How Dashcams Benefit Teen Drivers (and Parents) | A Teen's Perspective
Posted by Emalee Burt on Aug 15, 2019
I originally heard about dashcams from a family member before I started driving. I knew then that I wanted a dashcam so that I would be protected as a new driver, knowing simple mistakes could be huge on the pocket book. I also wanted one as peace of mind for my parents to not be so hard on me about driving. Eventually, I received the best gift, a DR590W-1CH dashcam by BlackVue!
As a Teen driver, a dashcam has taught me to drive with a different perspective. I know that if anyone around me makes a mistake or causes any problems, such as false accident claims, insurance fraud or even theft, it’ll be recorded by my dashcam and they will be held accountable. On the contrary, anything that I do will also be recorded and I will be personally accountable. If I make a mistake that harms another driver, it will be captured on video. In addition to the footage, my speed and location will also be logged with my dashcam’s GPS function. Being on video with my speed, I am especially cautious about how fast I am going, coming to complete stops at stop signs, and when turning right on red, for example.
Having a dashcam and viewing dashcam videos has made me more aware of the bigger picture. How, you may be asking? Well, my dashcam has given me the awareness needed to anticipate how cars around me will move. I’m more aware of the possibility of that car pulling out in front of me, or noticing a car approaching another vehicle going slow and the only place to go is in front of me.
Actual accident avoidance example from Emalee's dashcam
This accountability and awareness has made me an overall better and more responsible driver. I feel very insecure when my dashcam is not recording and have become very reliant on the sense of security it’s provided so far. While my dashcam provides me security, it has come in handy for other people as well. I have stopped twice to share footage my camera caught, and they were beyond appreciative. With a dashcam, you are protecting more than just yourself.
My dashcam sends me vocal alerts when I start the car and while driving, so when I have friends in the car, they’re always super curious about the alerts. Once I explain what it is and what it does, they immediately ask where I got it, how much and which one they should get. Based on my personal experience, all new drivers should have a dashcam and every person who knows about my camera or heard about it from my friends, desperately wants one of their own. They all seem to have their own reasons for wanting one, but they all recognize how useful a dashcam would be. We all agree that it would be terrible if we lost our driving privileges over something someone else did.
From a parent’s perspective, there are several benefits as well. As a parent, letting your teenager grab the keys and walk out the door, without you, is very scary. Not necessarily because they’re a bad driver, but because of the other people on the road. You’re no longer there to protect them from those hazards; so, what can you do? Protecting your teen driver with a dashcam gives you peace of mind that they’re being protected. No matter what happens, you have the true story behind the inevitable “he said, she said” scenario. A possible insurance break is another bonus.
Once you add your teen driver to your policy, your insurance costs may go through the roof! Depending on your provider, you may qualify for a discount by equipping your teen driver with a dashcam. This is also a great tool for teaching your young ones how to drive, and what to expect on the road. At a young age they’ll learn to be accountable for their own actions on the road, making them more aware of their surroundings. At the same time, they’ll learn that the driver truly at fault will also be held accountable.
A few additional perks can be utilized to give you even better insight as a parent. There are dashcams that will send incidents directly to the cloud, so you are guaranteed to instantly see every clip that’s important. Be notified of an incident before your teen even calls you to tell you about it. You can be well prepared for the incoming hysteria if the need arises. There are dual-camera systems that include inside-facing cameras, some even that allow for safe hands-free 2-way communication; you can always see what your teen driver is doing and talk to them if you feel they’re doing something unsafe. You can see where they are, how fast they’re going and even who’s in the car. Imagine being to tell your teenager to stop texting and driving while they’re in the car! GPS ‘geofencing’ features allow you to set a geographical area that’ll instantly notify you if your teen driver leaves that set area without your permission. You can set it to just a couple of blocks, or even to the end of your city.
You can rest easy knowing your teen has a dashcam in their vehicle, protecting them from false accident claims, insurance fraud, theft and even vandalism. A dashcam will give both you and your teen driver peace of mind knowing that the responsible party will be accountable for their own actions. This and the added awareness of being recorded a dashcam provides, the versatile features, along with the insurance break should make this an easy decision for any parent of a new teen driver. Dashcams make the road a safer place for everyone.