MOTORING The benefit of dash cams


Operations Director at Nottingham-based independent insurance brokers Russell Scanlan, Andrew Jenkins (pictured), discusses how dash cams are steadily becoming a popular way to protect vehicles from theft or damage and how footage from them is increasingly being used to help make a stronger insurance claim after an accident and to settle potential disputes.


As the number of vehicles moving around the UK’s road network steadily rises - with recent figures estimating nearly 26 million licensed cars in the country - individual drivers and business owners operating fleets of company vehicles are investing in dash cam technology to protect their vehicles from damage and fraudulent insurance claims. Dash cams are small video


cameras that can be mounted to your car’s dashboard or windshield to record what happens in front of the vehicle. More advanced models can also record interior audio and video and rear-facing video, and even display on your rearview mirror or stream to the internet. Cyclists use them too, and consequently we’ve seen recent examples of road rage and right-of- way discrepancies between motorists and bike riders which have been captured on camera.


New van demand dips as UK LCV market stabilises


Light commercial vehicle registrations dipped in March as the market stabilised following a sustained period of strong growth and record demand, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Over 63,000 light


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commercial vehicles hit British roads in March, representing a small fall of 0.9%, and the first decline in that particular month for five years. Pick-ups and heavier vans


experienced an increase in demand, up 23% and 3.6% respectively. However, figures for smaller vans painted a different picture, with registrations of vehicles weighing less than two tonnes down by 31.6% and vans between 2.0-2.5 tonnes falling four per cent. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief


Executive, said: “Despite the decline, demand remains at an historically high level. We expect demand to remain stable throughout the year.”


business network May 2017 61 So as dash cams become more


popular – with prices starting at around £60 - the insurance sector has seen a rise in the use of this type of footage in claims. On the whole, it is speeding up the process of making a claim and is helping to shut down fraudulent ‘cash for crash’ claims before they even get off the ground, as well as removing uncertainty in witness statements.


It is hard to argue with a good


quality film clip which shows exactly what happened on the road at the time of the collision. In some cases, it can close down


a claim against you instantly, so investing in a dash cam may save you from paying higher insurance premiums when you catch someone trying to commit insurance fraud at your expense. However, that’s not to say that


dash cam footage is irrefutable. If it is raining, or the camera is wobbly, for example, then it isn’t going to necessarily stand up as evidence that you weren’t at fault. Insurance companies will


welcome footage as evidence, but don’t assume that if you have a camera installed in your car or vehicle that you are protected – make sure your insurance policy, personal or business, is up to date and robust so that you and your employees are fully protected.


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