by Lori Straus

Dash cams can range from a single dashboard camera you mount on your dashboard to a system of cameras mounted around your car. In this blog post, we’ll explain different reasons to consider different a dash cam.

Guard Your Vehicle When You’re Not Around

You don’t need Tesla’s Centenary function to protect your vehicle. Properly installed dash cams connected to your smartphone will alert you to someone trying to break into your vehicle while you’re getting groceries or sleeping. Nothing is failsafe, of course: just having a dash cam isn’t enough. Make sure it’s meant for keeping watch when your vehicle is powered off.

Guard Your Vehicle When You Are Around

Do you drive often at night? Worry about who might be in or around your vehicle when you approach it in the dark in the parking lot? The presence of a dash cam may deter would-be criminals from approaching you or your vehicle. But should the unthinkable happen, a dash cam can record it and provide you with potential evidence for the police.

Evidence for Insurance Claims

You may be able to use a dash cam’s recording can in insurance claims. It may even protect you against insurance fraud, where criminals stage accidents to make it look like you’re at fault so that they get a payout from your insurance company.

Keep an Eye on Your New Teen Driver

This might sound a little Big Brother-esque, but we are talking about your teen’s safety here. We’ve just covered many ways in which a dashboard camera can help: by collecting evidence for insurance claims, protecting against insurance fraud, and assisting with personal security. These situations don’t apply just to adults.

Moreover, teens’ schedules these days often conflict heavily with parents’ and caregivers’ work schedules, meaning that once a teen can drive, it’s a godsend to everyone. A dash cam can help you know that your teen is safe while they increase their independence.

What Are the Best Dash Cams?

The best dash cams are the ones that serve your needs.

For example, a dash cam can be front-facing or dual-facing. A front-facing dashcam has a single lens that points in one direction. A dual-facing dashcam has one on the front of the unit and one on the back. For a dash cam that actually sits on your dashboard, this means one lens faces the road ahead and the other the driver or passenger area. Which dashcam do you need?

Mounting a single front-facing dashboard camera in your vehicle will give you at least some kind of protection, assuming the accident happens within camera view. According to 2018 data analyzed by the National Safety Council in the US, only about 3.5% of all crashes recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were head-on collisions. In fact, 45% of collisions were rear-enders.

Therefore, buying a system that includes a rear camera, too, can give you more protection. (Although, if you’re the rear-ending vehicle and use a front-facing dash cam, then yes, you’ve just incriminated yourself.)

You can also buy several dash cams and have them professionally installed for full protection, too.

Peace of Mind on Your Drive

If an accident happens, your dash cam’s video recording of it can provide evidence that can exonerate you from fault. The cost of a dash cam system needn’t be high: a few hundred dollars at most. Read the product descriptions, check online reviews, and find a dash cam that best suits your needs to give you peace of mind.