Should Dashboard Cameras Be Compulsory For All Road Users?
Dashcams are fast becoming a staple of British roads, and are finding increasingly widespread use amongst both the private and corporate communities – including the commercial HGV and logistics industries, as operators of fleet vehicles are finding it especially helpful. With the dashcams industry showing no signs of slowing down, a question is arising in the motor industry: should dashcams be made compulsory for all new vehicles?
The Advantages Of Dashboard Cameras
Dashboard cameras provide concrete, indisputable video evidence in case of an accident or collision, giving you and your drivers’ litigation security should the worst occur.
Often legal proceedings come down to one person’s word against another. This makes it difficult = for courts and insurers to come to accurate conclusions about the actual sequence of events.
These points are especially true in deliberate cases of ‘induced accidents’ – in other words, Crash for Cash schemes. Car insurance fraud scams like these cost the insurance industry around £400 million every single year. By providing this irrefutable legal evidence, fleet operators and drivers can protect themselves from having to pay out potentially thousands in costs to criminals and otherwise dangerous drivers.
As an added bonus to dashcams installation – though they’re not specifically designed for this purpose – they can provide your vehicles with an extra layer of overnight security. Many dashcams can be set to record automatically overnight, which means they have the potential to catch vandals and would-be thieves who might not be expecting to be captured on-camera.
The Arguments Against Dashboard Cameras
The main concerns surrounding dashboard cameras revolve around the issue of privacy. Many of the latest, most highly-priced dashboard cameras feature built-in GPS systems. This worries some private motorists, who are understandably nervous about their insurance companies potentially being able to track their movements.
However, for fleet owners and fleet operators, this downside is actually often seen as a positive. Since their HGVs and lorries are company property, being able to observe their drivers’ movements makes up a vital part of their fleet tracking systems, allowing them to streamline journeys and make their logistics more efficient. It also allows them to regulate driver behaviour, cutting down on personal journeys, unnecessary detours and bad driving habits.It wouldn’t be unfair to say that dashboard cameras have almost no disadvantages from a commercial business point of view, even though there is still some caution in the private market.
At Vision Techniques, your safety and security is our priority; we stock a range of dashboard cameras on our site. Some of these feature specialised technology that allow them to excel in particular circumstances – for example, our VT3000 dashcam is fitted with a shutter/wiper, so it can guarantee a continually high-quality image in even the harshest of weather conditions.
You can click here to browse the rest of our vehicle cameras, or call us on 01254 697 717 if you have any questions!