Take the pain out of insurance claims

Better digital drive recorder devices to take the pain out of insurance claims

On the road, accidents happen quickly. So quickly, it can be difficult to determine exactly what happened, when and where it took place – and, most importantly for insurance claims, who was at fault.

It’s unsurprising then, that digital drive recorders (more informally known as ‘dash cams’) have swept the motoring market over the past year, as drivers seek ways to gather evidence for accidents, road rage incidents and for peace of mind. And these devices are continually being improved to suit a wide range of driving incidents and insurance documentation needs.

The newest digital drive recorder to enter the New Zealand market, the Navman MiVue 388, now includes GPS tracking and speed tracking among its advanced features, building on the line the company launched in late 2012.

The MiVue devices work by recording events on the road, including the vital seconds before a collision. By using a built-in GPS receiver so motorists can track the routes they have travelled, the GPS tracking feature on the 388 offers more evidence of driving events.

The in-built GPS on the MiVue 388 also displays GPS co-ordinates, documenting the exact spot an incident took place. The device also shows the travelling speed when a collision happened and the real time it occurred – offering even more proof of how the incident unfolded, to assist with insurance claims and fault assessments.

“Even the smallest details can make the biggest difference when drivers are involved in an accident, especially when reporting events to police and insurance companies,” said Wendy Hammond, Country Director Navman Australia and New Zealand.

“So in designing this range, we have added an in-built GPS that provides more evidence - such as speed, the real time an accident occurred and details on the location of your car.”

“As an example, take an incident where a vehicle spins across the road. GPS tracking and co-ordinates would provide details on the direction your car spun. And the device would also measure how fast you were travelling when this happened,” says Hammond.

“GPS tracking also complements the MiVue ranges 3-axis G-shock sensor that will record the direction an impact came from including the front, back sides, top or bottom of the car so you know how an impact happened,” said Wendy.

The new rotating mount design on the 388 also means the device is less likely to miss blind spots as it provides the flexibility of positioning the device to suit each car.

The tracking feature is also useful for commercial and fleet drivers as it allows drivers to track their routes, while the device also works to capture any incidents that occur along the way.

And for the great road trips, the MiVue 388 can also capture off-road adventures and scenic routes.

The MiVue 388 has a 2.4 inch LCD display, includes 1080 Full HD recording and captures a 120 degree wide angle view. The MiVue 388 also has a parking mode that records information while the car is parked - so if anyone hits the vehicle while it is stationary, it will gather evidence on its own accord.

The device has also been altered to capture footage in low light areas, like carparks, and for night-time driving through Advanced Optics, while the six glass lens produces sharp images with colour so footage can be captured clearly in fog or wet weather conditions.

A photo mode option means you can take the device out of the car and collate picture evidence.

Footage can be viewed and edited on a home computer, with functions to share recordings on social media sites (with Navman’s MiVue Manager Desktop software).

The MiVue 388 joins Navman’s MiVue 338 and MiVue 358 in Navman’s digital drive recorder range. The MiVue 388 is available at all electronics retailers and has an RRP of $279.

The MiVue 388 requires a microSD card (at least 8GB, class 6 or higher) to operate – this is an additional purchase.

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