QBE Insurance (QBE) and road safety organisation Brake are encouraging businesses and motorists to embrace New Zealand’s
dash cam usage trend, citing the devices’ significant potential insurance, financial and safety benefits.
Dash cam devices provide a video recording of the environment in front of drivers, while some also record views from
additional perspectives, allowing them to capture evidence of unsafe driving and road accidents.
Andrew Corbett Chief Customer Officer of QBE New Zealand & Pacific said footage can be useful in both police and insurance investigations.
“We’ve seen an increase in customers providing dash cam footage at claim time – which in many cases has provided
invaluable evidence, supporting fast and fair claim processing.
“Footage has been particularly useful in situations where liability is unclear or disputed and in cases where a vehicle
was unattended when an incident has occurred.
“For example, we recently processed a claim where our insured’s employee was parked and hit by a third-party vehicle
which drove away. The dash cam footage from our customer’s vehicle meant the other driver was found liable and our
customer was not out of pocket for the standard excess.
“In another QBE case, our customer’s vehicle crashed into the back of the third party, which would typically mean our
customer would be deemed at fault – however when we reviewed the dash cam footage it was clear the third party had
overtaken our customer in a dangerous manner and slammed on their brakes causing the accident.
“There are also cases where dash cam footage is not only submitted to us but also submitted to the police – helping
them to address unsafe drivers and investigate serious motor crashes.
“As a commercial motor insurer, we know firsthand the devastation that can follow a motor accident, so we encourage
drivers and businesses to consider dash cam systems not only to support them should they need to make a claim, but more
importantly for their safety benefits.”
According to the Ministry of Transport, in 2018 377 people were killed on NZ roads (provisional figures), while the
social cost of crashes is $4.8 billion annually.
Caroline Perry, NZ Director - Brake, said dash cams and related systems could be part of the solution to addressing
these figures as footage helps authorities address serious road safety issues and the potentially life-saving technology
provided numerous safety benefits.
“Dashcams and GPS or telematics systems that incorporate them have become increasingly popular in both commercial and
personal vehicles and can offer a range of safety benefits for businesses, drivers and the wider public.
“Front-facing cameras on dashcams can capture unsafe driving and road behaviour by others, which can be passed on to
police to assist investigations into dangerous driving and hold drivers to account.
“Some systems, popular with commercial vehicles and fleets incorporate dashcams with both forward-facing and
inward-facing cameras.
“These can alert the driver if they look like they’re falling asleep at the wheel, or not keeping their eyes on the
road. They do this by tracking eye movements and the angle of a driver’s head, making this technology potentially
life-saving. This helps to prevent crashes by keeping drivers alert, deterring use of smartphone devices, and ensuring
they’re paying attention to the road.”
Carolyn also said drivers and businesses should put safety first when considering devices to ensure operating them will
not cause driver distraction.
The call from Brake and QBE comes as communities across New Zealand speak up for safety during the United Nation’s Road
Safety Week this week (6-12 May). The initiative is championed in New Zealand by Brake and corporate sponsors QBE, NZ
Transport Agency, NZ Police, St John, Auckland Transport, the Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Alliance and others.
ENDS