We’ve all seen those viral dash cam videos — footage of vehicular accidents and toe-curling near-misses, Teslas being keyed, Karens screaming for their life while calling authorities on a stationary vehicle, an emergency plane landing, and even a meteor that crashed in Russia.
There has been an increase in dash cam usage everywhere. And in Australia, dash cam owners anticipate that it would be compulsory to have one fitted in your vehicle sooner or later. But are we ready for this?
One way to weigh our options is if we take a look at other countries. In Japan, major insurance firms require vehicles to have dash cams installed for applicants to be eligible. In fact, these companies have even increased dashcam functionality to address the country’s increasing cases of road rage.
In the UK, there is no compulsory dash cam installation mandate. However, a huge number of motorists have found that dash cam use created a notably positive impact especially when it comes to claiming insurance disputes.
With these in mind, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a compulsory dash cam mandate.
PROS
The biggest benefit of having a dash cam lies in constant and reliable documentation especially during accidents and other unusual activities. Although it is not necessarily true that a dash cam is the best anti theft tool, it can serve as a deterrent for possible criminal incidents like theft and vandalism.
Having a dash cam can reduce the price of insurance premiums. It also greatly helps prove to insurers that a certain motorist is not in the wrong. In fact, some companies use the footage itself to investigate cases.
Speaking of investigations, there have been a lot of documented events where authorities and law enforcers resolved disputes due to the presence of a dash cam in the vehicle.
This leads us to one of the biggest benefits for dash cam users — having a tiny digital witness inside our vehicles increases the feeling of safety and confidence behind the wheel.
To give a more specific example, the Elinz 2K Dual Dash Cam 170° HD has extremely sharp video quality to help you better read the street signs, license plates, and more, even during the night time. Also, there would be no worry about losing footage at all with a supercapacitor that has no risk of malfunction in extreme temperatures as well as a sizable memory capacity. These features give users peace of mind and security.
CONS
On the other hand, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) says there is “no push to legally mandate the fitment of dash cams in cars in Australia.” Furthermore, spokesperson Leonore Fletcher said the industry would have some concerns over incorrectly fitted cameras potentially becoming projectiles in the event of an accident. This makes it imperative for users and sellers to be knowledgeable on how to install a dash cam securely, correctly, and properly.
Another difficulty is too much footage. How is this a problem? The system and police forces who use them simply don't have the resources to examine all the videos being uploaded. Until the state infrastructure can keep up with a new and better way to compile and study dash cam videos being submitted to them for investigation, dash cams can be a disadvantage for areas that utilize them.
In conclusion, the benefits of a legal mandate to make dash cams compulsory in vehicles outweigh its costs. Despite that, its proper installation, usage, maintenance, and appropriate state support for dash cams are needed for it to be truly successful in Australia.
