How are dash cams used in car insurance claims?<\/h3><\/div>![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/Danny-Butler.jpg\")
<\/p>
Finder insurance expert Danny Butler<\/a> answers <\/em><\/div><\/div>Insurers can use dash cam footage to help them work out who is at fault in a claim where two or more drivers are involved. It\u2019s pretty common following an accident for nobody to admit liability. And, particularly if there were no independent witnesses, it isn\u2019t always possible to prove who was actually at fault. It\u2019s simply one person\u2019s word against the other. In such instances, claims will often be settled on a 50\/50 basis. This means that, officially (even if you disagree in reality), both parties are attributed part of the blame, and their two insurers share the cost of putting things right. You\u2019ll need to pay an excess towards the cost of the claim, and it could affect your no-claims bonus.<\/p>
If you are confident that you weren\u2019t in the wrong, this can be galling. Clear footage from a dash can can provide evidence that proves conclusively who was to blame for an accident. If it shows the other driver was at fault, their insurer will have to pay out for both claims. You won\u2019t have to pay an excess, and your no claims bonus shouldn\u2019t be affected.<\/p>
Bear in mind when choosing and positioning a dash cam that the footage quality needs to be good enough quality to clearly show details of the incident. Ideally it should show the other car\u2019s number plate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
How do I send my insurer dash cam evidence to support my claim?<\/h3>
The first thing you\u2019ll usually need to do is transfer the footage from your dash cam to your computer. The instructions for your particular model of dash cam will explain how to do this.<\/p>
The method of then sending dash cam footage may vary between insurers. Many will provide a link to their website to upload the footage, along with any other evidence. Others might accept footage via email (you may need to edit the video to the clip that shows the incident, in order to keep the file size down), or even on a memory stick by post.<\/p>
If you want to send footage to the police, you can use the National Dash Cam Safety Portal, a website set up by dash cam manufacturer Nextbase. This lets you upload footage from any brand of dash cam directly to the relevant police force.<\/p>
What other ways are there to save on my car insurance?<\/h3>- Tweak your excess.<\/strong> Your excess is the amount you need to pay towards any claim. Opting for a higher voluntary excess can cut your premium. Just don\u2019t set it so high that you can\u2019t afford to pay it if you need to claim.<\/li>
- Avoid paying monthly<\/strong>. Paying the full year up front, if you can, will avoid the interest that most insurers apply to monthly instalment payments.<\/li>
- Add an experienced named driver. <\/strong>Adding a lower-risk, experienced named driver<\/a> to your policy could cut insurance costs, especially if you\u2019re a young, inexperienced driver.<\/li>
- Maintain your no-claims discount.<\/strong> Every year that you drive safely and avoid needing to claim will increase the no-claims discount<\/a> on the following year\u2019s premiums.<\/li>
- Avoid cosmetic modifications.<\/strong> A bespoke paint job or a pumped up engine is likely to drive premiums up.<\/li>
- Consider telematics insurance. <\/b>This uses a small device \u2013 a \u201cblack box<\/a>\u201d \u2013 installed in your car to track your driving habits. If you drive carefully, this should result in lower premiums.<\/li>
- Compare insurance prices annually. <\/strong>It\u2019s an oldie but a goodie. Always shop around<\/a> rather than just renewing with the same insurer. Even if you decide to stick with the same insurer, you can try using your research to haggle for a better deal.<\/li><\/ul>
Pros and cons of getting a dash cam<\/h3>\n \n Pros<\/h4>\n \n - May get you a discount on your car insurance premiums<\/li>\n
- Can provide evidence that you weren't at fault in a car insurance claim<\/li>\n
- Can speed up how long it takes for a claim to be settled.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - Not all car insurers offer dash cam discounts<\/li>\n
- A poorly-fitted dash cam could risk obstructing your view<\/li>\n
- If you were at fault in an incident, you'll still have to submit the dash cam footage to your insurer.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
<\/p>
Insurers can use dash cam footage to help them work out who is at fault in a claim where two or more drivers are involved. It\u2019s pretty common following an accident for nobody to admit liability. And, particularly if there were no independent witnesses, it isn\u2019t always possible to prove who was actually at fault. It\u2019s simply one person\u2019s word against the other. In such instances, claims will often be settled on a 50\/50 basis. This means that, officially (even if you disagree in reality), both parties are attributed part of the blame, and their two insurers share the cost of putting things right. You\u2019ll need to pay an excess towards the cost of the claim, and it could affect your no-claims bonus.<\/p>
