Introduction:
Dashcam videos provide valuable eyewitness testimony to driving incidents. Dashcams are a popular device in emerging countries such as Russia because they help protect drivers and shed light on why they’re involved in crashes. There are other benefits of owning a dashcam, too, such as being able to capture your child’s first steps or capturing the aftermath of an accident that left you unable to speak up for yourself at the time. In this article, we are going to talk about why Russians have dash cams and the reasons why they are now gaining popularity in other countries.
Why Are Russians So Crazy About Dashcams?
Russians love having dashcams for several reasons. Firstly, it protects them from insurance fraudsters, who can be seen in some of the videos we will talk about later. Secondly, it saves them from police brutality during traffic stops. Finally, the videos serve as good proof of what really happened if an accident occurs. Russian drivers are also crazy about dashcams because sometimes the driver is the only person present who can dispute the authorities’ claims about an incident.
Here Are Some of the Most Interesting Factors About Dashcams.
1) Crime Prevention
One of the most important benefits of dashcam technology is crime prevention, which has led to its popularity in Russia and other emerging countries. Dashcam recordings are admissible in court and can be used as evidence in vehicle collisions and insurance fraud. It also helps drivers fight back against fraudulent claims. A large number of insurance fraud cases have been caught on dashcams, including a man who hit a woman’s car, got out of his car with an insurance claim form, then rammed her again, and drove away.
2) Police Abuse
Russia has gained the reputation of being a place where police officers are corrupt to the core and often abuse their power without consequence. In March 2014, a dashcam video went viral of a cop pulling over a driver in his BMW and demanding 1000 dollars for them to ‘make the problem go away.’
The driver was apparently flagged by traffic cameras for speeding. The officer pulls over the BMW, says that the driver is speeding excessively (although he was not), and demands 1000 dollars to make the problem go away. The officer even threatens to ‘seize’ the car if he doesn’t get the money. This is becoming a major concern in Russia.
3) Insurance Fraud
Russian drivers have expressed a great deal of concern about insurance fraud. This has led to the growth in the adoption of dashcams, as they offer an excellent way to catch insurance fraudsters red-handed.
4) Self Defense
Groups of young people are using dashcams to protect themselves from police abuse and even decide who gets pulled over by cops for no reason.
5) Video Proof
Video footage can be used to prove that someone hit your vehicle on purpose and caused damage. In the eyes of some drivers, this proves that no police officer can be trusted.
6) Collection of Evidence
In the aftermath of an accident, it is not always possible to speak up in court for your defense. A dashcam video could be used as the sole evidence to prove the other driver’s fault.
7) Security and Surveillance
Many Russian drivers admit to using dashcams for security purposes as well. This includes catching criminals in the act, recording footage of the lost or stolen property, or simply witnessing police brutality.
A Few More Things to Know About Dashcams:
There are dozens of different dashcam models on the market now, but most have a few key features in common. First of all, most have built-in GPS that will automatically tag your location and speed whenever you’re driving. This is useful if you need to provide your exact location or speed when filing an insurance claim. It’s also handy for a variety of other purposes. For example, if you’re driving in a foreign country and get pulled over by the police, you can playback your GPS data to show that you weren’t speeding or driving recklessly.
Next, most dash cams are equipped with infrared night vision. Dashcam recordings in dark environments can be blurry and indistinct without this feature since headlights aren’t always on and streetlights aren’t always bright enough. Infrared lighting provides a clear picture of what’s going on.
Finally, there are two types of dashcam lenses: wide-angle and fish-eye. Wide-angle lenses provide a wider view that covers a broader area in front of you, but they also reduce the image quality slightly. Fish-eye lenses offer greater clarity and usually provide better evidence than wide-angle ones, but they only cover a small area in front of you.
Conclusion:
Dashcams are often referred to as the ‘ultimate insurance policy.’ Many drivers in Russia and other countries seem to prefer dashcams because they protect them from fraudsters; however, there are very few cases also where dashcam footage has been used for actual insurance claims purposes.
FAQs:
Q: Will the dashcam footage be admissible in court?
A: Technically, yes. However, that depends on your country’s court system. For example in the US, most judges would accept dashcams as evidence of an event; however, it’s hard to get dashcam footage admitted into court because it needs to be authenticated by several experts. And even if you can prove that dashcam footage is authentic, it would still need to pass other requirements before it could be admitted into evidence.
Q: How do I get dashcam footage on my phone?
A: The most efficient way that is available in Russia right now is using the Telenav app. The free version of the app allows you to download a dashboard cam footage to your phone in real-time. But it only works with Russian dashcams – don’t expect to see anything else.
Q: Can I use both a dashcam and rearview mirror at the same time?
A: Yes, but be aware that the complete footage will be saved in a single file. You could use both a dashcam and rearview mirror at the same time; however, your rearview mirror footage would be on one file and your dashcam footage would be on another. So you can only use one camera at a time.