There was a time when dashcams were used by petrol heads, tv cops and professional racers. Now, they are becoming increasingly popular. Dashcams are a good way of protecting yourself on the road; dash cams have saved a driver from unwarranted blame for road traffic collisions countless times.
What’s more, many insurance companies offer discounts on their premiums if you have a company-approved dashcam installed. But before you dash out to buy a dashcam, it’s worth knowing which features are available. Reading our tips on buying a dashcam could help to save you time and money.
1. Looping
All owners of digital equipment will know how irritating, not to mention time consuming, it is to delete old, unwanted footage in order to avoid data shortage issues. Looping capability eliminates the problem of running out of storage by splitting a trip’s video into chunks of 1-3 minutes. When the chunks of time have elapsed without incident, your dashcam will automatically film over old footage, so that you don’t have to delete it.
2. The G-Force Sensors
Dashcams with G-force sensors can automatically detect if you have been in a collision and will save the footage. If you want to save footage and there hasn’t been a dramatic change in speed, you can manually save a segment, too.
3. Screen Switching
Having a dashcam can be a great idea and at Trust A Garage, we can imagine a time when they could become a legal requirement. However, it is against the law to have a video-playing device in a vehicle while you are driving. This is where dashcams differ from other digital filming devices – you can switch off the viewing screen while you are driving.
4. Hard Wiring
Hard wiring your dashcam may not be at the top of your list of priorities, but it can be helpful. Most dashcams are powered by a 12v power socket, but this is unlikely to work when your engine is off. By hardwiring your dashcam, it can feed straight off the fuse box. This makes your vehicle neater, but also means that, if you have parked or motion sensors on your dashcam, it will continue recording in the event that your vehicle is knocked when stationary or burgled.
5. Image Quality
Before you splash out on a dash cam, find out how effective it is, both day and night. If you are getting a dashcam to protect you in the event of an RTC, you need to make sure that the footage is reliable in all conditions. Infrared or night vision models often fail to provide footage of a good enough standard – so check before you buy. If you want to ensure great quality, look for a dashcam that records in 2560 x 1080p.
There is no doubt that dashcams can protect you from RTC scams and false blame for collisions, but there is no substitute for careful driving and conscientious vehicle maintenance. If you do own a dashcam, let us know what you think or share your footage on Facebook or Twitter.