Q: How do I use a dashcam?
A: Once you have purchased a dashcam (preferably from The Dashcam Store smiley face ), in most cases this is all you need to do to be up and running:
- Insert a memory card.
- Attach the suction-cup mount to your windshield.
- Plug the power cord into the power source (cigarette lighter or other).
Q: What are they good for?
A: Dashcams have many applications, but most importantly, they act as an impartial witness in case of an accident. Sadly, there are dishonest people in the world, and a dashcam provides irrefutable evidence of what happened before, during, and after an incident. No more “your word against theirs” – rest assured you will always have the truth on your side.
Many dashcam models provide GPS data logging as well. These camera units, along with the video, will provide a record of your position and speed at all times. This information, again, proves the facts such as your whereabouts at a particular time, and can also be used to prove (or perhaps more importantly: disprove) your speed. This GPS data can be overlaid on a Google-type map during video playback on your home computer.
Q: What else are dashcams good for?
A: You have undoubtedly watched footage recorded on a dashcam at some point on the news or on the internet. Remember the Russian meteorite event? Since dashcams are always recording, they capture amazing, interesting, or even just plain funny events that occur every day around the world. Check out our videos page for examples.
Dashcam footage can help others as well. If you capture an accident on film, it is almost certain that the other drivers will be happy to know you (and your dashcam) were there as witness. We’ve seen plenty of clips like this on YouTube, including some hit-and-run incidents where only the dashcam saw what really occurred, and the innocent victim would be left to pay the bill if not for the license plate captured by someone else’s dashcam.
Q: Who uses dashcams?
A: The majority of all police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, city buses, etc., already use dashcams. Increasingly, individuals concerned with false liability claims and protecting themselves in the case of an accident are utilizing the protection offered by on-board video recorders. This includes every day drivers like you, parents, truckers and 18-wheeler drivers, etc.
Fleet owners and contract drivers as well can benefit greatly from having a video (and position) data from their fleet vehicles when they are out in service for the day.
Almost every driver should be using a dashcam! More and more drivers every day agree with this statement and join the group of those who are “protected by dashcam”.
Q: Where do dashcams get their power?
A; All dashcams come with a power cord that plugs into the 12v cigarette lighter outlet in your car.
Q: How do they work?
A: You can’t explain that! Just kidding. Dashcams record video to a removable memory card inside the camera itself. Any time your car is on and the dashcam is plugged in, it is acting as your backup witness. Dashcams automatically start recording when they are powered on, and stop recording once you turn your car off. Note: Some dashcam models have the ability to keep recording even while the vehicle is parked! This is known as “parking mode”.
Q: Anything else?
A: Yes! Many dashcam models provide GPS data logging as well. These camera units, along with the video, will provide a record of your position and speed at all times. This information, again, proves the facts such as your whereabouts at a particular time, and can also be used to prove (or perhaps more importantly: disprove) your speed. This GPS data can be overlaid on a Google-type map during video playback on your home computer.
Q: Is it legal to use a dashcam?
A: Yes.
