Just installed a cheap dash cam and it consistently displays 2 to 3 miles an hour faster than my actual speed. If I'm in an accident and need to use the footage… will the speed discrepancy become an issue when determining fault?
Ex: if I'm going 21 in a 20 and somebody pulls out in front of me and we have a minor crash but my dash cam says I was going 24, will insurance determine me to be partially at fault for speeding or still 100% other driver fault for failing to yield?
I'm a big worrier and bought the dash cam for additional peace of mind but now it's kind of stressing me out. Am I concerned about nothing or should I be saving some videos that prove the dash cam speed is wrong?
Car insurance adjusters, how concerned should I be about the speed being wrong on my dash cam?
byu/ConceptOther5327 inInsurance
Posted by ConceptOther5327
8 Comments
Depends on how far off it is. I don’t expect 2-3 mph to ever be significant enough to make a difference. You’re not automatically at fault if you’re going 1 mph over the speed limit. You’re at fault if they find that your speed was excessive and was a factor in causing the accident.
The video usually matters a lot more than the little speed number on the screen. In your example, if the footage clearly shows someone pulled out in front of you, that is usually the bigger issue than whether your cheap dash cam guessed 24 instead of 21. I still think it’s smart to note now that the speed overlay runs a little high and keep a couple comparison clips for your own records, just in case. Dash cams are still useful because documentation matters when fault is disputed. What usually matters most is the actual driving sequence, lane position, right of way, braking, visibility, and timing.
Have you checked it against your phone gps? It could be that your car is off and that would be a good thing to know for sure (bigger tires is the usual culprit).
But 2 or 3 mph won’t make or break a claim.
You should be able to turn the speed info off in the camera settings.
Dash cam speeds are inaccurate all the time. Go to a store like Best Buy that may have them on display snd they are reading up to 10mph sitting on the display counter and the display can show you driving right through the store and appearing a block away.
On a phone open Google or Apple Maps and watch your location drift all over the place.
If push ever came to shove, you could have a passenger record your dash and the road ahead of you while going 25 mph, for example, and place the dash cam footage of it side-by-side to show the discrepancy. BUT, I don’t think that will ever be an issue for a 2-3 mph difference. 10-15 mph off would be different, but even then, it would be obvious by the actual footage if you were speeding or not.
You’re worrying more than you need to, insurers treat dash-cam speed as rough, not definitive, and a 2–3 mph discrepancy won’t override clear fault like failure to yield.
How do you know the dash cam is wrong? When did you last calibrate your speedometer? It’s worth noting that mine is pretty accurate on cold tires, but as they warm up and expand, it reads low (eventually over 3 mph low).
Looking at this from a lawyer’s perspective, I can’t imagine any circumstance where 2-3 mph will determine anything. Of course I’ll raise anything that creates doubt if it’s in my client’s interest, but I’m not going to expect 2-3 mph to turn anything around. (Hypothetical lawyer. I’m not one, but if you talk to enough of them often enough, you learn how they think.)
Remember that insurance covers stupidity. Even if you’re going 30 over, your own insurance will cover you. You won’t get renewed, but the accident caused by your stupidity will be covered. That’s why you carry comp and collision.