Should I Get a Dashcam?
I have been wondering for a couple of years now whether or not to buy a dashcam. Consequently, I have been doing some research on the reasons for and against. The latest statistics I can find are from 2021 which show that about 11% of Canadians use dashcams. The projections are that the market is expanding significantly so that number is undoubtedly higher today. I asked my insurance representative what his thoughts were, and his guess was that it was north of 20%.
The largest user of dashcams according to Madeinca.ca website are trucking companies. It states 63% of trucking companies have installed dashcams to monitor driver behaviour. An interesting result of this is that, correspondingly, 58% of trucking companies have seen a reduction in accidents following the installation of dashcams.
But I am not a trucking company. It has been reported that 35% of Canadians install dashcams to protect themselves from fraud. You may have seen videos (from a dashcam) where people have thrown themselves in front of a vehicle pretending to have been hit with the intention of wanting to collect on insurance or blackmailing the driver to pay up.
What is a dashcam exactly? Madeinca.ca says “Dashcams are small cameras that are mounted on the dashboard or windshield of a car, facing either forward or backward. They are used to record video footage of the road in front or behind the car. The footage can be used for a range of purposes such as insurance claims, legal disputes, or as evidence in the event of an accident.
Dashcams record video onto a memory card or cloud storage. They often use loop recording, meaning that when the memory card is full, the new footage will be recorded over the old footage. Some even have motion detection that will automatically trigger the camera to record if it senses movement or impact.”
People install dashcams to provide an “impartial, reliable witness” as to what actually occurred. It appears the general motivation behind installing dashcams is that they offer a sense of security and proof-of-fault in an accident. I have seen advice that if you have dashcam footage, don’t tell the other driver you have it. Doing so will give them time to change their story to fit what the camera has recorded.
A second stated reason for individuals to install a dashcam is to record road trip memories. That may be applicable for some people but not for me. But it may be important for you.
A third reason, and probably one of the most important reasons for me, is to have a record of what is happening to my vehicle when it is parked. Whether that be at a shopping centre or at a trailhead. Who is hitting me in the parking lot, or who is breaking into or vandalizing by vehicle when I’m on a hike or a backpacking trip.
While not a buying motivation for me, I’ve noticed that in accident situations or other criminal activities, police are increasingly asking the public if anyone has dashcam footage relating to the incident.
What are the logistics of actually buying and installing a dashcam? Dashcams are a semi-expensive option for peace of mind. They can run you anywhere from under a hundred dollars to over $600.
The Kelly Blue Book website gives some advice on what features to consider:
1) Resolution – nothing less than HD 1080pixels, 2) 30 frames per second is a good baseline, 3) a Field of View of 150 degrees, 4) night vision capability, 5) SD card capacity – the higher the better but be sure your dashcam can accommodate the capacity of your SD card, 5) Looping – the ability to record over previous footage when the capacity of the SD card has been reached, 6) Parked monitor – records vandalism, burglary, or a crash when parked and the engine is off.
Another feature to consider is how many channels does your dashcam monitor? Does it just provide forward footage or can it also provide rear, side or interior footage? For me, I would think rear footage would be valuable.
Does the installation of a dashcam lower your insurance costs? While some sources say yes, most say no, and my insurance agent confirms they do not offer a discount if you have a dashcam installed. Having said that, it will most likely help settle “who’s at fault” disputes quicker and will help protect you from fraudulent claims of various sorts.
So, am I going to ask for a dashcam for Christmas? I very well may
Dave Schroeder
HCRCWA Board Member
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