Why You Need A Dashcam In Your Truck

HGV drivers spend a good deal of time on the road transporting goods from one point to the next. It is thus safe to say truck drivers have seen it all on the road, accidents included. While many of these accidents could have been avoided, most drivers weren’t in a position to. Whether new to the world of professional HGV driving or have been in the industry for some time, you need to have all the right tools and equipment to help you stay safe on the road. Taking a look at HGV Training Surrey will guide you in the right direction for most up to date and recent guidelines.

Although a dashcam might easily be the last thing to have in mind or on your list of essential, it is one of the few things that can save you big time. Here are some of the reasons and instances when this little gadget can come in handy or even save your career/life.

Record Accidents as They Happen

Even the most experienced and careful HGV drivers can cause or get involved in an accident. Some accidents happen too fast that even the driver cannot recall the events or even tell what happened. Thus, insurance companies have a hard time putting together what happened, who was at fault, or what the cause of the accident is.

This is where your dashcam comes to the rescue. While the dashcam might not prevent the accident from happening, it will record the events quite vividly. Insurance companies, the police, and you included will get to see and understand what happened after reviewing the footage. The dashcam will thus be your alibi, mostly if you weren’t to blame for the accident. Insurance premiums for HGVs can run into the thousands; another reason you need to prove you weren’t to blame for the accident. Reviewing the footage’s contents will thus enable the police, and especially insurance companies process your claim much faster. The best thing with a dashcam is that it will record events before, during, and after the accident. The reviewing team will even see the actions you took to avoid a head-on collision, for example.

Avoid ‘Crash for Cash’ Cons

Some people will intentionally get into an accident just for the money. Many will even stage the accident to look like you were at fault and even proceed to file expensive insurance claims against you. The scammer will intentionally slam on the brakes on the freeway, slow down on a busy road, or even brake unnecessarily with the hope that you will hit them from the back. While some drivers will genuinely do so to avoid getting into an accident, the dashcam footage will prove if the incident was genuine or not. Reviewing the footage will help you see if the accident was staged or not. The dashcam footage can also be used as evidence to show who was at fault and apprehend the con artist. In other words, the con will be forced to pay for damages caused on your truck.

Report Reckless Drivers

As mentioned earlier, HGV drivers see all manner of things on the road. This included reckless and bad drivers who will cut you off for no good reason, speed, tailgate, and even those that crash on stationary vehicles. Seeing such drivers alone will only make you mad and especially with very little control over them. However, a dashcam can help expose such drivers, especially those that pose a danger to other road users. The camera footage will act as evidence, making it easier to report the drivers (to the police or their employers) of reckless driving.