The latest must-have gadget for your dashboard is one that could even save you money. The trend towards installing dashcams in your car is one many have adopted for a range of reasons. Moreover, it turns out that some insurers will now reduce the cost of your car insurance by up to 20% if you have one installed too.
It seems that the growth of dashcams has really taken off in the UK and there are now well over 1 million in use on the roads today. Insurance companies are also encouraging more drivers to install one in their car because it means they can save money on accident claims by using video evidence to speed up claim time and resolve costly decisions where there is split liability or claim fraud.
Catching the incident
People have taken to installing dashcams with the aim of avoiding being caught out in scams on the road. Moreover, they also appeal to insurers as they can record footage of an incident. It could prevent costly legal disputes about who was at fault by providing clear evidence of what happened. As a result, this could see a reduction of up to 20% in your premium when you install one.
The main reason people are installing them is to stop those dodgy insurance claims made against them. Recently footage was shown of a cyclist who threw himself in front of a Nottingham motorist and then ran off when he realised he was being filmed. It can also track attempts made by fraudulent drivers who brake very hard causing the car behind to crash into them from behind. This is known as a classic “forced rear-ending” or “crash for cash” scam; dashcams eliminate any chance you can be made to pay for this.
Combating the scams
While these scams are highlighted via YouTube, many others cannot be proven, and dodgy insurance claims are costing the industry £36 million a year. Dishonesty in the car insurance sector is the highest in any area of the industry. A total of 70,000 fraudulent claims were detected last year which was a drop of 2%. Moreover, measures such as the increased use of dashcams could help continue to bring this figure down.
The AA says that around 1 million people already have a dashcam installed in their car that records what happens on the road ahead. They predict that this figure will double in the next couple of years as manufacturers begin to install them as standard. It compares with the number from four years ago where just 300,000 drivers had the tech installed.
Visual deterrent
Not only does a dashcam help to stop fraudulent claims, but it is a general deterrent to bad behaviour on the roads. One driver from Surrey recounted how she paid £130 to have a dashcam installed in her Golf. While she has not seen a reduction in her insurance, she does believe it has stopped other drivers’ bad behaviour.
If someone is tailgating her or cuts her off, she merely points to the camera to make them aware that they are being filmed. It often results in a friendly wave and a more cautious approach due to being on camera.
Improving technology
The dashcam technology itself is also developing to make the devices more useful and cost-effective. They can be picked up for as little as £30 or up to around £200 and come with a pad to stick behind the rear-view mirror. They plug into the car charger socket.
Devices can run on an hour-long loop or even restart for each journey. Moreover, if you are involved in an incident, you can stop the recording to make sure that the event is saved in the memory. If you can make a 20% saving on your car insurance, the dashcam pays for itself in the first year.
If you are involved in a non-fault incident where you cannot prove you were not to blame, you will see a big increase in your insurance the next year – it can double in some cases. However, having a dashcam can prove cases where otherwise it would go against an innocent motorist.
Dashcam insurance policies
So far, only a few insurers have confirmed that they offer a discount for dashcam installation including AXA, Adrian Flux, SureThing, and Swiftcover. They offer discounts of between 10-20% for having the device installed and some now even come with a free dashcam, such as Co-Op Insurance. The added benefits include making the car less attractive to thieves who may not know if it is active. Moreover, the chance to catch out those scammers who cost us all money in higher insurance premiums is a definite positive to having a dashcam.
Great dashcam deals
Have you installed a dashcam and own a dashcam car insurance policy? Would you consider it if it saved you up to 20% on your insurance? Let us know in the comments below.
We are sorry about the problem with the links and are looking to resolve as soon as possible.
They are fixed
Make sure you register with the information commissioners office if you use any type of CCTV for crime prevention. It seems this would include dashcams but it’s not clear
The links to the dashcams just point back to this page!
where does one fit it? If you stick stuff on your windscreen in the bit swept by wipers then I am told thats an offence.
Behind the mirror or bottom right corner.
It’s much more complicated than that. See my post below.
I was told “unofficially” that as long as the screen isn’t easily viewable by the driver whilst driving, then it would be ok. Mine is wired into the ignition so there are no cables on show.
£99 from Halfords and £30 for the installation (which includes all cabling/fuse etc etc).
