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Have you been in an accident recently or have you witnessed an accident? Were the responsible parties actually found responsible? You do not want to take a chance with the legal system. You need to consider getting a dash cam!
Why you Need a Dash cam!
The main reason you need a dash cam is to protect yourself and possibly others from financial liabilities or even jail time.
Sure you can use it for many things like recording your vacation trip and even taking pictures, but the best benefit is peace of mind.
I decided to get my first dash cam a few years ago after my vehicle was backed in to. Luckily the lady stopped and took responsibility but that is not always the case!
There are insurance fraud cases where people will pull out in front of you and stop just so you can rear end them and in most states, who ever does the rear ending is going to be at fault.
If you are a bad driver, you might not want to get a dash cam. because it could actually be used against you in court.
How do Dash Cams work?
So there are some different features with dash cams but they all generally do the same thing.
The best feature I have found with them is loop recording, I will go into more detail with that later.
I have not noticed any difference with cams that mention night vision or night time use, the video it still not the best at night time. Don’t waste your money on buying a more expensive camera just because it says its good for night driving.
Most do come with a G force sensor meaning that if the car is hit then it’ll lock that specific video file that way it won’t be recorded over.
Some come with window suction cups that allow for easy install on the windshield and others come in different mounts. I prefer the suction cup mounts, they are so much easier!
When you get the Dash cam out of the box, you will need to insert the Micro SD card if it came with one, or you’ll just have to buy one. Be sure to check the specs on the dash cam to verify what size and class SD card to get.
When mounting your dash cam, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t obstruct your view. Also it is best to always double check with your local and state regulations regarding electronic devices and obstructions.
I have found that mounting it behind the rear view mirror to be the optimal spot for my set up.
You will need to check with the manual that came with the camera to be able to determine how to get everything configured.
I have mine set up to record in 3 minute video lengths, plus I have mine set up for the loop recording.
Will a dash cam drain my battery?
If you leave it plugged in and it stays on then yes, eventually it could drain your battery. I have never had this issue before and I never take the cam out of the vehicle unless I’m taking it inside to get the footage off.
It is not a wonderful idea to leave a dash cam plugged in and running when the vehicle is not on and the sun is beaming down on the cam, it can get VERY HOT! In some cases it can actually cause a fire or explode.
What is Loop Recording?
Loop recording is a feature that is a must have! What it does is when this mode is selected, it just keeps recording, it doesn’t stop unless its turned off.
As I had mentioned earlier about the different video lengths, you should keep them as short as possible. Nothing sucks more than having to go through 7 minute clips to see which one you need.
The way most cams work in this setting is that once the memory card is full, it will start to record over the oldest clips that aren’t locked. That way you never have to worry about the card getting full and always having to waste time deleting it.
Will a Dash Cam lower my insurance?
It very well could. You will want to check with your insurance provider about what discounts you can receive and what additional steps you can do to save more money on your insurance.
Every insurance company is different so I can’t say that it will lower you insurance, seeing as how some companies don’t offer that.
What Dash Cam do I use?
I use the Bototek dash cam, I bought one a few years ago and I was impressed at the quality of video for the price. So I bought another one right before I went out on the road again.
I don’t think they make them anymore because I can’t find any new ones for sale anymore but I did find one similar in price.
The instructions can be hard to understand and to be honest I often forget how to do certain things with it, but then again, it’s not like I change the setting everyday. I have it set to loop record.
I had to turn off the G-Force recording because I go over some rough roads and the big bumps will sometimes lock that clip and it won’t record over it.
I have the biggest card that it will take and it holds footage anywhere from 8 hours to 13 or more.
I have it on constantly in the truck. I have not had any issues with either cam. It is quite the investment! It has already saved me $500 just from the rental car incident.
Check out this video I put together of the cam footage!