On Wednesday the 11th of February, 2026, an e-hailing driver was murdered and hijacked by three assailants posing as paying passengers. Footage of this tragic event was caught on a Cartrack dashcam, and this footage was instrumental in convicting the suspects.
Shortly after this, Cartrack received an influx of motorists queueing to get dashcams fitted to their vehicles. Unfortunately it took an event of this magnitude to make people realise how important car security is.
There are many reasons to get a dashcam, and the sad events of Feb 11th aren’t necessarily the only or the strongest motivation. There are security, safety, and even recreational reasons to get a dash cam for car protection, so keep reading if you want to learn why you need one.
We could start with vehicle security, but let’s face it; your safety as the driver is more important than the security of your car. So how does a dashcam protect YOU?
A vehicle camera keeps you and your family safe by recording the video & audio of anyone using their car or person to express road rage.
A Cartrack dash cam comes with added technology that detects collisions. Whether it’s a minor fender-bender or a serious crash, you can set your camera up to save footage of an accident-related incident.
While a car camera is small and unobtrusive, it’s still visible to anyone walking close enough to your car. This often acts as a deterrent because no car thief wants their face on camera!
A dashcam isn’t just a nice-to-have. These little devices have saved motorists thousands in false claims, repairs and legal fees.
Consider protecting yourself against the following.
While more common in other countries, South Africans also struggle with pedestrian insurance scams. This is where pedestrians purposefully jump in front of cars so they can claim medical costs from your insurance company.
What does this mean in a real-world situation? Dashcams have already picked up many of these incidents in the past, and will continue to save people and their insurance providers millions in false claims.
Side note: Some motorists also execute these scams by purposefully crashing their cars into yours. What follows is multiple insurance claims that push up your premiums and increase your risk profile. Learn how to avoid this by reading our deep dive on Crash-for-Cash fraud.
If a legitimate accident takes place between your vehicle and someone else’s, there’s often nothing preventing the other person from claiming it was your fault even if it wasn’t.
What does this mean in a real-world situation? When it’s a he-said-she-said scenario, dash cam evidence is a much-welcomed dispute resolver. If the second party is denying their responsibility in an accident, your footage can resolve things very quickly!
Side note: It’s always best not to announce that you have a dashboard camera when engaging with someone after an accident. Simply keep your side clean, be polite, and report the accident to your insurance and to the police. The evidence will speak for itself.
A vehicle camera can also be set up to capture movement around your car. If someone is planning to cause damage to your vehicle, you can hold them accountable if footage of vandalism is captured.
What does this mean in a real-world situation? Ever had your car keyed by a disgruntled driver? What about someone slamming their car door into your paintwork? Hold people responsible for their actions with a dash camera
Side note: Read more about whether your dashcam keeps recording when the car is switched off in our piece on this topic.
At Cartrack we’d like to believe that one day every car will have a dashcam. But until that day arrives, here's some motivation as to why jumping on the bandwagon now is the smart choice. When you’re recording your trips there are interesting side benefits you can enjoy beyond increased safety.
Here are two of them.
If you use your vehicle to travel to interesting destinations, having some memories of the event can be a great way to store memorable on-the-road moments. Stunning views, funny conversations, and unexpected road surprises can be saved and viewed later.
More and more people are starting to use dashcam footage to create social media content. Whether it’s videos of travel destinations, or highlights about drivers you encounter, this is a hobby that’s possible with a high-quality dashcam.
If you’re wondering how a Cartrack camera stands out from the rest, consider some of the added-extras we’ve designed with each of our vehicle cameras.
If you opt for Cartrack’s Dual Vision package, you get night vision capabilities on your camera. This means you’ll get clear footage in low-light conditions even if bright lights are shining towards the lens.
Because our cameras come with built-in sensors, recording automatically captures incidents like collisions or hard bumps.
It’s one thing to have clear footage of what happened, it’s another to have context to those events. Where you were at the time of the incident is super important, which is why our car cameras include telematics.
Your exact location and speed is included in the time-stamped footage, which helps you make sense of the captured events. You can also livestream your footage on the app, allowing you to see what’s happening when someone else is driving your car.
Context also includes the ability to read important information in the video itself. This includes road signs, landmarks, number plates and faces. Without these important elements, you might end up with a blurry representation of what happened.
But with our clear & crisp recording, you’ll never be in doubt about those finer details.
The footage is what counts after all is said and done. A dash camera is simply a means to an end, and that end is having clear footage that can be used to save you effort and money. Managing that footage is all in your hands.
While we’ve added automation to help you do this, here are some answers to questions you might be asking.
You could go online right now and order a dashcam from an electronic store. It’ll be at your doorstep within 2 days, ready for installation.
But is this really the best way to go?
Wireless dashcams can seem like a quick & convenient way to record your trips, but they come with several drawbacks. Let’s do a brief comparison between a hardwired dashcam installation, and a mountable one that plugs into your cigarette lighter.
Which would you rather have?
Cartrack dash cam price in a nutshell: Dashcam installation at Cartrack is absolutely free. You’ll only pay for a once-off device fee and a monthly subscription. The subscription starts from R199.00 per month as a standalone product & service combination, and you can add additional services if you choose.
Cartrack packages with camera can include:
See the full range of add-ons here.
The safety of you, your passengers, your vehicle, and your finances should be comprehensive and effortless, that's why you need a dashcam. Get yours by calling us today!
Dashcams are nice to have for various reasons, but safety is the most important one. Learn why you need a dashcam and how to get the best.
