Updated on February 21, 2023
A dashcam is not just a fancy device recording needless hours of video of your road travel. In this day and age, they are an extremely important tool when it comes to keeping documented evidence of an accident or crime, for both insurance and legal purposes.
As technology has advanced in the photography world, cameras have become incredible. This includes dashcams which have become almost crystal clear in today’s world. Also known by many other names such as car cams or in-car camera, they often come with integrated GPS systems. This allows you to monitor the exact location of a vehicle and the route it has taken, which is excellent for personal and business uses to. Dashboard cameras are also handy when you want to record any suspicious activities around your vehicle when it is parked. Apart from these perfectly legal uses of a dashcam, there are other benefits as well.
Dashcams come in many different shapes, sizes, and prices. Although there may be plenty of features and a quality difference between a cheap dash cam and top-end model, the price difference is usually not very much. Therefore our advice is not to scrimp, but instead to buy the best dash cam for sale within your budget in order to get the full and much-needed functionality from your purchase. Below we elaborate on why:
Top 5 Mid-Priced Dash Cams Of 2023
| Brand / Model | Display | View Angle | GPS | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WheelWitness HD Pro | 3" | 170° | Integrated | 3.9 x 1.2 x 1.9" |
| VAVA Dash Cam | On phone | 155° | Integrated | 2.8 x 2.8 x 1.1" |
| Rove R2 4K | 2.4" | 150° | Integrated | 3 x 2 x 1" |
| Rexing V1 4K | 2.4" | 170° | Optional | 6.6 x 5 x 3.4" |
| Apeman C420 | 2" | 170° | No | TBC |
Reasons To Buy A Dashcam
Refute False Insurance Claims And Litigation Hassles
Why do you need a dashcam? Simple, you want to present evidence that an accident you are involved in has happened not because of you, but due to the third party, and recorded video footage is the ultimate piece of evidence. You don’t have to worry about the other party giving a false representation and accusing you. Let’s say someone in-front backs up and hits your vehicle – intentionally or otherwise. There is no way to prove the fact, and the general notion would be that you hit them from behind. With a clear high definition video, no one can dispute your word. These kinds of scenarios can bring out the worst in people; sometimes some unscrupulous individuals find this as an easy way to make money. A driver bumping your car on purpose may try to extort money from you. Sometimes a minor accident can even lead to violent road rage. When you have a good dashcam recording the whole incident, no more worries of false insurance claims, no more hassles of litigation, and rest assured any faces will be caught on camera.
Insurance Against New Drivers
Fast cars and newbie drivers are a dangerous mix. These drivers are a threat to not only their own life and limbs but also to other unsuspecting drivers who are more experienced than them. You can’t possibly install a dashcam on all four corners of your car. That would have been the perfect solution but would have also turned your vehicle into a Google street view car. The next best thing would be to have a dual dash cam installed. One at the front and the other at the rear to cover two primary angles. The reason is you never know the kind of drivers you are going to encounter on the street. A strategically placed dashcam would be the perfect solution to safeguard against new drivers who love life in the fast lane, and are bad with their driving skills but good with intimidation tactics.
Memorable Journeys And Beautiful Road Trips
A little more light-hearted appreciation, dashcams aren’t just for documenting evidence, they can also be used to make beautiful videos of memorable road trips and vacations. Imagine, traveling hundreds or thousands of miles on a road trip may be something you do only once in a lifetime. You may see an abundance of beautiful views, but it’s a lot more memorable when it’s all stored on video. Earlier on this year, my wife and I drove along the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy, one of the best road trip destinations in the world, but also a strenuous drive along a very narrow coastline with sheer drops. I, of course, didn’t get to see much first hand as my eyes were glued ahead, but thankfully we had a top-rated dashcam (the WheelWitness HD Pro) at the time, which caught a 170° wide-angle view in 2K HD for me to enjoy when we got home.
Dashcams In The Workplace
Dashcams are utilized in law enforcement because it can later be used as evidence. They can also protect citizens from any wrongdoing. If a case goes to trial, it is of utmost importance for the jury to see what the officers saw. This can be particularly important when it comes to officer-involved shootings. Taxi employers also use dash cams. Not only does this give the employers an opportunity to hear how their employees treat their passengers but also helps protect employees from wrongful accusations, or help prosecute violent robbers and attackers. The dashcams also make it possible for employers to monitor the driving of their employees in company vehicles. With new advances, a dash cam with GPS (such as the KDLINKS X1) adds benefits for potential tracking of the car, thus helping to make sure that company employees are where they say they are. It also can be used to provide more accurate pickup times for customers, parcels, delivery of food, and much more.
For The Worrying Parents
If you are a parent, then you either already know or will at some point know that terrifying feeling in the pit of your stomach when first watching your child drive away in their new car. Having a dash cam with GPS can help keep a watchful eye on your child and their whereabouts. You can also watch the recordings to see exactly how your child drives when you are not around. This way, you can correct any bad behaviors early on before they become a bad habit.
Road Rage
Road rage, we have all been in that situation where a car cuts you off, causing you to take corrective action to avoid any accidents. Having a dashcam, can help provide an eyewitness account of events should you wish to report the incident to authorities. Maybe you witness someone driving erratically and suspect they may be driving under the influence. The dashcam will record their license plate making it much easier for the authorities to locate the offending party. Quite commonly, after road traffic accidents, whether you are at fault or not, sadly it is not unheard of where assaults occur. These brazen attacks can happen in broad daylight on public highways, but it always seems to be challenging to find eyewitness accounts of what happened. Luckily with devices like the Rove R2 4K, this is no longer the case, and now facial or number plate data can be identified very quickly.
Conclusion
As you can see there a significant number of reasons to install a dashcam in your own vehicle. While it may cost up front, it can potentially save untold amounts of money and headache. No price can be placed on the peace of mind offered by a dashcam.
With more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Ash possesses a deep understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by drivers on the road. His relentless commitment to road safety and ongoing research is fueled by a genuine desire to create safer environments for all drivers.