Officially, the screen must not be placed where the driver can view it whilst driving. The suggestion is that you set the screen to auto off because the flickering light could also cause a distraction at night – satnavs auto dim.
All my cams are Mobius – just 18mm thick so hardly impedes on the windscreen. Also, the law is that the screen must not be able to be viewed by the driver whilst driving & nor should it distract – so screen off at night.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/109/made
Your links to the products don’t work
For a start the above link to the amazing piece of kit doesn’t work, and neither did the dash-cam that I once had when I really, really needed it, after a smash up with a road rage young man who pursued me, in an isolated rural location after midnight. The camera malfunctioned, not for the first time, and he did a runner and never was found. At least, that’s what the police said, but I can’t help suspecting the protection of ‘friends in high places’. My car was written off and his must have sustained considerable damage.
Highly recommended by “Which”, the software was impossibly tedious in use, when it did work it was not possible easily to backtrack to a particular time without wading through and opening a number of files without a clue as to their contents. Brilliant definition, though!
Referring to the times when another driver does something particularly atrocious and illegal which should be reported to the police. – In theory you can save a portion in such such a case, but to do that safely and legally you have to find a safe place to stop. Easier said than done.
In a crash, G-forces should automatically save the file, but then if the crash happens right at the beginning of a new file, what happens to the file recording the lead-up to the crash? All these details and technicalities you don’t find out before the thing is installed, up and running and in the hour of need.
I used to have a cam that saved files based on G-Force – and ended up with a partition full of g-force events caused by potholes. Adjusting the settings was no use.
I drive all day & use a Mobius cam, any events of note, I simply tell my phone to record my voice, noting the time & reg number (so often the reg isn’t always captured clearly). In a prang, I leave the cam recording to capture the driver & what they say.
A 128gig card will record 22hrs’ footage before writing over – and that’s at maximum settings (1080p 30fps & 18kmbps bitrate).
As for reporting to plod, some forces might take it seriously but Thames Valley certainly don’t. I had an Asian taxi driver come past with his window open. Clearly on his mobile – an Apple iPhone in a white case (showed up lovely against his brown skin). He passed inches from my front bumper so the image was as clear as day. As it happened, I was going the same way & ended up following him for over a mile – all the while, you could clearly see his hand up to his ear.
I reported him to TVP AND local taxi licensing (who promptly passed to plod).
The outcome – “on this occasion, there is not enough evidence…”.
Strange how there would be enough evidence if a copper was to glimpse you on the phone for a second?
When I click on the ‘here’ button to see the dash cams mentioned, it just goes back to the beginning of the article
The links don’t work!
The links to the dash am offers bring you back to this page.
Had one since we got scammed 5 years ago. Hasn’t saved on insurance yet and on renewal I noticed some were saying about discount and I did ask mine but they are not doing it yet. Not needed it for insurance yet but it recorded a very close call last summer, which could of affected me and another car due to a learner motorbike overtaking on a bend and narrow road.
Yes they may give you what would seem to be 20% off but thats after they put 20% on!!!
What is the situation if having a dash cam hard wired into the vehicle by an professional auto electrician, the vehicle develops an electrical fault and the dealership refuses to repair the fault as it may have been caused by the dash cam and they claim it invalidates the warranty ?
Hi – your links to the discounted dashcams are just reverting to this page…..is it a gitch that you can fix please?
Hi – the links to the discounted dashcams are not working……
Links are not working – also the comments are proving tricky
Would be great if the links to the Dashcam discounts actually worked!
Two years ago I told my insurance company that I had a dashcam fitted and the premium increased by about 20% . No explanation .
You MUST notify your insurance – it’s classed as a modification. Many insurers allow a few low cost mods – I have 2 Mobius cams @ £50 each, my insurer is OK with this.
The links are working now, apologies as we are dealing with some technical issues.
There are free apps which convert your old phone to a dash cam. Work very well.
Trouble is, phones are only designed to video in short bursts for upload to social media. Using the recording function really sucks the life out of the battery & overheats the phone
Insurance companies often tell us about things we can do to reduce our premiums, installing a dashcam appears to be the latest. Another popular bribe is to become an Advanced Driver. However, it is often the case that having done the course, or fitted the dashcam, your Insurance Company will tell you that they don’t recognise these things.
