You should think about installing a dash cam in your van
One aspect of the Covid crisis is the admirable adapt and survive attitude of many small businesses. With many now extending their geographic area of operations and increasing the amount of travel they do. As a result we at MVTech are becoming even more accustomed to undertaking van conversion projects for clients who have not, until recently, felt the need for a special purpose van conversion. https://www.multivehicletechnology.co.uk/products/van-conversions/
One feature that we encourage these forward thinking customers to include in their specification is a dash cam. For those not certain what a dash cam is, it’s that small camera mounted on the dashboard or windscreen of your vehicle, facing the road ahead. Although some do have a second dash cam facing rearwards and, in addition, it is even possible to have one facing inwards into the cab itself. With one or all turning on immediately the engine is switched on.
With such a piece of equipment you have a complete record of each business journey.
You will have seen such videos on the news, crime programmes and some of the footage even goes viral on social media!
But why install a dash cam?
The videos produced by these dash cams are timed and dated in a way that cannot be tampered with, making them a great source of evidence for any type of road accident or incident.They’re an effective way to see how we and others drive, and useful for finding out who was at fault in an accident. And if you ever break down, a dash cam can act as a GPS tracker which can help the emergency services find you.
And if you suspect you’ve been a victim of a crash for cash fraud, submitting dash cam evidence could help you be properly compensated and prevent it happening to others.
The higher specification models also include a parking mode, a feature which will start the video recording should an impact to the vehicle occur when left, giving that extra chance of finding out someone responsible for a “hit and run” or an act of vandalism, not to mention attempted break in!
Many traffic accidents aren’t clear-cut. If there’s a doubt over fault and it comes down to your word against another person’s, footage recorded by a dash cam can help to resolve the dispute. If the footage proves the other party was at fault, you may not have to pay your excess, or if you’ve already paid, your excess may be reimbursed.
Such visual evidence can also help protect your no claim discount.
But do remember
Whilst you don’t require a licence or any other requirements to use a dash cam you mustn’t install it where it blocks your view. If you have an accident and it’s found that your dash cam distracted you or obscured your vision, you could be blamed for the accident!
Also, as a business you have a legal duty to let passengers and other members of staff know if your vehicle is fitted with a cabin view camera. If a colleague has use of the van and isn’t told they’re being recorded, you’re in breach of privacy laws.
