Holiday hustle and bustle is in full swing – but what do you get for that last person on your list who has everything? A dash cam! This might sound outlandish at first blush, but good dash cams have become very affordable and the peace of mind and protection they provide is immeasurable.

Unless you’ve been involved in a car crash where fault is disputed, you might not know how difficult it can be to prove what happened. You were there; you saw it one way, but if the other driver tells a completely different story. Who’s to say who’s telling the truth and who’s not? Sometimes the damage to a vehicle, debris left behind, or marks on the road can help piece together the story. Sometimes a disinterested bystander can act as a witness and break the tie.

It is great when the evidence at the scene or a witness can tip the scale, but you can proactively protect yourself or someone you love by installing an affordable dash cam. Let’s look at a few examples.

EXHIBIT A. This driver swerved to avoid someone who pulled out into traffic. She couldn’t avoid him, and he struck the passenger side of her car. Watch as he immediately gets out and makes up a bad excuse to cast the blame on her. Too bad for him because she has a dash cam:

EXHIBIT B. This driver was able to record an obvious scammer trying to commit insurance fraud. Thankfully, there was a dash cam:

EXHIBIT C. [WARNING: this clip contains some brief strong language] Watch the light as this guy enters the intersection. It’s green, turning to yellow. From his right a van comes out of nowhere (against a red light), and he hits the side of the van. The van driver spoke to the police first and accused this guy of running a red light. When the police were about to issue him a ticket, he showed them the dash cam footage and proved the crash was not his fault:

EXHIBIT D. Finally, dash cams can help track down a hit and run driver. In this situation, the dash cam was able to catch license plate info for an at-fault driver who otherwise might have been lost forever:

If these examples haven’t convinced you, spend some time on Google and YouTube as there is plenty of material out there. Buy a dash cam for a loved one this holiday season.

Dashcams come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and prices. They range from around $30 to $60 and on up. Take a look at this review of several dash cams to get an idea of some of the options and features to look for, like dual-facing cameras, field of view, etc.: http://www.safewise.com/resources/best-dash-cam-buyers-guide.

Stay safe out there!