As a new driver, I was floored by the stupid cost of insurance for newbies. I was told that becoming an advanced driver would reap huge discounts – cobblers. I put myself through all the hassle to be offered a few quid discount or nothing at all (because I was still a new & inexperienced driver). Only consolation was a slightly better premium from the IAM themselves.
I later discovered that having the advanced qualification also meant that I was now in a far better position to avoid an accident – OK when traffic was lighter but in the last couple of decades, there’s too many out there who do the completely unexpectedly stupid just to get ahead – and no amount of training can prepare you for the idiots.
” a general deterrent to bad behaviour on the roads. One driver from Surrey recounted…” LOL – absolute tosh. I drive a bus, fully signwritten complete with warnings about cctv being used (with an arrow on the rear pointing to the prominent camera – and still the idiots tailgate or, worse, overtake then slam on.
As for insurance & cams, I have used cams for many years, my first being a small camcorder set up on the dash! I have tried, every year, to negotiate a discount and only in recent years have I found an insurer willing to offer anything – but even after the discount, their prices have never been competitive.
Something else to consider, if your insurer gives you a discount for having a camcorder, they will expect to see footage EVERY time you make a claim – and you will be expected to provide it since they will say that they own the rights to it.
Discount or not, just bear in mind that you MUST declare your camera as a modification else your policy could be void.
What a load of sh**. Policy is could be void because you have a dash cam? Pull the other one.
Re discounted insurance, all those companies that offered dashcam discounts were more expensive than those that didn’t! No incentive there yet! We joined the Police Witness Scheme (www.policewitness.com) which is really useful and no question too simple for them. They give clear guidance on how to legally attach the camera. Also give recommendations on types of camera to buy. For example, many of the cheaper cameras don’t clearly record number plates so even if you catch a transgressoron film, they can’t be prosecuted. So much useful information that it’s worth joining. Cost us £20! They also have a “money off” scheme called “Wider Wallet” which gives handy discounts on coffee, holidays, car accessories etc. Worth bearing in mind that most insurance companies will pay you for your footage of an incident if you are a witness.
I told a company i had a dashcam and they actually raised the premium quote as they would now be insuring further electrical equipment that wasnt hidden!
You MUST notify any mods. I have 2 Mobius cams in my car, you really have to look hard to see them from the outside (18mm thick x 35mm wide). my insurer is fine with them without increasing my premiums (£50 each cam).
many cams are mounted on huge suction pads so really obvious to the world that you have something on your screen.
My Nextbase dashcam isn’t hard-wired – is plugged in to the cigarette socket just like a sat-nav. I don’t think that counts as a modification for insurance purposes.
If there were a genuine saving, I would install a Dash Cam
I’ve had a dashcam in my car now virtually since they came out, and everyone used to laugh at me for having one fitted. Now, most of the ones that laughed at me they too now have one fitted. They are a great piece of technology for your car and can help you get out of trouble. Car manufacturers are fitting them but like all new extras they want to cash in on it by charging a fortune.
A mother of a colleague of mine was going to have one installed in her vehicle (Not new), told her insurer of her I mentions and they told her her premium would increase as it was deemed as a modification to her vehicle. Check first is my advice.
Having read the comments regarding insurance, I phoned my BMW Insurance who were quite happy with a dashcam being an acceptable modification, but pointed out that if it was visible, stuck to the windscreen and got stolen, it would not be covered. Storing it in the glovebox, it would be. Consider, however whether it’s value is below any excess that you would have to bear. Insurers confirmed that they do not like the scammy folks who reverse into you and then claim that you rearended them! No change to my insurance premium, however.
I installed a dashcam because of the number of near misses, where people had cut-in and slammed on the brakes. People pulling out of side roads with just enough time to be hit up the rear if you were not concentrating. I would consider picking a special policy but I have not seen one that is cheaper so far.
20% my ass I’ve had a Dash cam in now for over 5 years and got sod all discount from 3 different company’s and no discount for a tracker aswell they just want to rip us off
Well said. NOT ALL insurance companies give a discount, and those that do have higher insurance rates to begin with, so until insurance companies get themselves sorted motorist will NEVER get a fair deal.
Yes, I would. Think they are a good idea, is there one that covers front and back
The comments about getting cheaper insurance are largely fictitious. Almost no insurers will give a discount for a dashcam, and the very few who do are amongst the most expensive anyway.
