Are dashcams actually worth it?
Discussion
Been doing a lot of research on these things. From what I gather there’s 3 types of insurance claim. Fault, no fault and notification. Your premiums can go up after any of these.
Right, so someone drives into your parked car and you have no idea who it was. You claim against your insurance etc etc. You obviously have to cop the excess. With dashcam footage you give it to insurer/police and potentially the third party is identified and if insured, insurer is contacted and could accept liability based off footage. So you save the excess charge and a no fault claim is recorded. Here’s the thing. Your own premium will still probably go up the following year anyway, as you’ve made a claim, even if it was no fault. So it may for minor scrapes be worth just copping the cost yourself. Obviously not if it’s a lot of damage.
The other argument is it protects your NCD. But a lot of people protect their NCDs. And that protection applies even with a fault claim. So given your insurance will likely go up regardless of fault, apart from an excess saving (which maybe offset by premium rise) what are you saving with a dashcam? Apart from “getting one over” on the perpetrator who bumped your car and drove off, is there much benefit to carrying a device that could also be used against yourself one day?
Edit: removal of “rosey glow”, seems to have been misconstrued
Right, so someone drives into your parked car and you have no idea who it was. You claim against your insurance etc etc. You obviously have to cop the excess. With dashcam footage you give it to insurer/police and potentially the third party is identified and if insured, insurer is contacted and could accept liability based off footage. So you save the excess charge and a no fault claim is recorded. Here’s the thing. Your own premium will still probably go up the following year anyway, as you’ve made a claim, even if it was no fault. So it may for minor scrapes be worth just copping the cost yourself. Obviously not if it’s a lot of damage.
The other argument is it protects your NCD. But a lot of people protect their NCDs. And that protection applies even with a fault claim. So given your insurance will likely go up regardless of fault, apart from an excess saving (which maybe offset by premium rise) what are you saving with a dashcam? Apart from “getting one over” on the perpetrator who bumped your car and drove off, is there much benefit to carrying a device that could also be used against yourself one day?
Edit: removal of “rosey glow”, seems to have been misconstrued
Edited by Buggyjam on Sunday 17th December 21:35
Johnnytheboy said:
They are useful for the rest of us to identify drivers who are usually of a significantly lower standard than the average, by spotting the camera in their windscreen.
Usually sported by those absolutely desperate to monitor a mechanic's every word and move whilst their car is in for service too, in the hope that by analysing every frame they'll find some material to complain about. They usually have to settle fot complaining about it being unplugged instead 
Buggyjam said:
Apart from the rosey glow of “getting one over” on the perpetrator, is there much benefit to carrying a device that could also be used against yourself one day?
If you're worrying about it being "used against yourself" you have to think - do you drive so badly that needs to concern you?I have one and have never experienced this "rosy glow" you talk of. Maybe that's reserved for the knob ends who post up normal traffic from their dash cam in outraged youtube videos.
Why so anti - I don't get it.
So not a lot of love for dash cams so far .
I considered one, only after I was involved in helping someone who’s car got smacked in a hit and run. I’d have absolutely zero, zilch interest in using one for anything other than sorting out insurance stuff after an accident. Can’t work out those Dashcam heroes. Worse are the vigilante cyclists!
But. After reading about the way the insurance system doesn’t reward not at fault makes me wonder if all it’s doing is doing the insurers Donkey work for them. You’ll still pay more in premiums regardless.
. I considered one, only after I was involved in helping someone who’s car got smacked in a hit and run. I’d have absolutely zero, zilch interest in using one for anything other than sorting out insurance stuff after an accident. Can’t work out those Dashcam heroes. Worse are the vigilante cyclists!
But. After reading about the way the insurance system doesn’t reward not at fault makes me wonder if all it’s doing is doing the insurers Donkey work for them. You’ll still pay more in premiums regardless.
Blaster72 said:
If you're worrying about it being "used against yourself" you have to think - do you drive so badly that needs to concern you?
