Why Dash Cams?
Our daily driving experiences are riddled with lots of incidents and accidents. This blog seeks to present the benefits and uses of this silent witness on our roads. But why dash cams, and what are they?
What are Dash Cams?
Dash Cam is the short form for Dashboard camera. This is a small camera that traditionally attaches to a car’s wind shield or on top of the dashboard. It records real-time video footage for the road ahead and stores it in a memory card for future reference. Some dashboard cameras also record both audio and video footage.
What are the options?
Front-facing or 1-channel dash cams
Dual-facing or 2-channel dash cams
Multichannel dashboard cameras
These are some of the most common car cameras. Some dashcams have a built-in display screen, while others don’t have one. Different car dashcam manufacturers have invested heavily in various system integrations. Global positioning systems (GPS) for real-time car location, and artificial intelligence (AI) for driver monitoring systems (DMS) are some of the successful integrations.
The silent witness on the road
There are several types of dash cams, and they are classified according to installed features and varied specifications. They range from the most basic plug-and-play units to the more advanced high-end ones. Some store the data and audio footage in memory cards, so you can retrieve them later on your desktop or laptop, while others are Wi-Fi enabled. The high-end dashcams are mostly cloud-based and allow for remote viewing and download of video/audio footage over the air.
Common Dash Cams features
Dash cams have basic features that cut across all types and models, to enable them to deliver on their mandate seamlessly. The most common dash cam basic features are;
- Power on/off: This is the most basic feature of all dash cams. It allows the dash cam to automatically switch on and start recording when the car’s ignition is on. You don’t need to click any switch on the camera.
- Storage: Video and audio recordings are stored in an SD card that fits in a slot in the dash cam. This ensures that your data is safe for future reference. Camera manufacturers recommend a class-10 card for good functionality.
- Loop recording: A dash cam should be able to record new footage and erase the old clips automatically. This creates storage space for new clips without having to remove the SD card for manual formatting.
- Parking mode: Car park incidents and accidents are common in public parking lots. This functionality lets your camera capture these occurrences. A camera should perform this task even when the car is off.
- Secure mounting: The force of impact during an accident, or the general vibration of a car, requires firm installations. A firmly attached dash cam will endure all these elements without suffering damage or constantly falling off.
- Night vision: This is low-light vision. Night vision functionality allows the camera to record clear video footage even in low-lit areas.
- Audio recording: Any dash cam worth its name should effortlessly and simultaneously capture video and audio footage. The sights and sounds give you a clear picture of what really happened in an incident or accident.
- Motion and impact detection: Dash cam manufacturers achieve this by the integration of G-sensors for impact detection, and motion sensors for motion detection. This makes your dash cam the silent witness even when you park your car.
Final Note on Dash Cams
Car dash cams are the ever-present and unbiased sentries over your vehicle when it’s in the car park. They are the ever-watchful and unblinking eyes when you are on the road. The factual and silent witnesses in every incident or accident.