Latest Reader Question: Dash Camera (May 3, 2018)

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply:

Joseph asks: I have a 16 year old driving. Which inexpensive dash camera do you recommend?  Nothing fancy, just does the job with good optics. Also, I’m down here in south Louisiana where it gets really hot in the car and need one that doesn’t succumb to the heat.

My reply: It is excellent policy to mount a dashcam in one’s vehicle – whether you’re a teenager (or responsible for one) or not. For several reasons. First, it provides video evidence of what actually happened in the event there is an accident. It won’t be your word against the word of the other driver. Given how rampant insurance fraud is, this is no small thing.

Second, given the threat posed by armed government workers, video recording any interaction one is forced to endure is paramount. Not only does it provide incontrovertible evidence of what happened,  the presence of the camera may restrain the armed government worker from abusing you.

It’s as important to have a video rig as it is to have a good radar detector.

As far as which one to get: I like the GoPro. It’s tough – they build them to handle rough conditions, such as motorcycle riding – and they’re pretty small/inexpensive and reproduce high quality video and audio.

Others here may have their own recommendations; please chime in!

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Got a question about cars – or anything else? Click on the “ask Eric” link and send ’em in!