Dashcams are essential for drivers, revolutionising how we document and understand road incidents. With their rising popularity, these compact cameras offer numerous benefits. They act as unbiased witnesses, capturing real-time footage of accidents, near misses, and reckless driving. This invaluable video evidence helps in insurance claims, allowing drivers to prove innocence or hold wrongdoers accountable.
Dashcams also encourage safer driving by reminding drivers that their actions are being recorded. They deter fraudulent claims and staged accidents, protecting unsuspecting motorists. Seeing that it’s incredibly useful, the police hope that the use of dashcams will become more common.
The Vibes reports that the police are contemplating proposing an increase in the use of dashcams in private vehicles to the Transport Ministry and Road Transport Department. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, believes that dashcams would be beneficial for investigations into road accidents and addressing public complaints regarding traffic safety and violations.
The IGP emphasised that dashcam footage could aid in examining untoward incidents on the road and in public areas. The police have sought public feedback on dashcams through their Facebook page.
In the past, there have been calls from academicians and activists to make dashcams a standard feature in privately owned vehicles. Some experts argue that dashcam recordings can serve as evidence in accidents and when dealing with criminal activities on the road.
However, the idea of mandatory dashcams faced opposition due to legal limitations and concerns about burdening the public, particularly the B40 group. While dashcams may have potential for road safety education, the former transport minister, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, did not see them as a preventive measure from a road safety perspective.
