Many of us have seen dashboard camera video on social media, and usually it shows something hilarious, frightening, or both. But dash cams are about much more than impressing your friends. For liability and prosecution protection, all drivers should consider a dash cam.
Most dashboard cameras simply record the view through the car’s windshield. They have a fixed amount of digital storage and when the storage is full, they recycle their memory by overwriting the oldest files. More advanced dash cameras include additional features like GPS tagging to show the exact location, date, and time of each recording.
Check your state laws before you install a dash camera. In most jurisdictions, you can legally cover only a five-inch square area of windshield on the driver’s side, and up to a seven-inch square on the passenger side. Most modern dash cameras are a lot smaller than that, and offer a wide-angle view of the road ahead.
Installing and Using a Dash Camera
To test a modern dash camera, we obtained a Cobra SC100. This is a small camera, about the size of a lipstick, and it retails for $129.95. The camera comes in two pieces: a GPS unit that sticks to the inside of your windshield, and the camera itself. The two stick together with magnets, so it's easy to remove the camera to retrieve the Micro-SD card inside. It's also easy to mount the camera up high on your windshield, on the passenger side. The camera comes on automatically when you start your car.
The SC100 is designed to be plugged in to your car's 12V power source. I don't like having wires run around my car, but the included cable is long enough to run around the perimeter of the car’s cabin. You can also invest in a hardwire kit, which powers the camera through your vehicle's accessory fuses. Many aftermarket automotive electronics shops can perform a clean hardwired installation.
How it works
The SC100 we tested creates a new file every minute, and if you press the button on the end of the camera, it saves that minute’s recording so it won’t be overwritten. Every recording is GPS-tagged, and the recordings also include any sounds inside your car. You can download recordings with a Micro-SD card reader on your computer.
Additionally, the SC100 has a companion app to communicate with your smartphone. Using the app, you can download recordings, send a Mayday alert in the event of an accident. The camera also has an on-board battery to activate itself when motion is detected around your parked car for greater security. More elaborate camera systems may add rear-facing cameras in the back window, grille-mounted cameras, night vision, and more. Some even include their own display screens.
Drivers around the world now rely on dashboard cameras for legal assistance, and just to record what they see as they drive. If you have not seen the state of technology with these devices lately, maybe it's time to take a fresh look. Find out more at www.cobra.com.