A quarter of UK drivers call for dash cams to be compulsory
New research from GoCompare Car Insurance reveals that a quarter of UK drivers would be happy to see dash cams in cars made compulsory.
Dash cams, a small video camera attached to a car’s dashboard or windscreen, recording the road ahead – are now commonplace on UK roads. The footage they record can be used as evidence following an accident to help prove which party was at fault.
Just under a third (32%) of people surveyed said that dash cams should be fitted automatically in all new cars in future.
Nearly half (48%) of those taking part in the survey said they would be happy to have a dash cam installed in their car, a minority (8%) said they wouldn’t have one. The main reason given by those who wouldn’t use a dash cam is that they would feel like they were being watched by ‘Big Brother’ insurers (44%) and that the camera would be an invasion of their privacy (39%).
Other concerns voiced included the potential distraction of a video camera while they are driving (30%); nearly a fifth (18%) thought using a dash cam was too much hassle; while 7% were worried the camera would evidence their bad driving.
Matt Oliver, spokesperson for GoCompare Car Insurance commented, “Dashboard cameras give a driver’s eye view of the road ahead, the footage they record can be valuable to insurers, police and the courts as evidence following an accident. In addition to capturing images, many cameras use GPS to record speed and location.
“Insurers are increasingly aware of the benefits of dash cams with several offering a discount to drivers who use them. Unlike telematics policies, insurers don’t use dash cams to monitor overall driving performance but, footage captured showing how a crash occurred could be useful evidence following an accident. Clear evidence from a dash cam can benefit both the insurer and the policyholder by helping to speed-up claims and deliver a fair outcome. For example, by making it possible to determine the ‘at fault’ driver in an accident, camera footage may help to reduce the number of knock-for-knock settlements whereby each insurer pays its own policyholders regardless of liability, which could help drivers protect their no-claims bonus.”
Matt Oliver concluded, “Insurers offer premium discounts based on factors which they believe will lower their claims costs. Currently, only a small number of mainstream insurers offer discounts of around 10% to 20% but as they become more mainstream, we could see more savings and more insurers offering discounts.
“Insurers use a large number of different factors when calculating insurance premiums, so it always pays to shop around for insurance rather than just focusing on one factor like a discount. Also, a dash cam discount will come with terms and conditions which govern its use. For instance, a discount may be dependent on a particular brand of camera being fitted. It’s also worth remembering that if you make a claim and don’t have dashcam footage to support it, your insurer may require you to repay any discount that you may have had, and potentially invalidate your policy.”
