Written by: Joseph Tanner, Marketing Executive
As a motorist, the best thing you can do is keep a record of everything that happens while you’re driving. This is especially true for businesses who rely on staff to drive their vehicles, as it’s almost impossible to know who is liable for an incident without a proper record of events. Another vehicle with a dashcam fitted might not be enough for an insurance company to help with your claim.
72% of drivers say that they have been involved in a near-miss accident according to a study by dashcam manufacturer Nextbase, and research shows that the average driver witnesses 14 illegal incidents every week. Of the drivers surveyed, these consist of mostly speeding which 67% of drivers say they witness weekly, followed by failure to indicate (60%), tailgaiting (52%) and dangerous overtaking (52%).
Nextbase is urging the public to use its Dash Cam Safety Portal to upload clips of other drivers so they can be passed on to police. More than 48,000 clips have been uploaded, since the scheme launched four years ago.
Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: "We created the Portal to make roads safer. Road users can send in video from any device and help to get dangerous drivers off the road. Police aren’t just sitting on these videos – they are using them. Almost every force in the country is now signed up, with the remaining handful intending to do so soon. The system we built four years ago is not only helping police, it is removing dangerous drivers from the road.”
Steve Callaghan, Road Safety Support’s technical expert and manager of its ISO 17025 Speed Calibration Laboratory, said: “The police can’t be on every road, 24-7, but the public can. With so many dash cams in use, and with the rise in cyclists wearing headcams, there really is a strong likelihood that road users will be filmed at some point on every journey they make. “In road casualty reduction terms, a dash cam really is a powerful tool, creating a strong deterrence against motoring offences. These days, the chances of being filmed by a dash cam are high, so offences like speeding and using your mobile phone at the wheel really aren’t worth the risk.”
With one in five vehicles now fitted with a dash cam, motorists are being warned to ‘drive like they’re being filmed’ every time they get in their vehicle. Drivers with dashcams in their vehicles are much safer than those without.
Don't worry, that's where we come in. We can help you and your business decide what solution is right for your fleet.