I have one and have never experienced this "rosy glow" you talk of. Maybe that's reserved for the knob ends who post up normal traffic from their dash cam in outraged youtube videos.
Why so anti - I don't get it.
Keep calm. I was joking about the rosey glow I have one and have never experienced this "rosy glow" you talk of. Maybe that's reserved for the knob ends who post up normal traffic from their dash cam in outraged youtube videos.
Why so anti - I don't get it.
. Just used to highlight i was struggling to work out the benefits when looked at in detail.As for worrying about it being used against me. Well, I’d like to think I’m quite a careful driver. But wouldn’t we all say that? Perhaps the difference between me and the next man is I admit I’m human and make mistakes.
I’m not anti at all. You’ve taken this out of context and over the top, it’s a discussion about pros and cons. If one can’t talk the pros and cons of something then what’s the world come to?
From what I can gather, regardless of whether your insurer rolls over and accepts fault or not you’ll still prob pay in increased premiums the following year, even for a no fault clear cut claim. It’s the insurance companies who make the real saving when no fault is accepted (they prefer the other firm to pay out of course). I guess the difference will be how much the premiums increase in each case. As perhaps a premium increase after a fault claim would be a lot more than after a no fault claim. I don’t know. In that case it would make a saving.
We have dashcams fitted to both our cars.
In one of the cars we use a well known brand with gps speed logging.
In the other we use a either a Mobius/gopro type camera which gives as good a result but no speed logging on the video.
We have had to use both for evidence. Once for a accident that the other person lied & claimed we skidded and hit them when we were stationary at the time. The dashcam footage proved who was moving and who wasnt.
Second incident was when car was being MOT'd and testers assistant left torch on slam panel and the promptly dented the bonnet trying to get it to shut with his torch in the way. Camera recorded him leaving torch on slam panel (you could see it when the bonnet was open) and him getting angry when bonnet didn't latch.
His boss denied it till I showed him footage on camera screen and he got a PDR to sort the damage (a great job he did too).
I check both dashcams are recording every so often as the cheaper ones we have had in the past worked when they wanted too sometimes.
I wouldn't not have a dashcam fitted these days especially with the price they cost v the amount of agro arguing with a insurance company.
The cost for my insurance after the accident (proved to be a non fault thanks to the dashcam footage) was a few pounds cheaper than last years cost.
In one of the cars we use a well known brand with gps speed logging.
In the other we use a either a Mobius/gopro type camera which gives as good a result but no speed logging on the video.
We have had to use both for evidence. Once for a accident that the other person lied & claimed we skidded and hit them when we were stationary at the time. The dashcam footage proved who was moving and who wasnt.
Second incident was when car was being MOT'd and testers assistant left torch on slam panel and the promptly dented the bonnet trying to get it to shut with his torch in the way. Camera recorded him leaving torch on slam panel (you could see it when the bonnet was open) and him getting angry when bonnet didn't latch.
His boss denied it till I showed him footage on camera screen and he got a PDR to sort the damage (a great job he did too).
I check both dashcams are recording every so often as the cheaper ones we have had in the past worked when they wanted too sometimes.
I wouldn't not have a dashcam fitted these days especially with the price they cost v the amount of agro arguing with a insurance company.
The cost for my insurance after the accident (proved to be a non fault thanks to the dashcam footage) was a few pounds cheaper than last years cost.
Edited by laters on Sunday 17th December 21:12
The big saving is in keeping the excess and no claims bonus, also in having the confidence to arrange car hire knowing that the evidence is firmly in your favour.
My wife was involved in an accident last June and I suspect the other driver would have been answering a charge of driving without due care and attention if I’d fitted a dashcam. Instead we’re still waiting for the insurers to fight it out.
I certainly haven’t noticed a rosy glow since fitting one to each of our cars, nor felt the need to post everyday life on YouTube. Are my cameras faulty?
My wife was involved in an accident last June and I suspect the other driver would have been answering a charge of driving without due care and attention if I’d fitted a dashcam. Instead we’re still waiting for the insurers to fight it out.
