A car dashcam is a powerful theft deterrent, and one every South African motorist can stand to benefit from in more ways than one.
Car theft syndicates are running rampant in the country with the latest police crime stats revealing that an average of 96 vehicles are stolen in the country per day, and these are just the cases that are actually reported, with figures from Stats SA painting an even grimmer picture.
Dashcams have therefore become a vital accessory for car owners in the country as they are a handy way to keep prying fingers away from your prized possession.
These devices have nowadays become so advanced that they even offer features like night vision, GPS tracking, and parking modes.
As per vehicle telematics firm Cartrack, criminals don’t like an audience and just the presence of a visible dash camera is “often enough to make wrongdoers think twice before targeting your vehicle.”
Other benefits of dashcams
Aside from reducing the odds of your car being taken without your permission, dashcams bring numerous benefits one should consider if you want to protect yourself on the country’s treacherous roads.
These small cameras can be an invaluable asset if you are ever in a car accident that wasn’t your fault.
“It provides indisputable video evidence of the incident, eliminating the ambiguity often associated with accident claims,” said Cartrack.
“This footage can clearly show who was at fault, protecting you from the stress of “he-said-she-said” scenarios and potentially safeguarding you from increases in your insurance premiums due to false claims.”
On the insurance front, King Price highlights that a dashcam could potentially lead to lower insurance premiums as it acts as an additional layer of security, thus lowering your risk profile in the eyes of the insurer.
Even if your dashcam never ends up getting used for these serious matters, it can be a precious accessory for various other reasons.
You can use it to improve your driving habits by perusing the footage every so often.
“For example, you might notice that you’re not constantly checking your blind spots or that you’re following too closely to the car in front of you,” said Cartrack.
Additionally, a dashcam can help to capture those often bizarre, funny, and beautiful moments on the road, preserving memories you might have otherwise forgotten.
“In this way, your dashcam acts as a personal videographer for your road trip adventures,” concluded Cartrack.
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