By Kelly Corbett
Social Media Editor
Have you ever been driving and wondered, “I wish I had a dashboard camera on the back of my car to record all the exciting and thrilling moments of my drive?”
Well, if you have, your dreams may soon be coming true. Recently in class, I was asked to look at current issues in technology and I took a look at the dashcam produced by Waylens.
What will this new technology allow us to do? Well, while we’re cruising down the road, this dashcam will let us record our drive to capture any of the amazing moments we have. But wait, there’s more. A steering wheel remote allows users to bookmark these exciting moments captured, which can then be uploaded through a smartphone app to social media.
Wow, does this mean I can post videos of me driving for all my friends to see and think I’m super cool? Yup.
OK, so I’m not bashing the dashcam completely. It’s a interesting concept and product, honestly. My problem with it is how we humans are going to make a trainwreck out of it. It’s a distraction, and unless you’re a professional race car driver, action movie star or Superman, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have this attached to your car.
Head to Waylens’ website and in their description of the dashcam you’ll see, “You’re a driver, not a cameraman. So, just drive and leave it to the Waylens to capture, manage and store all your best moments behind the wheel.” And while that all seems great, is it necessary?
Ever heard the saying too much of a good thing is a bad thing? Too much technology, especially for us millennials, is going to ruin us. We don’t need all these devices operating in our car. All we should be focusing on is the road and how we’re going to pay for gas.
We can’t even drive without texting, and adding another electronic device to the mix is just going to be even more dangerous. The fact that this dashcam has an option to post videos to social media means that some people — the bold, outlandish and dumb population — are going to try to do some super intense, almost flip-off-the-highway, moves. Because who wouldn’t want to catch something cool on video for all their friends to double tap on Instagram?
While the dashcam will allow us to play back footage in case of an accident and verify details of who hit who, then I agree, it would be handy. Otherwise, I don’t think this product should be marketed to the public.
On the other hand, this new technology could encourage more cautious driving because people will feel like they are being watched and might make them focus more on the road. While that could be true, I see some flaws. People text openly on the road, in front of officers, and don’t wear seat belts. We’re rule breakers who have no fear — this makes the dashcam too much for us to handle. It’s a cool idea. I just don’t think it’s something I’ll be attaching to my Toyota Corolla anytime soon.
Students share opinions around campus
“I don’t see how they could be dangerous… I think having dashboard cameras in all cars would be a good idea, but might make some people’s insurance rates go up.”
“I think it’s a good (thing to have) if you get into an accident… It could make you more careful.”
