DASHCAMS AN ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY?

Once considered a novelty, the fitment of dashcams has become increasingly widespread. What has driven this upsurge in popularity?

- Graham Eagle

Since dashcams first appeared on the market, the range of available products has expanded significantly, as have the levels of sophistication and features offered. The increase in their popularity is driven by a growing recognition of their benefits, to both individual vehicle owners and commercial fleet operators. These range from enhanced safety and accountability to financial savings.

ACCIDENT ACCOUNTABILITY

Modern dashcams are more user-friendly and powerful than ever, with high-resolution video, night vision, loop recording, voice commands, cloud storage, and smartphone connectivity now common features. More advanced dashcam systems also incorporate GPS and some include a vehicle interior-facing camera, allowing real-time driver monitoring and alerts for unsafe actions such as harsh braking, tailgating, or phone use. Others incorporate selected ADAS safety features like lane departure warning (LDW) and forward collision warning. Certain models also alert users via their smartphones, and can even access a real time camera feed if an incident involving their parked car is detected.

Installations have remained straightforward, usually via easy attachment to the inside of the windscreen, top of the dash or interior rear-view mirror. Proper alignment is however required for the LDW to operate at its best, and a permanent power cable needs to be installed for the parking alert functions.

ACCIDENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND FRAUD