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A quarter of drivers call for dash cams to be compulsory

Joanna Faith
Written By:
Joanna Faith
Posted:
Updated:
21/11/2018

A quarter of UK drivers think dash cams in cars should be compulsory, according to research.

Dash cams are small video cameras attached to a car’s dashboard or windscreen, recording the road ahead. Footage can be used as evidence following an accident to help prove which party was at fault.

A third (32%) of people surveyed by GoCompare said that dash cams should be fitted automatically in all new cars in future.

Just 8% said they wouldn’t want one in their car. The main reason was they would feel like they were being watched by ‘Big Brother’ insurers.

Matt Oliver, from GoCompare Car Insurance, said: “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.”

Driver discounts

Oliver said insurers are increasingly becoming aware of the benefits of dash cams, with several offering a discount to drivers who use them.

He said: “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.

“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.”