Little device could save you thousands

An ever increasing number of Australians are flocking to this technology as a way to protect themselves from scammers and criminals and it could save your bacon.

Australians are warming to technology that could save them thousands.

Dashcams aren’t new, but an ever increasing number of drivers are installing them in their cars to protect themselves against false claims.

New research from Allianz shows that more than 20 per cent of all drivers record their trips.

This was further enhanced by the fact that about 40 per cent of those surveyed were considering buying a dashcam in the next year.

Car crash generic

And the reason for this is so that drivers can protect themselves from false claims when they are in an accident or parked on the street according to Allianz executive Matt Wood.

The main advantage of having a dashcam when it comes to a car insurance claim is its ability to help prove who is at fault. Dashcam footage can be used to support a claim if it has recorded how an incident occurred and the responsible party’s details, in which case you may not have to pay your excess,” says Wood.

“We have certainly seen an extraordinary rise in the number of customers using dashcam footage to assist in their insurance claim.”

Allianz’s research has shown that about 30 per cent of users have provided dashcam footage as evidence after being wrongly accused on the road. And about a quarter of users had reported reckless driving of others. Allianz says this is about double the amount of claims compared to two years ago.

Stephanie Tobin and her dash camera mounted in her Ford Focus at home in Gymea Bay. Picture Craig Greenhill

And Cooper Hilton from Wollongong south of Sydney is one such driver who has joined the growing ranks of dashcam users and he thinks that more people should be using one.

“I am currently on my third dashcam and I would never drive again without one,” he says.

“I personally think it should actually be mandatory to have front and rear dashcams in all vehicles. Everyone needs a dashcam in my opinion.”

Hilton says that he bought a dashcam as soon as he got his P-plates because he had seen numerous videos of crashes and insurance scams being foiled by dashcam footage.

And he is lucky that he did, because Hilton has already used the footage twice for incidents he has been involved in.

The aftermath of Cooper Hilton’s recent car crash. Photo: Cooper Hilton.

“I have had to use my dashcam for two collisions. One involving myself just a few weeks ago in August, while the other driver accepted fault I did provide my footage just in case they tried shifting the blame,” he says.

“Also, last year I witnessed a minor hit and run, thanks to the camera I had clear footage of the vehicle and its license plate. So I was able to provide the victim with the footage and details.”

Hilton doesn’t limit his dashcam footage just to prove who is at fault in a crash, he also uses it to name and shame other drivers.

“I actually have a youtube channel that is filled with hours of reckless drivers that I have either personally filmed or others have sent me,” he says.

“Last month I did give a piece of footage I captured to the NSW Highway Patrol, which showed a hoon almost collide with myself and another motorist while drag racing.”

Dashcam footage has recently become social media fodder with the popular dashcam Owners Australia Facebook page often sharing footage of funny and downright dangerous driver behaviour on Australian roads.

Originally published as Little device could save you thousands