Young drivers – aged between 15 and 20 – are quite a large percentage of total drivers on the US roads today. Rough estimates are over 5%, and that translates to over 12 million teenage drivers (according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). This poses a question to the parents of these young drivers worried about their safety. Does it make sense to install a dash cam in their teenage son/daughter’s car?

It’s not a secret that dash cams became a necessity in today’s world. In this article, we will show you all the advantages and disadvantages of having a dash cam in your teenager’s car.

Proof in case of an accident

First of all, a dash cam serves as a great tool for everyone – parents and teenagers alike – because of one important reason. And that is: a dash cam provides objective evidence in case something happens. From hit-and-runs, insurance fraud attempts and “he said, she said” situations – a dash cam has you covered. It’s the same for teenage drivers. Thanks to the dash cam footage you can easily assess the situation at hand, see who was at fault. If it was your child – you can use it as a learning experience. If it was the other party’s fault – you can be sure your kid won’t take the blame.

Dash cams – low-key and easy to install

The installation of a dash cam is pretty straightforward. In case of BlackVue dash cams (such as the 4K UHD Cloud dual-channel model – DR970X-2CH) you can either simply plug them into the cigarette lighter socket, or hardwire it for Parking Mode. You can also consider an additional Parking Mode accessory (like the Ultra Battery or the Battery Pack). Parking Mode is a very useful feature – it allows the dash cam to record even when the engine is off when the car is parked.

BlackVue dash cams come without a screen, which may seem like a disadvantage. But the truth is, thanks to the Wi-Fi connection you can check the footage instantly via your phone, so the screen isn’t really necessary. Instead, you get a stealthy design of the dash cam – thanks to BlackVue’s shape, size and color it’s barely visible from the outside. This is a good deterrent to potential thieves.

Safety

According to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, one in five drivers aged 16-18 had been in a crash or near-miss within the past year. Most of these crashes were caused by inexperience and distraction.

Dash cams help the parents monitor their kids’ driving habits and ensure that they’re safe on the road. Just by simply being installed in a car, a dash cam makes a person drive less carelessly and be more aware of their surroundings.

Drivers that use dash cams typically feel safer, have fewer accidents and are less likely to be distracted while driving since they are more aware of their surroundings. For parents with teenagers, a dash cam is imperative for safety and peace of mind.

Moreover, dash cams make it easier to keep track of all the places a teenage driver goes.

Privacy concerns

We can’t forget that privacy is a big issue for teenagers, though. While some may be understanding of their parents wanting to install a dash cam in their car, some may take it as a way of exercising additional control over them. The best solution to solve this problem may be? a conversation. We recommend simply talking to your children about the necessity of a dash cam. You can set certain boundaries that will help you both enforce the rules and show that you trust your kid.
For example, you may opt to disable audio recording. This can be done in most dash cams’ settings menus. On BlackVue dashboard cameras with a proximity sensor, you can customize the sensor’s function to activate/deactivate the built-in microphone.