These days video cameras are basically ubiquitous. The availability of devices that take videos, most notably smart phones has already impacted many legal cases, often dramatically. One other type of camera that you have likely heard of or seen is a dash camera. A dash camera, as the name suggests, is a camera placed on the dashboard of your vehicle. Unlike a video camera that you turn on when you want to record something that is currently happening, the dash camera is left on while you are driving in order to capture a video record of something unexpected, such as a car crash.
First off, you might be asking yourself about the legality of having a camera on and filming in your car as a private citizen. Not only is it legal, but it is sometimes appreciated by law enforcement officials as a valuable tool for determining the cause of an automobile collision.
Dash Cameras in Long Island, NY Can Record Evidence of the Other Driver’s Negligence
This technology has already proved useful to its owners on numerous occasions. Owners of dash cameras have been able to use footage from the camera to show that another driver was at-fault in a collision. This evidence can be used to expedite an insurance claim, or simply to back up a driver’s testimony when the at-fault driver attempts to challenge the injured party’s account of a collision.
Dash cameras may also be useful in exposing another driver’s negligence by recording evidence of another driver’s dangerous or negligent behaviors prior to and at the time of the accident. For example, most of us have seen a driver texting while behind the wheel. If a driver who is texting causes an accident, you could have caught the necessary evidence to indicate that the texting driver was behaving negligently. This would hold true for other dangerous practices that we might have seen on the road, such as applying make-up while driving, or aggressively yelling and shouting while behind the wheel.
Even beyond these specific scenarios, dash cameras could result in safer roadways overall. The thinking is that the more likely it is that your actions behind the wheel are being recorded, the more likely you are to practice responsible driving. Thus, the more dash cameras on the road, the less irresponsible drivers overall.
The investment in a dash camera is a modest one, starting around $50, and going up to about $200. The features included vary, some containing GPS devices that can show the location where the video was taken.
We all know that getting behind the wheel presents risks even for responsible drivers. If you are that responsible driver, and would like to increase your chances of proving so in the unfortunate event of a collision, a dash camera might be worth considering. After all, it might prove extremely useful down the road.
Contact Our Long Island Car Accident Lawyers Today!
If you or someone you love has been injured in an auto accident, the Long Island personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can help. Call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP for a free consultation at 516-358-6900.
