U.K. Motorists Shoot First, File Claims Later

LONDON – U.K. motorists have gone self-policing crazy with a staggering boom in the use of dashboard-camera accident reports.

A study by Accident Exchange, an accident-vehicle-replacement company, shows the use of dash-cam footage following car accidents has risen 285% since 2015.

The company says insurance claims are nearly three times more likely to feature dash-cam footage among supporting evidence compared to two years ago, resulting in fewer disputes while speeding up claims processes.

The study examined tens of thousands of accidents recorded by Accident Exchange between January 2015 and July 2017.

This analysis follows a 2015 report which revealed a 918% rise in dash-cam sales in just a year, suggesting awareness and acceptance of the technology among motorists is growing fast.

Scott Hamilton-Cooper, director-operations and sales at Accident Exchange, says: “For many, the post-accident experience is one of the most stressful elements of car ownership, and it benefits everyone – motorists, accident-management firms and insurers – to make it simple, stress-free and to limit unnecessary claims disputes. The fact it brings even more transparency to the process is great for us and our customers.”