If you are new to dash cams, you may not be familiar with the importance of dash cams. The camera mounted in your car is usually used for security purposes or recording moments in case of a collision and accident. Furthermore, it can also help protect your vehicle and its occupants from legal liability when it comes to these awkward situations. Although we never plan for bad things to occur, accidents do happen. You may not think of a dash cam now, but when the time comes and you are caught up in an accident, you will be wishing you had one installed. For many, installing a dash cam may not seem to be a necessity because they consider themselves a safe driver, however, this does not protect you from others driving into you.
When you are driving, your car is all yours. However, if you are an unlucky driver and you get into a collision, it may be possible for a person to blame you for the collision. Therefore, the best way to protect yourself from all this is to have something recording what happens in case of an accident. This process can be done in two ways: first by keeping the dash cam on you at all times or second by having it mounted on your car. There is no appropriate way of doing this, but this post provides the best places to install dash cams in case of an accident.
Advantages to having a dash cam professionally installed
Concrete Evidence
The majority of dash cams begin recording as soon as you turn the ignition on and provide video footage in the event of an accident, given that is hardwired to your car.
Dash cameras are also very useful in cases where the only available evidence is “he said, she said” testimony. The dash camera film will put the disputes to rest and offer thorough proof that can help an insurance company or a judge determine who was at fault.
Undeniably, the most effective tool you may use to defend yourself in the event of a car accident is dash cam footage.
Catch Crime & Reckless Drivers
All of us have seen a lot of crazy things on our roadways, but we can never prove it since, as always, we never have the proof!
As more instances of recorded footage are discovered on a dash cam’s SD card, reporting reckless driving is more common nowadays with dash cam footage.
These drivers are not only careless and negligent, but they also endanger innocent motorists and create a scene of mayhem on our roadways.
In order to deal with people breaking the law and conducting unlawful crimes, it’s helpful to record and bring information about irresponsible and incoherent drivers to the authorities. After all, our roadways should always be safe and convenient to drive on.
Extract More Than Just Footage
Dash cameras have undoubtedly improved over time. Originally designed as a camera to simply record video, there are now data points that can even be extracted to help move a case forward.
Depending on the circumstances, recording audio is also a terrific feature a dash cam is capable of doing. No doubt a dash cam would simply record it if a situation arose and an audio was needed as evidence.
Generally speaking, GPS technology is included in dash cameras. This would make it easier to track the location and speed. Naturally, all the information will be recorded and kept in a database for future reference.
Types of Dash Cams
First of all, you need to understand what type of dash cam you have and what sort of purpose you wish it to serve before deciding where to place it. For starters, you can have the option to select between a single, dual and 3 channel dash cam, which can also be referred to as your front and rear dash camera. This will often translate to
1) Front Dash Camera
2) Rear Dash Camera
3) Front and Rear Dash Camera
4) Front, Rear and Interior Dash Camera
Where Should The Dash Cam Be Placed?
Now depending on what sort of dash camera you have based on the previous section, hopefully this section here will provide you further insight onto some of the popular areas to install your dash camera.
- The front windshield
The first aspect that you might remember when you decide to buy a dash cam is where it should be mounted. The most common places are the rear-view mirror or the windshield. If you want to enjoy a complete picture of what is happening outside, mounting it in your front window is the best option. This is a popular option for those with a single-channel dash camera who wish to see where they are driving and what is happening in front of them.
We believe that the dash cams mounted on your windshield are very useful as they provide an unobstructed view of everything happening in front of your vehicle, great for those long trips. Whether you are on a road trip to the snows or simply want a front-on shot of the scenery in front of you for some marketing material as a social media influencer, the choice is yours with the landscape shot.
- The rear window
Similar to the front windshield dash cam installation, the rear window is also another popular option, especially those who opt for the Dual Channel edition, which also happens to be the most commonly installed setup. Applying it to the rear window allows you to capture what is behind the car, in the case of rear-end accidents which occur quite frequently on the road. At least by having 2 sets of eyes for both the front and rear, you are in a good position to capture any unexpected events.
- Inside Your Car
If you have a 3-channel dash camera, then we would highly recommend the 3rd camera be set up inside your car, to give allow full visibility of the car interior. This is particularly an excellent option for those who are involved in share-riding, carpooling or taxi services where there are passengers in the car. You would have most likely read it over the internet or heard on the news of various assaults and theft charges occurring whilst driving passengers. Installing a dash camera inside would allow you to extract footage to ensure that your interior surveillance is well monitored. For many, driving other passengers is the only source of income and employment, installing an interior camera would be a worthy investment, especially if you are considering a BlackVue dash camera, which is amongst the best out there.
Thinking about installing a dash camera for your car?
If you are serious about keeping yourself, your passengers, and your car safe at all times with a dash camera installation, then you must consult a professional to have it installed. Although, some budget dash cameras do offer a connection to the cigarette lighter, offering a hard-wired setup will allow you to:
a) Free up your cigarette lighter for other things such as your phone charger cable
b) Hide and tuck away wires, which not only make your car look messy, but can distract your driver’s vision
c) Allow you to record even when the car is off. Let’s face it, the majority of car theft would occur when there is no one in the car. Who is looking after your car while you are gone?
David B.
Automotive Tech Expert
Car Care Advice For The Everyday Driver & Enthusiast
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