One of Elly Ruge’s customers was stopped at a red light, when the car in front of him reversed. The driver had realized they were too far out in the intersection and backed up without looking, hitting the customer’s hood.
“ICBC automatically blames the car at the rear in this type of accident, and the other driver denied that they’d reversed,” says Elly, owner of Cowichan Auto Repair. “Which is why I believe everybody should have a dash cam in their car!”
Elly had already installed a dash camera in her customer’s car, so he was able to email the video clip of the accident to ICBC and prove what really happened.
“Within an hour of sending the video ICBC called him to say the other driver was 100 per cent at fault. That saved my customer thousands of dollars — no rate increase, plus the deductible and repairs were covered by the other driver’s insurance.”
3 reasons to get a dash camera
All of Cowichan Auto Repair’s loaner cars have dash cameras installed, because Elly is clearly a fan of the technology. What’s your number one reason for installing a dash cam?
- Reduce ICBC rates: ICBC doesn’t offer discounted premiums simply for installing a dash cam, but they can save you potential rate increases by providing crucial evidence in the case of an accident. Prove you’re not at fault, and save yourself extra expenses.
- 24/7 security monitoring: “Many cameras can be programmed to stay on 24/7, so while you’re away your car is watching for you,” Elly says. The camera can monitor activity in the area surrounding your vehicle as well, offering extra security.
- Road trip memories: Aside from owning Cowichan Auto Repair, Elly is a world traveller and race car driver, so a few years ago when she took a two-month road trip through 36 countries, she brought her dash cam with her. “You can set dash cameras up in different ways, to make a ‘trip log’ of your travels. I compressed a two-month trip into an hour-long video. It’s a great memory!”
Elly has been around cars her whole life, from her early days at her dad’s auto shop to her years as an international rally car racer. For the last four years she’s been running the award-winning Cowichan Auto Repair in Duncan, which welcomes all drivers (and their dogs). The shop is AskPatty Certified Female Friendly, and hosts workshops to empower and educate drivers on their vehicles.
Have a dash camera purchased and installed for as little as $249 at Cowichan Auto Repair, 5275 Trans-Canada Highway/Chaster Road in Duncan. Call 778-422-3100 for an appointment, or visit cowichanautorepair.com.
