Gem Motoring Assist is calling on all drivers to invest in a dashcam.

If your car is damaged in an incident, it can help with evidence and provide valuable information for the police to use when prosecuting offenders.

Once fitted, it can be an ongoing road safety addition that requires little effort on the part of the user but can make a huge difference in providing valuable evidence.

Value for money

Installing a dashcam is an investment in road safety, according to breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist.

According to GEM, a dashcam can provide crucial evidence in case of collisions or incidents, helping to determine fault and protect against false claims.

That’s why a number of insurers offer discounts for drivers who use them.

“If you’re a safe, conscientious driver,” states  GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst,  a “dashcam helps protect your no-claims bonus, as well as allowing you to play your part in reporting offences, road rage incidents and ‘crash-for-cash’ scams”.

Price drops in recent years have made dashcams much more affordable.

When properly positioned, they don’t restrict visibility or impinge on the motoring experience.

The main benefits

Dashcams provide crucial evidence in case of collisions or incidents, helping to determine fault and protect against false claims.

They can capture unexpected events on the road, deter vandalism and theft when parked.

For ADIs, they can provide valuable film of lessons for the benefit of teaching and pupil’s learning.

For new drivers, dashcam footage can be used as an ongoing way to review and improve driving skills.

Some insurance companies offer discounts for dashcam users, anything from 5-20% discount.

The thinking behind the discounts is that dashcam users are more likely to drive carefully and are less likely to make fraudulent claims.

Additionally, dashcams can help report dangerous driving or road rage incidents to authorities, contributing to overall road safety.

Features to look for

Video quality is your priority.

Go for the best you can afford, aiming for at least 1080p resolution and good performance in low-light conditions.

A wide-angle lens is a good idea, as the camera will capture more of the road. GPS functionality is useful for tracking speed and location.

A loop recording feature is helpful because it allows the dashcam to operate continuously without you having to empty its memory every few days.

Parking mode is a great feature as it provides surveillance when your car is stationary… and deters would-be thieves or vandals.

Is it legal to film?

Dashcams are legal to use on UK roads without special permission.

Make sure it’s installed so that it doesn’t obstruct your view when driving.

If the footage you capture is for personal use, you will not face legal issues.

However, if you plan to share footage publicly, you must be aware of privacy laws.

As evidence

Dashcam footage is admissible as evidence in UK courts, who will consider dashcam evidence alongside other forms of evidence, such as witness statements.

It can be vital in proving fault in a collision or other incident you may have witnessed.

The footage must be clear and of good quality.

It can also be used as evidence against you too.

The police have the right to seize it as evidence in the event of an incident and if it shows you to have been a culpable driver in that incident, you could be prosecuted on the strength of your own evidence.

Submitting evidence

Your submission currently needs to be accompanied by a statement from you and an acceptance that you will attend court as a witness if called.

Before this scares you off, note that fewer than 2% of submissions get as far as a court trial.

James Luckhurst concluded that dashcams have a big role to play in helping to make our roads safer.

“Fitting a dashcam is a sound move for road safety,” he said. “Once installed, it’s good to know it can protect you in incidents where it might otherwise be your word against someone else’s.

“But however helpful a dash cam may occasionally be, we still encourage everyone to drive with the original GEM values of care, courtesy and concentration. These cost nothing, and if every driver committed to upholding them, then we would see a significant and sustained reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.”

A comprehensive exploration of buying, fitting and using a dashcam will appear in the Spring 2025 edition of its member magazine Good Motoring.