Why Dashcams Have Become an Affordable, Non-Negotiable Insurance Policy

Insurance companies are for-profit corporations that exist to make money. At the end of the day, their job is to maximize profits by minimizing payouts through devaluing and denying claims whenever possible. Valid claims get denied all the time and insurance adjusters love to shift the blame.

Unfortunately, fault in a car accident isn’t always simple. No matter how clearly you believe the evidence is against the other party, there’s a chance you could be held partially at fault and lose compensation. And it’s not just car accidents you have to worry about. If you get pulled over by law enforcement for an infraction you didn’t commit, it’s your word against the officer’s – and it’s not likely going to end in your favor.

These potentials are exactly why more people are running a dash cam in their car. Years ago, a dash cam was considered a luxury, but today it’s more of a necessity. While you can argue with written statements and still photos, you can’t argue with dash cam footage. If you don’t have one yet, here’s why you need to get one right away.

Dashcams end car accident disputes before they start

When fines, compensation, license points, and jail time are potential consequences, people tend to remember accidents in a way that favors them most. Thankfully, insurance decisions are based on evidence, and you can’t get stronger evidence than dashcam footage. A video recording of what happened can force an insurer to take your claim seriously.

When dashcam footage clearly shows what happened, there’s no room for rewriting the facts. Neither the other party nor the insurer can use ambiguity to make decisions. Most importantly, dashcam footage can boost your credibility when your version of events lines up with what’s on the footage. Your credibility plays a role in the damages you can recover.

Insurance companies provide better compensation with video evidence

Normally, insurance adjusters offer lowball settlements to avoid paying out. They might even assign partial fault when it’s not warranted. Insurance companies have no choice but to provide you with appropriate compensation when you show them video footage. When nothing is ambiguous, they can’t debate fault or contributory negligence.

Having a dashcam will push insurers to settle instead of stalling. Knowing they can’t get away with playing games, they’ll be forced to negotiate and offer a fair number. This not only gets you better compensation, but it also processes your claim faster. Strong evidence makes disputing liability a losing strategy for insurers.

Dashcam footage can protect your driving record

Nobody likes getting pulled over for speeding or being blamed for an accident they didn’t cause. But if it happens to you, your driving record and license may be at stake.

Many people have experienced being pulled over by police for infractions they haven’t committed. It’s unfortunately common, but people with dashcams get their cases thrown out. Cops can write as many tickets as they want and even lie on their reports, but if you have a dashcam, you can prove your innocence.

Dashcams protect you from fraud schemes

There are people out there who stage collisions and file fraudulent injury claims. These people intentionally brake check, sideswipe, and trap other vehicles to extort payouts. Some also add extra passengers after the fact just to extract more money through fake injury claims.

Without a dashcam, you won’t be able to prove what really happened. If they get you to hit them, they could say anything about how the accident happened and frame it as your fault.

None of these fraudsters can get away with their schemes when you have a dashcam. The video footage will record the entire incident with a timestamp.

A dashcam can protect against hit-and-runs

When someone hits you and disappears, you’re left with the bill. But dashcams can capture a lot of details, including license plates, direction of travel, and sometimes the whole collision.

If your car is involved in a hit-and-run and you don’t have proof, your insurance company is likely to deny your claim. Video footage makes recovery more likely.

Dashcams are cheap and easy to install

Dashcams are one of the cheapest ways to protect yourself on the road, and they don’t all require hard-wiring to the fuse box – with an adapter, you can pull power from the mirror area. Keep in mind that dashcams that upload your videos to the cloud offer the best value, even when you have to pay a little more.

Although they used to cost hundreds of dollars, you can get a decent dashcam for between $50-$200. It’s a small price to pay for the only form of protection that can save you from false accusations.