The statistics don’t lie: a report from NextBase revealed that 70% of UK drivers are in favor of all vehicles having a dash cam fitted, while police forces in the UK are receiving a record number of video submissions from motorists every month to assist with insurance claims and incident reporting.
Put simply, a dash cam offers an extra pair of eyes on the road, which can be vital in the unfortunate event of a crash, a bout of road rage or some other unforeseen scenario while driving.
But aside from simply recording what is going on outside the windscreen (or rear window, in some cases), most modern dash cams also log all manner of data — be it date, time, GPS location coordinates and speed of travel.
Bryn Brooker, Head of Road Safety at Nextbase, says: "Most modern dash cams can record your vehicle’s speed as you drive.
"This is made possible through built-in GPS technology, which tracks your car’s location and movement in real time and combines that data with your video footage.
"As a result, you’re not just capturing what happened on the road, but also how fast you were going when it happened.”
Why capturing speed is important
During a road traffic incident, no matter how minor, the police or an insurance company will launch some kind of investigation to find out who was at fault. Having crisp, clear video footage is a powerful tool to prove fault or innocence.
"Capturing speed alongside video gives a much more complete and accurate picture of any journey or incident," explains Bryn Brooker.
"In the event of a collision or road dispute, speed data can be extremely useful. It helps support your version of events and demonstrate that you were driving within the speed limit and behaving responsibly.
"This can be particularly valuable in situations where there are no witnesses, or where other accounts of what happened may be conflicting," he adds.
While crystal clear video footage is one, very vital element of the puzzle, it helps if the authorities have a full and clear understanding of events. Time stamping and GPS coordinate overlays, for example, prove that an incident happened where and when someone alleges.
"The combination of speed, GPS location, and time-stamped data provides a clear, objective overview of your journey. Whether you're submitting footage as part of an insurance claim or defending yourself against a false or unfair allegation, having this detailed record can make a significant difference in proving what really happened,” Brooker adds.
Do all dash cams record speed?
Not all modern dash cams record speed and some of the cheaper options eschew the required GPS unit in order to remain competitively priced. Accelerometers and advanced sensors also help build a more accurate depiction of speed but again, these cost money, so don't expect these features from all cameras.
"Nextbase dash cams are specifically designed to capture all of this critical information in a seamless and reliable way,” says Brooker.
"The footage is not only high quality, but it’s also enhanced with built-in data tracking that makes it easier to review what happened second by second. This level of detail transforms dash cam recordings from simple video clips into comprehensive, trusted sources of evidence."
Alongside providing useful evidence in court following an accident or road incident, dash cam footage with accurate speed readouts could even be used to dispute speeding tickets in the rare occasion that police equipment isn't calibrated correctly.
It pays to invest in one of the best dash cams on sale in order to make use of these additional features, as you never know when they could save your bacon.
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