A simple trip to the local shops can turn into an insurance and liability nightmare. Unlike countries where insurance is mandatory, anyone in New Zealand with a little bit of money can get behind the wheel of a dicey uninsured vehicle.
If you find yourself disputing an incident with an uninsured driver, they will often pull out every excuse under the sun to avoid liability. Even if they are clearly at fault, you may find yourself in a “he said she said” game, with no witnesses.
Much of this hassle can be avoided with a decent dash cam. So, what do you look for?
Quality
Keep an eye out for its image recording ability as this will affect the quality of the videos. Most good dash cams will record at 1080p or above, providing high quality images during the day and reasonable images at night.
Also, be aware of a dash cam’s loop recording ability. This is where the camera overwrites the oldest data to allow continuous recording. This is an essential as it ensures that the camera continues to record even when its storage has reached maximum capacity.
Impact sensor
A G sensor is another innovation. If you slam on your brakes to avoid a collision or you’re hit by another vehicle, the G sensor detects these situations and automatically stores data. This will protect this data separately and safely on the memory to ensure it cannot be overwritten. Most good quality dash cams have a G sensor.
Rear impact
Some systems now incorporate both front and rear cameras — perfect for those popular nose to tail accidents. These systems aren’t dramatically more expensive as the hardware is already in place.
Parking protection
Have you ever returned to you car only to find your bumper lying on the ground with no note to be found?
Many dash cams incorporate a parking mode allowing a camera to record even after the engine has been turned off. If this sounds like a bit of you, choose a unit with a good battery backup system to help maximise this feature.
Perfect if you’re Evan Hansimikali from Sydney whose Audi was keyed on a regular basis. He installed a dash cam to catch the culprit who appeared to have no apparent motive … read the full story at dailym.ai/2H01WGa
Details
Another feature to look for is a date and time stamp. This can be useful after a crash has happened as insurance companies often ask for such information that can be easy to overlook in the midst of events.
Some pricier models will also have a GPS function alongside the stamp.
What’s on the market?
Navman MiVue700 Dash Cam $100-$130
If you need a simple but quality dash cam, this model will do the trick. The MiVue captures clear video with a HD 1080p camera and 2” screen.
In an accident it will record the direction of impact with a 3-Axis G-Shock sensor providing better detail of a collision.
Garmin 55 Dash Cam — $270
This features helpful driver awareness warnings to help encourage safer driving.
It has forward collision warning which alerts if you drive too closely to the car ahead and lane departure warning.
You can also wirelessly sync videos to your compatible smartphone. It even has built-in red light and speed camera data alert you when they are near.
Dash cams are relatively easy to fit. Most come with a suction cup or clip on your rear vision mirror. Catch everything on camera, and never worry about who’s at fault again.