Do You Need a Dash Cam? Pros, Cons & How to Decide

You have security cameras in your home and in your office. Do you really need one in your car? You may be considering getting a dash cam, a camera for your dashboard that records either the outside of your car through your windshield, the inside of your car, or both. This footage can come in handy in a crime investigation or an insurance dispute, but is it really necessary?

On this page, I’ll go over the reasons why you may and may not need a dash cam, helping you come to your buying decision. From there, if you choose to buy a dash cam, I’ll give you some tips on how to choose.

Reasons Why You Might Need a Dash Cam

Here are some scenarios and reasons why you might need a dash cam:

• Crime investigation: If your car is involved in a crime, like vandalism, a hit-and-run, or auto theft, a dash cam’s footage could provide evidence that could prove useful in an investigation. Let’s say someone steals your catalytic converter, a very common crime due to the car part’s precious metals. If you had footage of the theft, it would make it easier for police to catch the culprit and prove their guilt.
• Insurance dispute: The same footage could be useful in an insurance dispute, making sure that the truth about a rear-ending is captured, for example. Additionally, some insurance companies provide discounts if you have a dash cam installed, as they prevent false claims.
• Rideshare driving: Rideshare drivers definitely need dash cams, and I’d recommend dual-channel dash cams at that, meaning both the inside and the outside of the car are covered. An example that comes to mind is during the COVID-19 pandemic when a passenger intentionally coughed on the driver, then assaulted him using pepper spray. Using the footage, Lyft was able to ban the passenger, who was eventually arrested. Without the footage, the incident would have been much harder to prove.
• Parking in high-crime areas: If you leave your car parked on the street, especially in a high-crime neighborhood, you should at least have a single-channel dash cam, one that faces only the front, to capture any crimes that occur.
• Parent of teen driver: It’s no secret that novice drivers get into more accidents. According to the latest 2023 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, young drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 have the highest traffic fatality rates and crash rates of any age group. But having a dash cam, especially a WiFi-connected camera that faces inward, can help you monitor their driving from afar, making sure that they’re not getting distracted by their phones or friends.

When You Might Not Need a Dash Cam

That being said, not everyone will find a huge benefit from having a dash cam. Here are some reasons you might not need one:

• Parking in low-crime areas: If you live in a suburban or rural area with low crime rates, and especially if you often park in garages or don’t drive often, a dash cam will probably be unnecessary.
• Affordability: While budget dash cams can cost as little as $30, the premium models can go up to $500 or higher, and this may not be a necessary expense, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
• Privacy: While monitoring drivers of your car may have its benefits, there are also privacy concerns. You may want to give your teen driver the privacy and independence to drive on their own without your surveillance, if that’s important to you.
• Lack of insurance discount: Not all insurance companies offer discounts for installing dash cams. You may opt to buy an item that does incur an insurance discount, like steering wheel locks, kill switches, or tire clamps, other types of anti-theft devices.

Choosing a Dash Cam (If You Decide to Buy)

There are many factors to consider when you’re choosing a dash cam. Think about the features you need and the features that would be nice to have, but are not strictly necessary.

Of course, you need a dash cam that records and saves footage, but you can save money by choosing a camera with a lower resolution, 720p HD or 1080p HD compared to 2K or 4K, for example.

Storage is also a factor; SD cards are cheaper than cloud storage with recurring monthly fees, but you’ll have to manually upload them to storage so the oldest footage doesn’t get overwritten.

Finally, you’ll need to decide what exactly the camera should cover (the front, inside, or sides of your vehicle), and how it’s powered, which will determine when it records. To learn more about this topic, read our article on how a dash cam works.

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