I had a similar thing happen a couple years back—someone sideswiped me at an intersection, and the insurance company initially tried to say we were both partially at fault. Luckily, I had a dashcam too, and the footage clearly showed the other driver running a red. Honestly, I don't think it's just Illinois; insurance rules everywhere seem intentionally vague sometimes. The more ambiguous the rules, the easier it is to spread out liability and hike up premiums. At least that's how it feels to me.
Dashcams are definitely worth the investment, though. Mine was a cheap one off Amazon, nothing fancy, but it's already saved me way more money than it cost. I always tell friends it's one of those things you don't realize you need until you really need it...
Dashcams definitely help clear things up, but I wouldn't say insurance rules are intentionally vague to hike premiums. It might seem that way because liability often depends on small details—like exact positioning, signals, or even road markings. Insurance companies follow standardized guidelines, but real-world situations rarely fit neatly into boxes. That's why clear evidence (like your dashcam footage) is so valuable—it removes ambiguity and speeds up the whole claims process. Glad your footage helped you out, though...makes me think maybe I should finally get one myself.
Dashcams are honestly lifesavers. I used to think they were just for catching funny road moments or meteor showers (remember that viral Russian dashcam footage?), but after a near-miss last year, I finally caved and got one. Installation was surprisingly easy: Step 1—buy dashcam, Step 2—watch confusing YouTube tutorials, Step 3—give up and call my brother-in-law. 😂 But seriously, anyone here have recommendations for a reliable model that's easy to set up without needing an engineering degree?
I used to think dashcams were mostly hype too, until I started handling claims and saw firsthand how much easier they can make things. Honestly, the simpler the better—no need for fancy bells and whistles. I've heard good things about the Garmin Mini 2; it's compact, discreet, and pretty straightforward to install (even without calling your brother-in-law 😂). Plus, video quality is solid enough to clearly capture license plates and details you'd actually need if something happens. Worth checking out if you're still shopping around.
"Honestly, the simpler the better—no need for fancy bells and whistles."
Totally agree with this. As someone who's still figuring out parallel parking (ugh...), simpler is definitely better. I've been curious about dashcams though—do you think having one actually helps lower insurance rates, or is it mostly just useful after something happens? Either way, the Garmin Mini 2 sounds like a solid pick, might have to look into it. Thanks for the tip!
