Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Dash cam sales skyrocket

Dash cams sales have risen by 918% on the high street as car insurers say they will now accept footage as evidence when drivers make claims.

According to Nextbase, a car parts chain and manufacturer of dash cams, said it contacted 29 major British car insurers and received confirmation from each one that they would accept dash cam evidence in the event of a claim.

Nextbase stated that insurers were starting to realise the benefits of dash cam use, thanks in part to their role in fighting fraudulent motor claims, which costs the insurance industry an estimated £1bn each year.

Many insurers are also finding that dash cam footage can make the claims process more efficient, ‘as a video is more reliable than human witnesses,’ a spokesman for Nextbase said, ‘which also reduces the cost of the claims process for the company.’

Market research Company, GfK, say dash cam sales in the UK are becoming increasingly popular with sales increasing by 918% since last year. This is partly due to a number of high street stores, such as Halfords and Maplin, widely stocking the cameras.

Richard Browning, director at Nextbase, said, ‘It’s not hard to see why dash cams are so popular with insurers – they act as an independent witness for drivers, who can use footage to demonstrate that they’re in the right should they be involved in the event of a non-fault accident or even attempted fraud.

‘They give insurers the opportunity to make huge cost savings, and could help to end cash-for-crash fraud.’

Some industry insiders are less excited about the use of dash cams as in some circumstances they can be extremely helpful but in others they don’t always capture everything that’s going on and can offer a one sided view.

Many insurers are keen to point out that having a dash cam fitted to the windscreen could also increase the potential for car theft.