Brit drivers warned of little known mistake with dashcams that is invalidating their car insurance
BRIT drivers have been warned they risk invalidating their car insurance due to a little-known error they could be making with their dashcam.
Dashcams have become widely popular in the UK and are seen as a valuable tool for your motor – helping protect drivers from illegal driving behaviour and even fraudulent claims.
What’s more, having a dashcam can help lower your car insurance, with many providers offering cheaper premiums for motorists that have them fitted.
However, there’s a mistake some dashcam owners might be making that could cause an issue with their car insurance.
According to Graham Conway of Select Van Leasing, having a dashcam that’s hard-wired into your vehicle instead of simply plugged-in to the car’s cigarette lighter socket or USB port is something you’d need to disclose to your insurer.
He said: “It’s frustrating to think that doing something proactive to protect yourself from a claim, or even theft, might come back to bite you, but motorists need to be aware of the legalities concerning dashcams.
“Some of the more expensive dashcams on the market are wired directly to the car’s battery, rather than simply plugging-in to a socket in the vehicle’s cabin.
“Being hard-wired means the dashcam offers added protection and can remain switched on, even when the engine isn’t running, so that it continues to record after the owner has vacated the driver’s seat.
“While a plug-in dashcam is considered a simple accessory in the eyes of most insurers, a hard-wired dashcam is deemed to be a ‘modification’ to your vehicle, and you need to notify your insurer that you’ve got one fitted.
“If you don’t, and the worst does ultimately happen, you might not be covered against a claim – even though you could have clear evidence to prove any wrongdoing.”
This could be an issue for a large portion of car owners, with the RAC claiming 2.9 million people across the country use a dashcam.
This comes as Brit holidaymakers were warned of the risk of huge bills thanks to “rogue meet and greet” firms parking cars in the wrong place at a major UK airport.
And elsewhere, drivers have been urged to consider five motors that are the cheapest to insure and can be bought for under £3,000.