I certainly haven’t noticed a rosy glow since fitting one to each of our cars, nor felt the need to post everyday life on YouTube. Are my cameras faulty?
A very useful tool to have....it’s basically a witness to anything that goes on near your car whether driving or parked up.
Only once in the three years I’ve been running them I felt the need to report bad driving to the police an artic lorry driver deliberately pulled over on me the police were very interested to see the footage and went to the company to have words with the driver.
If people don’t agree with them that’s perfectly fine but don’t flame others who use them.
Only once in the three years I’ve been running them I felt the need to report bad driving to the police an artic lorry driver deliberately pulled over on me the police were very interested to see the footage and went to the company to have words with the driver.
If people don’t agree with them that’s perfectly fine but don’t flame others who use them.
Johnnytheboy said:
They are useful for the rest of us to identify drivers who are usually of a significantly lower standard than the average, by spotting the camera in their windscreen.
I was actually going to post that myself.Having spent just two weeks at my new job now, which involves a 30 mile, 45-50 minute schelp cross county on A/B roads, I have already got my eye in on the "tells" of s
t drivers. Without fail, those who plod, drive at 27 mph everywhere, brake for gentle bends, brake for any other vehicle that might be within 10 ft of them, brake randomly for no reason at all on straight road, have yo-yo's for right feet, don't indicate, swerve or drift about and make last minute changes of direction will be one of the following:Vauxhall
Peugeot
Citroen (usually a C3 or Berlingo)
Dash cammer
High beams on the moment it gets a bit dim
Buggyjam said:
Keep calm. I was joking about the rosey glow . Just used to highlight i was struggling to work out the benefits when looked at in detail.
As for worrying about it being used against me. Well, I’d like to think I’m quite a careful driver. But wouldn’t we all say that? Perhaps the difference between me and the next man is I admit I’m human and make mistakes.
I’m not anti at all. You’ve taken this out of context and over the top, it’s a discussion about pros and cons. If one can’t talk the pros and cons of something then what’s the world come to?
Fair enough, you can't however fit a device to protect you against poor drivers but not expect it to be used in cases where you might make similar mistakes.. Just used to highlight i was struggling to work out the benefits when looked at in detail.As for worrying about it being used against me. Well, I’d like to think I’m quite a careful driver. But wouldn’t we all say that? Perhaps the difference between me and the next man is I admit I’m human and make mistakes.
I’m not anti at all. You’ve taken this out of context and over the top, it’s a discussion about pros and cons. If one can’t talk the pros and cons of something then what’s the world come to?
If you struggle to see the benefits are looking in detail at dashcams then probably you don't need one.
Here's one example of how they can be useful
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-ne...
Sorry if I misconstrued the intent of your original post, I read it as yet another attempt to denigrate everyone who chooses to fit a dashcam.
Edited by Blaster72 on Sunday 17th December 21:28
Otispunkmeyer said:
I was actually going to post that myself.
Having spent just two weeks at my new job now, which involves a 30 mile, 45-50 minute schelp cross county on A/B roads, I have already got my eye in on the "tells" of st drivers. Without fail, those who plod, drive at 27 mph everywhere, brake for gentle bends, brake for any other vehicle that might be within 10 ft of them, brake randomly for no reason at all on straight road, have yo-yo's for right feet, don't indicate, swerve or drift about and make last minute changes of direction will be one of the following:
Vauxhall
Peugeot
Citroen (usually a C3 or Berlingo)
Dash cammer
High beams on the moment it gets a bit dim
On their mobile phone, texting,facebook etc...Having spent just two weeks at my new job now, which involves a 30 mile, 45-50 minute schelp cross county on A/B roads, I have already got my eye in on the "tells" of s
t drivers. Without fail, those who plod, drive at 27 mph everywhere, brake for gentle bends, brake for any other vehicle that might be within 10 ft of them, brake randomly for no reason at all on straight road, have yo-yo's for right feet, don't indicate, swerve or drift about and make last minute changes of direction will be one of the following:Vauxhall
Peugeot
Citroen (usually a C3 or Berlingo)
Dash cammer
High beams on the moment it gets a bit dim
Blaster72 said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
I was actually going to post that myself.
