Dashboard cameras
A round-up of the latest dash cams for capturing your car journeys
You’ve probably seen videos of car crashes and near-misses recorded on dashboard cameras. We’re fortunate in the UK to have relatively safe roads, but in some countries with less effective driver and traffic regulation, almost everyone uses them, partly because of concerns about accidents faked by fraudsters. Similar cases exist here, and increasing numbers of motorists are seriously considering adding cameras to their cars.
Unlike satnavs, dash cams don’t face stiff competition from smartphones. While many of us have ‘gone down that route’ for navigation, it’s less practical to set up your phone as a dash cam, and trickier still to make it do both at the same time. Although phone apps are available, insurance companies that offer a discount to dash-cam users are unlikely to count using your phone. Some have a list of approved models, while others allow any camera that’s ‘permanently fitted’. Most come with a sucker attachment for your windscreen, from which the camera can be unclipped for safekeeping.
Dash cams have various features, but all record constantly to a memory card, from which you can later move video to a PC or, if the camera has Wi-fi, a mobile app. The most important thing is a clear, sharp picture, from which you can identify faces or number plates later.
There are a few legal considerations. You mustn’t have a screen displaying live video in your line of vision, so a common suggestion is to mount the dash cam behind the rear-view mirror. This will mean running the camera’s 12V power cable around your windscreen from the cigarette lighter socket (unless you pay extra to have it wired in). You’re allowed to operate the camera’s controls only when parked. Like any CCTV camera, dash cams are governed by data protection law, and you mustn’t misuse them to invade anyone’s privacy. In some countries it’s illegal to use dash cams, so check before taking your car abroad (check at www. snipca.com/28486) Finally, remember recording cuts both ways: if something happens that you’d prefer to forget, deleting your footage could be an offence of tampering with evidence.
If you spot someone driving dangerously, you can submit video to a website run by Nextbase, maker of our top-rated dash cam, with the cooperation of the police. The website is at www.snipca.com/28476.