Dashcams - the dawn of justice
In a world where information is freely available in a number of forms, dashboard cameras and CCTV cameras can play an important role in recording and presenting the facts about driving behaviour and the management of insurance claims.
While verifying a claim, it can be very difficult for any insurer to determine who exactly caused an accident. Footage from dashboard cameras and CCTV cameras could be useful to support a claim and to apportion blame after a collision between vehicles.
As a result, we could soon find the development of insurance products linked to having a video camera in your vehicle as video footage from these devises can significantly reduce claim-processing time and cost for insurers.
There were recently two horrific accidents in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng where trucks had skipped traffic lights, and as a result collided with other vehicles fatally injuring people. In both instances dash cams and CCTV footage could determine the correct facts and who was at fault.
Stacking the benefits
There are many reasons why dashboard- and CCTV cameras are beneficial in the management of claims by insurers.
- It gives a clear identification of cause and evidence of an accident
When someone is involved in an accident, footage can be the perfect eyewitness and real proof of what had occurred and who was at fault. Dash cam and CCTV footage can be the only real way to substantiate your claims in the court of law.
- It can assist to fight corruption and fraud
There are dishonest people who will purposely cause or create a collision or allege that an accident occurred and then blame the other party or supply insurers with false or fictitious information regarding an accident.
Dash cam and CCTV video footage can provide the perfect mechanism to stop these fraudsters in their tracks.
- It prevents vehicle abuse and confirm responsible driving
By installing a dash cam in your vehicle, you will know exactly how a driver handled your vehicle. This can be very helpful for a Claims Examiner to track the movements of an incident driver should the need arise during the verification of the claim.
- It assists in the reconstruction of an accident scene
Video footage from dash cams and CCTV cameras can be very useful in the reconstruction of an accident scene to determine what, or which party, caused the accident and the consequential damage and loss thereof.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) by all cameras on the road is one of the tools used in an investigation process. Information collected allows organisation’s, which have a valid interest in terms of crime prevention, access to the sightings of these specific vehicles.
We need to tread carefully here. If a case does land up in court, the license plate of any other car involved in the accident can only be freely used if it is not visible. If it is visible, you would have to get consent from the other driver as a license plate number provides access to a host of information.
A vital partnership
There is a system in use in the industry where a fraud detection company has launched an initiative driven by Data RE. This partnership involves the private sector, government, residential associations and security organisation’s across the country as well as its neighbours. Each vehicle sighting is recorded and stored with the GPS co-ordinates, metadata, and an image of the vehicle as it passes an ANPR point.
It has been proven in the last few years that companies which are able to adapt and optimal utilize technology are the companies who are successful and profitable. It is therefore important that insurers and other role-players make use of CCTV and dashboard cameras in the management of claims, criminal and civil cases.
