Dashcams have become wildly popular in recent years, as drivers are eager to protect themselves in a legal or insurance situation should a collision occur, but one B.C. lawyer is actually recommending not to get a dashcam, saying the footage could be used against you instead.
Kyla Lee is a lawyer in British Columbia who specializes in traffic cases. She's also big on TikTok, with more than 84,000 followers. She uses the platform to share tips and advice to Canadian drivers about the law.
"One thing a lot of people ask me as a driving lawyer is should they get a dashcam?" Lee says in a video posted to the social media platform. "And the answer might be a little surprising to you."
Lee said that a dashcam can be great if you're looking to capture the conduct of other vehicles around you. She said in the video that you can use that in civil proceedings against other drivers.
But in British Columbia, she says, dashcam footage isn't normally a factor in those proceedings. That's because B.C., like Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes, uses a version of "no-fault" insurance. She says that "other than whether it's going to affect your insurance rates," the footage isn't really going to help you.
Much more likely, she said, your dashcam footage will be used against you. If you're being investigated for any number of reasons after a collision (or otherwise), police can seize your camera and obtain a warrant to watch the footage. "This can include the entire period your dashcam was running," said Lee, "meaning your earlier driving may be captured." This footage can be used to issue you tickets or charges.
Lee said, "I have seen so many cases where people have been convicted as a result of their dashcam." It can also be used by your insurer against you, she said.
"People think that their dashcam is going to protect them. But at the end of the day, nine times out of 10, if you're in an accident, your dashcam is ending up in the hands of the police or in the hands of an insurance company and used to convict you, used to charge you with an offence, or used to make determinations against you in insurance-related litigation," said Lee.
"So my recommendation is don't. Don't get a dashcam."
