Dash Cams - Popularity and sales climb in the US

You're driving a brand new rental car along the California Coast on the first day of your vacation.  The sky is blue and the sun is climbing, when, out of no where, an old truck decides to pass you.  In an effort to pass quickly, he sideswipes your car and you both stop along the side of the road.  Before you can get out of the car, the owner of the truck is shouting at you, blaming you for swerving into his lane while he was passing.  You stay calm and relaxed, hear him out and then let him know that your new dash cam was on and we'll all watch the video with the police officer when he arrives.  Cha ching, your new $199 dash cam just paid for itself during the first week.  Dash cam sales have grown 10-20% in the US over the past few years.  Here are a few of the "must have" options to look for if you're in the market for HD car cams:


  • High Definition Video - The higher the image quality, the easier it will be to see important details, such as license plate numbers, facial features, car colors.. 1080p and higher.
  • Low-Light Capability - Many accidents / incidents happen at night.  You don't want to lose important details due to dark videos, many models have low-light / night vision modes.
  • Ample Storage - Having a large storage card will increase chances that your HD car cam will preserve the footage you need, even if you didn't think to save until hours after the incident.  Look for a 32GB card or larger.
  • Longer Loop Time -  Memory cards don't have infinite space, it records in sections called loops, which are small video clips.  Look for a 3 to 5 minute long loop file.  
  • Motion Detector - This turns the unit on automatically when there is movement or the car is impacted while parked.  This is a great feature if you do a lot of street parking.  
HD car cams are a great inexpensive way to capture landscape footage while driving, accident footage for your insurance company and security footage while parked along the street.  Enjoy and record your adventures!

Comments