Six Reasons You Need a Dash Cam
When considering what you need to give you and your family peace of mind on the road, the list is typically pretty short. Get a comprehensive insurance policy, a reliable car and brush up on your driver’s ed, and you should be good to go, right? Wrong. Those are certainly three critical components, but it’s neglecting an increasingly popular device designed to provide that peace of mind in numerous ways: a dash cam.
A dash cam can help to capture the road ahead. It’s more than just recording your drive, though. There are six critical reasons why you shouldn’t get behind the wheel without a dash cam mounted on your windshield.
Protect yourself
In the event of an accident, it can be invaluable to have recorded video to help you prove you weren’t the one at fault. Unfortunately, there are people who will attempt to shift the blame away from themselves, and sometimes this results in a he-said, she-said situation with police officers, judges or insurance companies. It could also be the case that neither party truly knows who really caused the accident. Either way, the video evidence from your dash cam can eliminate doubt. A GPS-enabled dash cam from Garmin will also stamp all your incident videos with location details as well the date and time of any event that occurred, providing an extra layer of clarification. Furthermore, Garmin’s latest series of dash cams include free, automatic 24-hour storage in the secure online Vault, making it easy for users to view and share video clips2.
Protect your car
Whether you live or work in the city, or attend popular events with no immediate parking, we know drivers often park their car and then leave it unattended and out of their sight. Here’s where a dash cam connected to Wi-Fi® technology (including the Dash Cam™ Mini 2, 47, 57 and 67W models) can bring drivers that very desired peace of mind. If an incident is detected affecting your parked car, your dash cam can send a notification straight to the Garmin Drive™ app that you’ve downloaded on your compatible smartphone. This lets you know what’s happening in real time while you’re away. The notifications provide a video clip of the incident, but you can also tap to get a live view from your dash cam’s lens. Note: These monitoring features require your Garmin dash cam to have constant power, so some dash cams will require use of Garmin’s constant power cable (sold separately).
Thwart insurance fraud
Sometimes someone cutting you off and slamming on the brakes is accidental, but sometimes it’s a case of attempted insurance fraud. Having a high-quality dash cam video can help you to prove that the damage to the other person’s fender was not, in fact, your fault. Remember, though, that this only works if your dash cam records clear, reliable video — a recording that’s not 1080p/1440p high-def or lacks high dynamic range may not be sharp enough to decipher important details like street signs, faces or license plate information to help you prove your case.
Keep an eye on passenger activity
The Garmin Dash Cam™ Tandem comes equipped with interior and exterior recording, so this benefit is two-fold. If you drive for a rideshare program or are a professional driver, being able to see within the interior of the car means increased peace of mind — and a potential safeguard for your driving reputation should any issues arise. If you’ve got kids, you’ll be able to see where your teen is driving and ensure that they obey all traffic laws, and you can also see who’s in the car and whether they’re behaving safely.
Increase your peace of mind and situational awareness
Increased situational awareness while driving is critical. Most Garmin dash cam devices provide forward collision and lane departure warnings3, in addition to notifications about nearby speed cameras or safety cameras4. Additionally, Garmin dash cams offer voice control, making it easy for drivers to command the device to start and stop recording or save a video — all while your hands remain on the steering wheel.
Record your memories
While most of the major reasons to own a dash cam are related to giving you peace of mind, there are fun aspects to installing one as well. Think of all the fun you have in your car — the road trips, the early morning sunrises, the quality time in between points A and B. You’ll be surprised at the sweet footage you capture within the vehicle after enabling the Travelapse™ feature — and the exterior film can serve as a highlight reel of all the places you’ve been.
Ready to get rolling? Click here to learn more about Garmin’s dash cam options.
1Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit use of this camera device; it is your responsibility to know and comply with applicable laws and rights to privacy in jurisdictions where you plan to use this device
2Requires active connection with Wi-Fi technology; Vault content is password protected and accessible via the Garmin Drive™ app on your compatible smartphone. See Garmin.com for details.
3Certain conditions may impair the warning function; visit Garmin.com/warnings for details
4Not available in all regions; learn more about purchasing a subscription for updates
Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
