Should You Buy a Dash Cam for Your Car?
The invention of a given technology is just the beginning of our relationship with it. Constant evolution, improvement, reinvention, and recontextualization is how technology maintains its relationship with humanity. This process can yield unexpected applications for inventions which have existed for years. It’s hard to think of an invention that better embodies this evolutionary process than the camera. Cameras have grown more widespread and widely used than ever before, and new uses are still being discovered. One such use is the “dash cam.” These small digital cameras placed on a car’s dashboard have been a staple of law enforcement kit for decades. In recent years, however, civilian consumers have begun to discover the value of the technology. Today’s Malloy Law blog post will explain why you should consider purchasing a dash cam for use in your daily driver.
A Brief History of the Dash Cam
While the practice of mounting a camera on a moving vehicle or other mobile apparatus is a practice which stretches back to the birth of the motion picture, the high cost, size, and fragility of recording equipment meant that a century of progress would be required before the “dash cam” as we know it could come into being. Many will be familiar with the dashboard camera as a device commonly used by law enforcement. Some observant readers may recognize video from these devices in TV programs such as COPS or Live PD. In fact, the first widespread adoption of this technology came from law enforcement agencies in the former Soviet Union.
However, the evolution of camera and data storage tech from analog to digital would revolutionize these devices. Cameras became smaller, cheaper, and capable of storing more and more consecutive hours of video. With a greater range of market options available to the consumer and an increased awareness of the utility of video, it was only natural that dash cameras would see increased adoption by private citizens.
How a Dash Cam Can Help You
The most obvious application for a dashboard recording device is to create an objective record of any incident which may occur while you are behind the wheel. This objectivity can be a boon in the event of a car accident. One of the most common pieces of advice we dispense in navigating a car accident is to contact the police and work with responding officers to generate a police report on the incident. This report will be considered as unbiased and neutral by courts. However, as we’ve also addressed on prior editions of this blog: police reports can also be wrong.
The beauty of the dash cam is that it is a slice of pure, unvarnished reality, separate from “he said, she said” testimony and other rhetorical maneuvering from insurance companies and other legal advocates. Analysis of a video taken at the exact moment of the accident can considerably simplify any insurance claims process or personal injury legal proceedings.
Fighting Fraudsters
The objectivity provided by dash camera footage can be a powerful defense against malicious actors. One knock-on effect of wider adoption of this technology is that insurance fraudsters, who often provoke or cause accidents intending to profit through fraudulent claims, are finding it harder to ply their trade. More than one viral video has emerged showing a fraudster caught in the act by their would-be victim’s dash cam. Each and every one of these videos further spreads awareness of the utility of these devices, in addition to spreading awareness of this shameful practice.
How Malloy Law Can Help
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, Malloy Law is here to help. Our experienced personal injury attorney team will leverage all available information towards the goal of winning the maximum lawful compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and emotional trauma. We’re proud to employ the DMV region’s personal injury specialists and look forward to fighting for you. Contact Malloy Law today, let’s win your case.
