As a driver, you want to monitor as much as you can while you’re driving. But nobody can see everything at once, or accurately remember what they do see. There are times when you need to go back over footage to review something you may have missed. For example, in the event of an accident, eye-witness reports may not always be reliable.
If that’s the case, it’s nice to have a dash cam recording that will show the actual events as they took place.
Having a dashboard camera provides security for your vehicle and protection in the event of a mishap. These cameras capture everything that goes on in front of you.
With an equipped microphone, not only can you keep track of what’s going on visually, but you’ll also have audio recordings if you need to play back a conversation that occurred.
The dash cam gets its power through batteries or directly from your car. When you turn on your vehicle, the cam starts recording. Most of these devices are designed so that they don’t require much interaction from your end.
So we understand what they’re good for, but how does a dash cam work?
To get a solid understanding of how these devices operate, we’ll take a look at three key categories:
- How dash cams operate
- How dash cams manage data
- How dash cams use data
How Dash Cams Operate
Dash cams normally face forward, toward the front of your vehicle. However, there are some drivers who prefer to have their dash cam face inside the vehicle. Professional drivers, like truckers, capture everything from both the front and rear-view angles.
When you start your vehicle, your dashboard cam starts recording automatically. No need to mess with a record button or anything else. Just turn on your ignition and let the dash cam take care of the rest.
How Dash Cams Manage Data
Most of today’s dash cam devices record and save the video footage on an external media format, such as a flash drive or SD card. The challenge here is that these types of devices can only hold so much data before they run out of storage space. Once the storage is full, the dash cam begins recording new data over top of the oldest data, destroying the old video forever.
If you want to save specific footage, you’ll need to download it so you have access to it when you need it. If you don’t want to worry about remembering to download your data, wi-fi enabled dash cams can upload footage automatically to a remote location. Most dash cams also lock a certain timeframe of video when they detect a collision, ensuring it doesn’t get erased accidentally.
How Dash Cams Use Data
There are many uses for the data stored in your dash cam. The video can be used to prove fault in an accident, to monitor driving habits of teens or fleet drivers, or even to record the scenery from your cross-country driving vacation.
Dash cams also provide protection. If you’re involved in an accident and litigation is brought against you, having a recording of the accident could save you. A recording is going to be much more effective than any other evidence you can provide.
If you think you need a little more protection while you’re out driving, you might think about purchasing a dash cam. They can be very handy if the unexpected occurs.
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