Make dash cams compulsory: four deaths every hour rate on US roads
Car campaigners are calling for dash cams to be made compulsory in California, as statistics in America show an average of 105 people are killed in road traffic accidents every day.
Car rental experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have launched a campaign for lawmakers to ensure all motorists have a dash cam in place in their vehicles to record incidents while they are driving.
It comes as Department of Transportation figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates there were 38,680 people killed in road traffic accidents in America for the year 2020, which equates to more than four deaths every hour taking the statistic as an average throughout the year.
Among the fatalities were 23,395 passenger vehicle occupants, 6,205 pedestrians and 846 pedal cyclists with distractions and negligence of traffic rules among the reasons for road accidents in the country.
A spokesman for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “Up and down the country every day, there are hundreds of incidents taking place on our roads which result in minor or major injuries, or even death.
“We would like to see it become mandatory for every motorist to have a dash cam fitted in their vehicle as an extra layer of protection for drivers, their passengers and all road users.
“There are on average 105 people killed on roads in America every day – that is 105 lives devastated along with the lives of their loved ones.
“We feel the time for action is now.”
Dash cams are legal in America, but across the states there are different rules to ensure that people’s vision is not impaired through the devices while driving. Motorists are urged to consider putting the dash cam on the car dashboard so it does not obscure your view of the road.
Some states have restrictions in place when it comes to mounting a camera on your windshield and these include: Arizona, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
Some states prohibit windshield obstructions altogether including: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Police are increasingly asking for dash cam footage for incidents that happen on roads in many countries globally.
There are many examples in the media of dash cam footage being used in cases to tackle carjacking, road rage, road side road scams and motorists jumping red lights at traffic lights or contravening other road signs.
In some countries, motorists who car share within their company for example, must inform everyone they share it with if a dash cam has been installed, as it can often record sound and video record inside the vehicle itself.
It is a breach of privacy if someone in your vehicle is unaware they are being recorded in some countries.
Motorists must also be aware that their own dash cam footage could be used against them if they contravene road rules.
But with the StressFreeCarRental.com campaign ultimately calling for mandatory dash cams to improve road safety for everyone, encouraging safer driving across the board should help achieve this goal and drive down road incidents.
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