Dash cams serve two purposes.
BendPak doesn't make dash cams, but the more we hear about them, the more vital we think they are. Dash cams are a good investment: they're cost-effective and give you peace of mind. Dash cam footage will back you up in court when it captures crimes and other illegal acts. Because they keep recording, they reveal incredible moments that end before you can say “Snapchat.” Dash cams cost between $20-$200, with the average being around $60, which is a small price to pay for this kind of security. These are the situations where a dash cam really comes in handy.
1: Bust 'em for the hit-and-runhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZpzesY1dpw
This has got to make you happy to see. Some dude is driving down the road, minding his own business when suddenly he's clipped by an SUV that refuses to stop and pull over. Only a dash cam could have captured this moment and made sure justice was served. We love the list of charges that runs at the end.
2. Insurance scammers bewarehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFoes7rsZBA
Insurance scammers from across the globe are caught red-handed by these dash cams. Look for the incredible moment that they seem to realize they're on camera and slowly just walk away like nothing ever happened. (Those guilty expressions, though!) If this happened to you and you couldn't prove that your would-be victim screaming and clutching their would-be injuries was faking, what would you say to the police when the crowd of bystanders all say they didn't see the accident happen, per se, but they did see a man clutching his foot underneath
your car? A dash cam would clear all that nonsense right up.
Imagine if your best friend broke your
two-post car lift while you weren't there and blamed it on a faulty cable, but a camera in your garage showed that he improperly loaded the lift. Friends don't improperly load their friends' lifts. Everyone knows that.
3. "How's my driving?"
Excuse our PG-rated French, but it
sucks to get stuck in front of, behind or next to a bad driver (e.g. road ragers, dangerous mergers). When someone does something as common as turning without using a blinker, we don't recommend calling 9-1-1 and wasting county resources (as well as your time) with a full-blown report about your hurt feelings. On the other hand, if said driver's merge is the cause of an accident, you'll have all the proof you need to settle up without getting lawyers involved.
4. Time-lapse videos are awesomehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7WIBF-FJ4c
There’s something that seems to draw us toward time-lapse videos. Take something boring, like a 1,000-mile stretch of highway, film it with your dash cam, and suddenly you have proof of a pretty amazing journey. There are many memorable stretches of road you might want to make into time-lapse, and dash cams are the perfect way to make that happen.
5. Pics or it didn’t happenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPTtqFMa96M
Keeping your dash cam on 24/7 is a worthwhile idea. Things always seem to happen out of nowhere, and most of the time it’s our word against people’s willingness to trust us. We’ve all seen some hilarious stuff on the roads that would make for a great story… if only we had a dash cam to prove it really happened. This video is incredible beyond words.
6. Capture what happens when you parkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCAgUdAxPQc
7. No unjust violations or citationsIf you’re speeding and a cop pulls you over, you'll probably get a ticket. After all, it’s hard to fight against radar evidence. On the other hand, what if you were scratching your ear and a police officer thought you were using your cell phone?
It happened to one Brooklyn resident, and if he didn’t have a dash cam to show the cop he wasn’t on his phone, he would have been unjustly ticketed.
8. Injustice revealedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qffDRZTYz4U
In one incredible case, a dash cam captured police officer misconduct, which was only possible because of the recording. Some of the things you see and hear in this news clip are pretty shocking. But it's not just citizens who need a little help from their friend (i.e. dash cams).
Sometimes it’s the police who need to back up their actions, especially in life-and-death situations. We’re not posting the video directly due to the graphic nature of the content, but from the link, you can choose to watch the fatal shooting, which occurs off-screen. Both officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing. It's powerful, convincing evidence for dash cams.
9. Assist your insurance claims on fender-bendershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbIiOBKLSYs
Insurance claims made easy! If you're in an accident, even a small fender-bender, your dash cam will catch it all. In this video (the action starts at 1:47), the dash cam belongs to someone not even involved in the accident. His YouTube description says it all: "The guy who caused the accident told a completely different story and was pretty mad when he found out that what he did was recorded." As soon as the accident occurs, the driver realizes he managed to capture something important. It's great how he pulls over right away to help out.
Final Thoughts
Even though most people carry smartphones capable of recording video, dash cams bridge that split-second gap that is the difference between seeing something and missing it entirely. It's the moment you'd otherwise spend digging in your pocket and getting the camera ready. By that point, the vehicle collision has already happened; the insurance fraud has been committed; the police officer-involved shooting already took place; the funny, once-in-a-lifetime experience has come and gone. There's definitely peace of mind with your dash cam running, and it comes cheaper than most GPS systems, smartphones and other electronic equipment. We can't recommend them enough.