With insurance prices rocketing by up to 100% in 2018 it’s pretty sad that they are so slow to encourage this technology.
Which insurance providers give the discount you mention?? I always ask to see if they do and I have had no luck as yet.
Where do you put the camera in a legal position? It is actually quite complicated and if you get it wrong, your vehicle might well fail it’s MOT.
This is a cut & paste from
https://www.roadhawk.co.uk/articles/product-placement-is-your-dash-cam-breaking-the-law
It’s complicated to comply with the MOT rules, here is a summary, also from the Roadhawk link above. I hope they don’t mind me using their website info …. You need to look at their website to understand what Zone A and Zone B refer to.
“Location, location, location
Failing to correctly position a dash cam is a serious traffic offence; most of the windscreen is, in fact, out of bounds, according to the UK Road Traffic Act 1988. The law divides the windscreen into two zones:
Zone A is a 290mm area centred on the steering wheel – this is extended to 350mm in goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW
Zone B is the area of the windscreen that is covered by your windscreen wipers when they are active, and is commonly referred to as the “swept area”
No part of the device – camera, cradle, suction cup or cables – should intrude more than 40mm into Zone B. And only 10mm intrusion into Zone A is permitted.”
Nextbase has instructions which might be more easily understood…
https://www.nextbase.co.uk/how-to/dash-cam-installation/
I don’t know where you get your information from, but your claim that you can save on car insurance is, at least in my case, nonsense. I have insurance from Direct Line and when I asked about a discount for a dash cam their answer was a resounding NO…… I then asked if their records could be amended to show that my car was fitted with a dash cam – but their present system does not recognise the term “dash cam”. When I received my amended schedule it stated only that I had Sat-Nav ??????. I phoned and eventually received a letter confirming that I had a dash cam. All this despite a Christmas advert – from Direct Line – a couple of years ago indicating that discounts were available for dash cams. Talk about left hand not knowing what right hand is doing – anything to keep premiums high.
What would be more useful would be a list of companies who do offer discounts for dash cams.
I have a front and rear dash cam in my car, it wasn’t provided by an insurer or car company and I don’t get a discount with my insurer who is co-op, they didn’t offer me a discount nor a camera
Should be fitted by manufacturers as standard on new cars. Then they can’t be nicked and will always be there.
I have a Dash-cam in my car. In August 2014, I was involved in a 50 mph Head-on smash, with a Doctor who was rushing to work. The footage proved conclusively that I was not to blame for any part of the crash, in which both my car and the doctor’s were written off. Three Police cars, Two Ambulances ,One Air Ambulance and Two Fire Appliances attended the scene.
In my case, it was a No Fault Accident, and my Insurance has NOT been increased. The Emergency Services, on the day were brilliant. However, the Police managed to not submit the accident report in the correct amount of time, and the Doctor was NEVER charged with the offense. Typical….
My insurer, a Which? recommended provider, does not offer any discounts on the grounds that a dashcam will not prevent me from making a claim. Proof, if it is needed, that insurers do not think the same way as the rest of us do…
I have had a dashcam ever since my staged accident in Birmingham in 2013 by Iraqis & Afghanis. Even if having a dashcam that doesn’t result in a cheaper insurance premium it does protect you and give you incredible peace of mind especially on roundabouts.
I have been hit twice since then and on both occasions my dashcam footage has exonerated me and enabled the full blame to reside with the other driver.
So do not always think it is all about getting your cheaper insurance quote but it WILL save you countless times after it has been installed and it will give you that wonderful warm fuzzy feeling inside when you drive knowing that you are covered (unless of course you are the one at fault lol).
Lastly I would say to use the cigarette lighter port as a short term temporary solution to power your dashcam because getting it installed correctly to your ignition circuit behind the car/vans housing not only tidies up the wires, reduces the chance of it being damaged, frees up your cigarette lighter for other electrics but most importantly it ensures it is power on at the same time everytime and you won’t forget to connect it before you start driving.
I had my dashcam bought for around £45, had the installation kit for about £20 and my garage installed it for £40. Therefore a cost of just over a ton is well worth the benefits. I have dashcams in all of our family vehicles and if I end up driving a hire car or someone else’s for a long drive I will always transfer my dashcam from my van into the car.