If you are confident that you weren\u2019t in the wrong, this can be galling. Clear footage from a dash can can provide evidence that proves conclusively who was to blame for an accident. If it shows the other driver was at fault, their insurer will have to pay out for both claims. You won\u2019t have to pay an excess, and your no claims bonus shouldn\u2019t be affected.<\/p>
Bear in mind when choosing and positioning a dash cam that the footage quality needs to be good enough quality to clearly show details of the incident. Ideally it should show the other car\u2019s number plate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
How do I send my insurer dash cam evidence to support my claim?<\/h3>
The first thing you\u2019ll usually need to do is transfer the footage from your dash cam to your computer. The instructions for your particular model of dash cam will explain how to do this.<\/p>
The method of then sending dash cam footage may vary between insurers. Many will provide a link to their website to upload the footage, along with any other evidence. Others might accept footage via email (you may need to edit the video to the clip that shows the incident, in order to keep the file size down), or even on a memory stick by post.<\/p>
If you want to send footage to the police, you can use the National Dash Cam Safety Portal, a website set up by dash cam manufacturer Nextbase. This lets you upload footage from any brand of dash cam directly to the relevant police force.<\/p>
What other ways are there to save on my car insurance?<\/h3>- Tweak your excess.<\/strong> Your excess is the amount you need to pay towards any claim. Opting for a higher voluntary excess can cut your premium. Just don\u2019t set it so high that you can\u2019t afford to pay it if you need to claim.<\/li>
- Avoid paying monthly<\/strong>. Paying the full year up front, if you can, will avoid the interest that most insurers apply to monthly instalment payments.<\/li>
- Add an experienced named driver. <\/strong>Adding a lower-risk, experienced named driver<\/a> to your policy could cut insurance costs, especially if you\u2019re a young, inexperienced driver.<\/li>
- Maintain your no-claims discount.<\/strong> Every year that you drive safely and avoid needing to claim will increase the no-claims discount<\/a> on the following year\u2019s premiums.<\/li>
- Avoid cosmetic modifications.<\/strong> A bespoke paint job or a pumped up engine is likely to drive premiums up.<\/li>
- Consider telematics insurance. <\/b>This uses a small device \u2013 a \u201cblack box<\/a>\u201d \u2013 installed in your car to track your driving habits. If you drive carefully, this should result in lower premiums.<\/li>
- Compare insurance prices annually. <\/strong>It\u2019s an oldie but a goodie. Always shop around<\/a> rather than just renewing with the same insurer. Even if you decide to stick with the same insurer, you can try using your research to haggle for a better deal.<\/li><\/ul>
Pros and cons of getting a dash cam<\/h3>\n \n Pros<\/h4>\n \n - May get you a discount on your car insurance premiums<\/li>\n
- Can provide evidence that you weren't at fault in a car insurance claim<\/li>\n
- Can speed up how long it takes for a claim to be settled.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - Not all car insurers offer dash cam discounts<\/li>\n
- A poorly-fitted dash cam could risk obstructing your view<\/li>\n
- If you were at fault in an incident, you'll still have to submit the dash cam footage to your insurer.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
Pros and cons of getting a dash cam<\/h3>\n \n Pros<\/h4>\n \n - May get you a discount on your car insurance premiums<\/li>\n
- Can provide evidence that you weren't at fault in a car insurance claim<\/li>\n
- Can speed up how long it takes for a claim to be settled.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - Not all car insurers offer dash cam discounts<\/li>\n
- A poorly-fitted dash cam could risk obstructing your view<\/li>\n
- If you were at fault in an incident, you'll still have to submit the dash cam footage to your insurer.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
Pros<\/h4>\n \n - May get you a discount on your car insurance premiums<\/li>\n
- Can provide evidence that you weren't at fault in a car insurance claim<\/li>\n
- Can speed up how long it takes for a claim to be settled.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - Not all car insurers offer dash cam discounts<\/li>\n
- A poorly-fitted dash cam could risk obstructing your view<\/li>\n
- If you were at fault in an incident, you'll still have to submit the dash cam footage to your insurer.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - Not all car insurers offer dash cam discounts<\/li>\n
- A poorly-fitted dash cam could risk obstructing your view<\/li>\n
- If you were at fault in an incident, you'll still have to submit the dash cam footage to your insurer.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Installing a dash cam could get you a car insurance discount with many insurers. Over a few years, depending on the discount and the cost of the model you buy, this alone could justify the up-front cost. Just as importantly, a dash cam could capture vital evidence to prove that you weren\u2019t at fault in an incident. If you\u2019re a good, careful driver, this could be an invaluable asset. Just bear in mind that if you\u2019ve told your insurer you have a dash cam you\u2019ll likely be required to submit footage even if you were to blame.<\/p>