Dash Cams with Maps and Safety AI are the Next Wave of Driver Technology

By Rashid Galadanci, Co-Founder & CEO of Driver Technologies

Driving is a huge part of what makes daily life in the U.S. possible, so it’s no surprise that 90% of the population use over 200 million registered vehicles and that these numbers are growing. People increasingly hop into their cars to get to their jobs, do their jobs, take children to school, go food shopping, and visit friends and family.

As great as cars are for daily life, accidents can and often do happen, and sadly, they grew more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. A study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that analyzed traffic safety during the pandemic found that drivers actually increased their driving speed and were less likely to use seatbelts. Drivers are also more likely to be distracted while they are driving. All of this has led to higher per capita accident rates with worse outcomes for individuals despite fewer people commuting on the road.

It makes sense that all drivers want a second set of “eyes” on the road alongside them. All it takes is a sleepy driver, an inexperienced driver, bad weather, or chaotic traffic to cause a crash, and having a dashcam to capture it all is critical for every driver and business owner with vehicles.

Implementing dash cams with safety AI helps make U.S. roads and highways safer

Drivers can find the following benefits when they implement a dash cam to protect themselves, their loved ones, and other drivers on the road.

1. Accountability is more accessible than ever with dash cams and apps

While traditionally expensive, dash cams are becoming cheaper to buy so that more car owners and car users can purchase a simple dashboard camera for less than $100. Even better, app solutions offer the same functionality, and often with better camera resolution and capabilities, as physical dash cams through your smartphone. There are a variety of dash cams available on the market that’ll fit different budgets, car sizes and aesthetics. Newer models of dashcams and dashcam apps have extended battery life, better and clearer video quality, and can connect to apps for better video viewing access.

2. Your credible source for every event

Sometimes drivers have to go to court to dispute traffic tickets for violations such as parking in the wrong spot, running a red light, or driving over the speed limit. Drivers aren’t always credibly accused and having first-hand proof from dash cam video will make it so much easier to dispute a ticket in court and hopefully have the traffic violations dropped. Ideally the video is paired with a map to show where you were at the time of the incident as well as additional data like speed, direction and weather.?

3. Choosing when, where and how to use a dash cam is personal

Dash cams are all about empowering drivers and maximizing control of unpredictable situations. Most good connected dash cams and apps allow users to maintain ownership of their data with privacy options offered through online portals. Dash cam video is taken live in the moment, then uploaded to the cloud where it can be managed by the user and interpreted with AI. Privacy, user-led data control and a clear understanding of data sharing options are critical, with some companies offering insurance discounts and other freebies for users willing to share specific data on their good driving behavior with their insurance company or other services they use. Drivers should assess their options when selecting a dash cam or dash cam app to ensure their privacy is protected and data use is transparent to them.?

4. Evidence is empowering

Insurance can be a hefty financial lift for car owners, which makes having extra evidence of an accident helps drivers avoid insurance fraud after an incident. Drivers can feel empowered to have full or at least partial footage of an accident to accompany other evidence like photos for insurance claims. Ideally, a good dash cam or dash cam app includes not just images but also maps, telematics, an AI system that can interpret driving behavior and location information to show police, an insurer or a lawyer the location, speed, acceleration, and time along with the video footage - these important features can make or break the outcome of a claim and convert to serious savings for both the consumer and insurance company.

5. Safety is the best policy

The best dash cam devices and apps attempt to prevent an accident before it even happens. While hardware devices that provide collision and driver distraction and drowsiness alerts can be very expensive, there are free app solutions, and overall, nothing is more expensive than an accident! Buying a self-driving car may not be in the cards for anyone in the short term, but that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage the latest technology for driving safety through a dash cam or simple dash cam app.

Dash cams are helpful for various situations that can occur while driving and they’re certainly here to stay. The costs to try a dash cam or dash cam app solution have never been lower than the present, so why not give one a try? If you’d like to learn more about dash cam app solutions, consider looking at free app solutions in the Apple or Android store. If you’re already using Apple Play, Spotify, or navigating with a GPS, a dash cam should be just as essential for your daily commute.

For more information about DriverPremium, please download the Driver App in the Apple or Android app store or visit www.drivertechnologies.com/driver-premium.?