British motorists are increasingly keen to purchase cameras for their cars after hearing that UK car insurers will accept footage as evidence when a claim is made.
The news came from Nextbase, a car parts provider and manufacturer of ‘dash cams’. It said it had contacted 29 major British auto insurance companies and received confirmation from each one that they would accept dash cam evidence in the event of a claim.
The small cameras, which retail for around £50 to £150, are placed on the windscreen where they video the action on the road.
Sales of the devices have zoomed up 918% since last year, according to market researchers GfK, which said this was helped by easy accessibility in a number of high street auto stores.
Nextbase claims that dash cams are useful in fighting “crash for cash” fraud where drivers intentionally hit another car in order to make exorbitant claims for damages. This costs the insurance industry as estimated £1bn a year.
Some insurance companies may give a discount when a dash cam is installed.
Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, was a bit more wary. He said the devices could be "brilliant" in some circumstances but gave a "very one-sided view".
They wouldn't necessarily capture "the cyclist on the left-hand side, or the cat on the road", he said.
"Human witnesses present at the time of the incident remain the most important evidence to support an insurance claim," he said.
Having a dash cam fitted to the windscreen could also increase the potential for car theft, Mr Watters said, as the cameras are in clear view and "can be dismounted quite easily."
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