The dash cam or ‘dashboard camera’ is becoming increasing more popular in our day to day lives due to its many benefits. It has changed the way a lot of people behave on the roads, making the roads a safer and happier place to be on.
Basically a dash cam is a small camera that is fixed to the dashboard of your car, recording what goes on around you inside and outside the car. It records everything that takes place while you’re on the road, and there are many great reasons for having one.
Initially dash cams were used by service drivers, like taxi drivers, bus drivers, or police officers, but due to how effective and affordable they are, they’re now being used by everyone, for peace of mind when they drive!
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Where did the dash cam come from?
The dash cam, is also known as a dashboard camera, car DVR, driving recorder or event data recorder. Dash cams were originally used by the police, in police vehicles to gather evidence during traffic stops and car chases. Some dash cam systems could be automatically switched on when a police cars emergency lights come on! Police dash cams have been crucial to many arrests, and keeping the road and world a safer place!
Nowadays, police dash cam videos are sent live and stored, in order to avoid cases of tampered recordings, to avoid being accused of police brutality.
GPS incorporated!
Dash cams these days are easily connected with your GPS system, otherwise known as Global Positioning System. This means when connected to the dash cam, it can measure your precise location and speed of travel. By using this information, combined with the video and audio footage, can give a more accurate description of events surrounding any incident. Meaning insurance claims, or even legal cases can be made much clearer. Thanks to the GPS feature, they can also give you speed camera alerts, so if you’re going a bit too fast, you can slow down to avoid being penalised for speeding.
Parking Protection
What a lot of people don’t know is that dash cams also have the function to monitor constantly even while you’re away from your car. This can be useful in situations where other cars might collide with yours while you’re parked. Meaning they might think about leaving the scene after colliding with your car, but you will have the footage. It will also deter people from breaking in or trying to steal your car.
This feature can be engaged when the ignition is turned, off, but usually to save memory, it will only record when it senses movement around it from either a car or pedestrian. Or if senses that the car itself has moved, whether it be from a collision, or by someone tampering with it. It will record to capture as much evidence as possible.
App Enhanced
These days dash cams are all app enhanced, so you can easily control and monitor recordings from your iPhone or Android phone. It can be a bit of a nightmare trying to use your home computer to sort out recordings. With the new technology of dash cams being app enhanced you are able to access your video files immediately and manage your camera settings while you’re on the go! What more could you want!
LCD, High Def, Multi Lens.
With a lot of old recordings I’ve come across, usually on the internet, the footage looks grainy, and it can be hard to make things out. With the rise in popularity of the dash cam, the technology has advanced as well.
You now have LCD screens so you can view your recorded files and navigate menu systems to set up your device easily. This makes the camera much more user-friendly.
The quality of the cameras have also improved massively. With HD lenses, your camera will be able to pick up and identify a lot more. Which can be crucial in catching evidence. This also helps massively when capturing footage at high speeds, or in low lighting.
Another great thing is that the multi, or dual-lens cameras feature a forward facing and rear facing camera, to record the interior of the vehicle, while also monitoring the road ahead. This way you can also monitor what goes on inside the car, which is useful for drivers wishing to monitor passenger activity, or for example keeping your naughty kids from borrowing the car when they’re not supposed to!
The wide angle lenses also allow you to capture a wider image, meaning as much information as possible is captured. this means that any evidence recorded includes activity that occurs not just directly in front of your vehicle, but to the sides as well.
All in all dash cams are a great advance in technology. They are actually the fastest growing consumer electronic, with sales of dash cams rocketing in 2015 by 395%. They are undeniably a great invention, which are definitely seeing the roads become a safer place, and where it can be difficult to obtain evidence, dash cams are ensuring that justice is restored to our roads.