Having spent just two weeks at my new job now, which involves a 30 mile, 45-50 minute schelp cross county on A/B roads, I have already got my eye in on the "tells" of st drivers. Without fail, those who plod, drive at 27 mph everywhere, brake for gentle bends, brake for any other vehicle that might be within 10 ft of them, brake randomly for no reason at all on straight road, have yo-yo's for right feet, don't indicate, swerve or drift about and make last minute changes of direction will be one of the following:
Vauxhall
Peugeot
Citroen (usually a C3 or Berlingo)
Dash cammer
High beams on the moment it gets a bit dim
On their mobile phone, texting,facebook etc...Having spent just two weeks at my new job now, which involves a 30 mile, 45-50 minute schelp cross county on A/B roads, I have already got my eye in on the "tells" of s
t drivers. Without fail, those who plod, drive at 27 mph everywhere, brake for gentle bends, brake for any other vehicle that might be within 10 ft of them, brake randomly for no reason at all on straight road, have yo-yo's for right feet, don't indicate, swerve or drift about and make last minute changes of direction will be one of the following:Vauxhall
Peugeot
Citroen (usually a C3 or Berlingo)
Dash cammer
High beams on the moment it gets a bit dim
Blaster72 said:
Fair enough, you can't however fit a device to protect you against poor drivers but not expect it to be used in cases where you might make similar mistakes.
If you struggle to see the benefits are looking in detail at dashcams then probably you don't need one.
Here's one example of how they can be useful
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-ne...
Sorry if I misconstrued the intent of your original post, I read it as yet another attempt to denigrate everyone who chooses to fit a dashcam.
No worries at all. I didn’t realise I’d kicked the preverbial hornets nest on this subject If you struggle to see the benefits are looking in detail at dashcams then probably you don't need one.
Here's one example of how they can be useful
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-ne...
Sorry if I misconstrued the intent of your original post, I read it as yet another attempt to denigrate everyone who chooses to fit a dashcam.
Edited by Blaster72 on Sunday 17th December 21:28
in fact wasn’t even aware there was this pack hate of them. Seems so reading some replies. Everyday is a school day so they say. Well I am open to them. After reading the highly polar views not sure I’d be that keen on the negative conotations attached to having one fitted ha. I’ve got a small sporty car so hopefully doesn’t fit with the DCW image. I’d only want peace of mind after a couple of events this year.
I didn’t say I don’t expect it to be used against me. just pointed out it’s a risk it could. And that’s a truth. And I make no apologies for preferring not to like any human we all make mistakes. Fact is I’d be using it for things after an accident. When something has happened to my car. The downside is it can be used against you as some sort of reverse police device. If plod want to pull you over, take a look and decide you’re not driving perfectly. And show me anyone who says they’re a perfect driver and I’ll show you a phibber.
Edited by Buggyjam on Sunday 17th December 21:53
Another thing to consider is where you live and your normal driving routes, I live close to Heathrow and regularly drive all over London hence my choice to fit a dash cam. I guess if you live at the back of beyond and don't encounter the same kind of driving standards it might not be worthwhile investing in one.
There is a pack dislike of them on here, mainly I think fuelled by adenoidal knob ends posting minor traffic mishaps you see everyday on the roads on youtube and trying to make something out of it. Mine is installed with the hope I'll never have to look at any of the footage let alone use it to protect myself but it's there just in case all the same.
There is a pack dislike of them on here, mainly I think fuelled by adenoidal knob ends posting minor traffic mishaps you see everyday on the roads on youtube and trying to make something out of it. Mine is installed with the hope I'll never have to look at any of the footage let alone use it to protect myself but it's there just in case all the same.
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