Dashboard cameras catching on with drivers

Dashboard cameras are catching on with drivers in North America. The front-mounted digital cameras which are already popular in Russia and China are gaining popularity here according to the Ontario Trucking Association.

Footage from the cameras can be used to back up insurance claims or track down other drivers for alleged infractions.

The OPP yesterday said they have tracked down a truck driver they believe was involved in a recent near-crash north of Thunder Bay. The offending vehicle was caught on a dashcam.

• Trucker in near-crash video that went viral ID'd by OPP

"Cameras don't lie. I think they're great," said Rob Jackson, an instructor at the Humber College Truck Driving School.

"That technology is out there, use it. It's only going to protect you."

Jackson encourages his students to ask potential employers about what kind of technology will be in their truck.

Some dashcams cost as little at $50.

They're catching on with veterans, too.

"The next vehicle I get, I'm going to get one, have it mounted," said Joseph Cassar, who drives shuttle runs around Ontario. "It's good for insurance reasons as well, so everything is filmed. It's on tape, they like that."