Could Dash Cams Resolve Traffic Disputes in U.S.?

Picture it: you’re involved in a fender-bender which isn’t your fault, but when the police arrive on the scene the driver of the other car claims you’re to blame. There aren’t any witnesses to the accident, and it’s the other driver’s word against yours. It’s an unpleasant situation that could be bypassed with the use of a private dash camera.

Chances are you’ve seen dash cams mentioned in the news — two big stories that were recently covered involved a 2013 video of a meteorite captured by a dash cam in Russia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6J2iniSGKI

And also earlier this year terrifying footage of the TransAsia Flight 235 plane crash was taken by a dash cam in Taiwan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYczDsj0ATI

Dash cameras are a common accessory for private vehicles in Europe, Asia and Russia, yet the U.S. is tentative in its use; very few people purchase them and the only footage we are accustomed to seeing comes from police officers, showing them arresting traffic offenders.

So why are Americans hesitant to adopt the dash cam? In a culture where we never leave the house without a device that can record our day-to-day lives, and some people are opting to literally wear a video camera strapped to their heads (GoPro) it’s odd that dash cams haven’t also become a must-have gadget.

How They Work

Once a dash cam is installed, it begins to record video footage and continues to do so until it reaches its capacity, when it then begins to record over in a loop. It catches everything, whether the car is driving or parked, so it could catch a break in, or mishaps at an intersection, or even a natural phenomenon.

Cost

Could cost be to blame for Americans’ hesitation to implement the cameras into their vehicles? The average price range starts at about $70 and the fact that the purchase won’t pay off right away might be a deterrent for potential buyers. It is like buying another type of insurance in case the need ever arises, and many people don’t want to bother with the added cost or hassle. But some sites such as Ebay have dash cams listed for as little as $20 meaning the cost barrier is becoming less and less relevant.

The Potential

As we’ve seen in recent news coverage, video doesn’t lie. Instead of putting all of our trust in law enforcement to accurately solve vehicular accidents, a camera could be all the reliable evidence we need. Having a dash cam installed could help in a traffic altercation, or even as a means for getting out a wrongful citation: the camera has the ability to show whether your car ran a red light, or if it was in fact still yellow when it entered the intersection. With more media coverage, we may see private dash cams become more popular here in the U.S. as an additional security measure for our everyday lives.

Corrales Law Group handles all types of auto accident cases, including disputed liability cases. Contact us for a free case evaluation.