provide a comforting, non-intrusive form of surveillance. You can easily monitor where your teen is driving thanks to the cam’s GPS accessory, plus you can review footage as necessary to see how well they’re driving and use the footage as teachable moments.
Elevate Driving Standards
Without video footage to back up a story, people may be less incentivized to improve their driving skills and operate with more care while on the roadways. At-fault drivers may be more apt to be dishonest about the extent of their mistake, perhaps placing blame on factors other than themselves. When a dash cam is consulted, nothing is left to chance – just the cold hard truth. Therefore, dash cams enforce a standard of accountability, something that’s lacking on today’s roads when it comes to anything from fender benders and DUI to road rage incidents and criminal behavior.
These materials have been prepared by SRT for informational purposes only and are not intended and should not be construed as legal advice.