Dashcam: the reasons to install a camera in your car now!

O video has become part of our daily lives. However, as common as it is, many of us don’t think about its usefulness when we are on the road. This is where dashcams come into play. Although many people associate dashcams with law enforcement, their usefulness goes beyond the police. You can install it on your car’s windshield or rearview mirror to capture sound and video images of your trip, both inside and outside the car, serving as a reliable witness if you have an accident or dispute on the road. So when it comes to Dashcam, these are the reasons to install a camera in your car.

Dashcam: the reasons to install a camera in your car now!

If you have ever been in a car accident, you know how chaotic and confusing the consequences can be. Unclear memories and contradictory versions of events can make it difficult to resolve complaints and determine who was at fault. A dashcam is often the only eyewitness to an accident. Without one, it’s one person’s version versus another’s. Something that usually doesn’t inspire much confidence and can be incredibly frustrating when you know it wasn’t your fault.

When you have video footage of what happened, you can easily prove your case. If you end up in court after an accident, dashcam footage is generally admissible as long as it meets the necessary legal requirements. This is because they often provide irrefutable evidence and capture events as they unfold, eliminating uncertainty about what happened or didn’t happen. This helps resolve disputes, speed up the legal process and protect the innocent party. Without video evidence, you could end up being held responsible for an accident you didn’t cause.

There is no way around the situation.

There are many dishonest people in this world who would like nothing more than to separate you from your money.

Insurance fraud is one way to do this, and it is expensive.

Crash-for-cash schemes are one of the most popular ways for fraudsters to commit insurance fraud. This scheme involves fraudsters deliberately causing accidents in order to present false claims for compensation for injuries or damages. Because they want to get a big payout, they often target wealthy communities and people who drive new, leased or commercial vehicles, assuming they will have the best insurance.

Investing in a dashcam for your car can help you catch these scammers in the act. You can use the camera footage to corroborate your version of events and what caused the accident. Depending on the on-board camera, this information may include HD video and GPS data with the exact time and location of the accident and the speed at which the vehicles were traveling. All of this information can help police and insurance investigators determine who was at fault. Furthermore, just like a steering wheel lock, on-board cameras act as a visible deterrent and can dissuade criminals from targeting you in the first place.

Unattended vehicle monitoring

While most of us think cameras give us an extra pair of eyes on the road, they can also be beneficial when your car isn’t moving. Whether you left your car in a large parking lot or unattended on a city street, a dashcam can capture footage of a thief breaking into your car, a hit-and-run accident, or a simple door slam while you’re away. of your vehicle.

Dashcams do this by operating in parking mode, allowing them to monitor your car even when it is not moving. This feature can be especially useful in urban areas where vandalism and theft are common. When the dash cam is in parking mode, it automatically starts recording if the motion and impact sensors detect any movement or collision involving your vehicle. The images it records can help identify perpetrators and record the events leading up to the incident, providing clear evidence for insurance claims and police reports. This is why it is important to install a camera in your car.

Just like a dashboard camera can serve as a deterrent to fraudsters trying to profit from schemes. When criminals know that their actions can be recorded, they will probably think twice before attacking the vehicle.

Document the unexpected

Dashcams can do much more than catch thieves in the act and prove their side of the story in a accident. They are also useful for capturing unexpected events or emergencies. Those things that happen in our daily lives and that catch us off guard because they happen without any warning. Just like car accidents, these unforeseen events can have significant legal and insurance implications.

For example, natural disasters such as hail storms, floods and earthquakes can cause significant damage to your car, and an on-board camera can record these natural disasters as they occur, documenting their impact on your vehicle. You can use these images when filing an insurance claim for damages caused by this type of event. Without images proving the cause of the damage it can be an uphill battle.

These cameras can also capture things like road rage incidents and criminal activity, providing a clear account of events that would otherwise rely on witness testimony, which is notoriously subjective and unreliable. Images can also help investigators and first responders reconstruct the sequence of events and help insurance adjusters accurately evaluate claims and determine liability.

Encourage safer driving habits

We all behave differently when we know we are being watched. This is probably true when there is a camera in our vehicle. A dashcam is a constant reminder that your driving is being recorded, which can lead to more conscious driving.

Dashcams can also discourage reckless driving, which is often a concern for parents of novice drivers, and with good reason. Parents can also use images from the on-board camera to give instructions to teenagers, pointing out mistakes and areas for improvement.

Legislation in Portugal can be a big problem

Regarding this article, our reader Cesar Magalhães, to whom we are grateful, drew attention to a very important issue. In Portugal they are prohibited under the GDPR. Fines amount to more than €500 just for being installed. This is contrary to what happens in many other countries.

Portuguese law prohibits cameras from focusing on public roads or third-party property (article 19 of Law 58/2019)”. “What is at stake is the processing of personal data, that is, the capture of images of people or vehicle registration plates”, as well as “the protection of privacy, as there is the right to move without being recorded where, when , who the person was with.”

Thus, according to the CNPD, “if dash cams capture images that allow people to be identified, directly or indirectly, they are not admissible”, especially taking into account that, in this case, “the collection of consent” from who is filmed how can you read here.