It is an unsaid rule on Indian roads in case of a mishap that the fault always lies with the one driving
the bigger vehicle. Without realising, we all assume that a cyclist can make no mistake while crossing
the road, and the person driving an SUV must be driving rash. In such cases, things might not always
go in your favour, and this is exactly why you need proof of your innocence. It is human tendency to
blame the other person in case of an accident without accepting your own mistake. In such
scenarios, wouldn’t it be nice to record whatever happens in front of (or around) your car? Having a
dashcam in your car is a piece of technology that does just that. It is your proof of innocence (or
guilt) if you ever find yourself in an unwarranted situation such as an accident in India. Or anywhere
on this planet.
What is a dashcam in a car?
The word dashcam is a shorter version of ‘dashboard camera’, and it is exactly what the name
implies. These are cameras specifically made keeping cars in mind. A dashcam is, usually, mounted
on the dashboard of a car and records everything that happens in front of your vehicle. Usually, a
dashcam is connected directly to your car’s battery and it starts recording the moment you switch
on your vehicle. A regular dashcam records the video, and then saves it on an SD card.
Depending on the capability of your dashcam, the video can also be saved directly to your phone or
on a cloud that you can access via the Internet. Nowadays, there are dashcams with two lenses as
well. These dashcams record not just what’s happening in front of your car, but also what’s
happening inside the car. Basically, any device that has a lens (or more than one lens), and can
record videos can act as a dashcam.
How does the car dashcam work?
There are different ways to answer this question. It takes power from a power source, it records
videos, and it saves it somewhere. This is the basic premise. It is just a camera recording what is
happening in front of your car; either stationary or moving. If the battery source is unlimited, it’s
better. If it is not, then it might die soon while you are busy driving. This is why it is not a smart
decision to use your phone, or your action camera, as a dashcam as they need to be constantly
monitored for their battery and storage abilities. Usually, if the storage space on your memory
device can’t accommodate it anymore, it deletes the oldest video and makes space for the new one.
This also depends on the video quality and the resolution. The better the video quality or the
resolution, the more space it takes, and more chances of your SD card becoming full.
But you also need to have enough clarity to see things bright and clear. So, choose wisely where you
want to draw the line between quality and space (in your SD card). Generally, if your dashcam
records at a video quality of 1080p, an 8 GB SD card will store up to 55 minutes of video, and it will
exactly double if your memory card has a space of 16 GB, and so on.
What are the advantages of a car dashcam in India?
Quite a few, if you ask us. Firstly, in an unwarranted situation, no one wants to accept that they
made a mistake. In this case, if a mishap occurs, the other person will always (most likely) accuse you
of the wrongdoing instead of accepting his/her own fault. In such cases, you will have proof to show
to the authorities to determine if it was you or the other person who was in the wrong. Reckless
driving is one of the most common things to be seen on our roads, and a dashcam can help you
prove your innocence in an unwanted situation.
Another benefit of a dashcam in India is avoiding false allegations by the traffic police. This will help
you prove if you actually jumped the traffic signal or if it was green before you crossed the line. You
can always go back to your dashcam footage from time to time to analyse and evaluate your driving
skills. If there was something you could have done in a better way to make your drive smoother or
hassle free. Insurance claims can turn into nightmare in certain cases when the insurer denies the
claim by giving some absurd reason. A dashcam footage will make sure that you have all the bases
covered when it comes to claiming yours or your car’s insurance.
Last but not the least, a dashcam will also let you record some unforgettable incidents that you
might encounter on your way to your weekend destination/office/market/or anywhere in general. It
can be a beautiful sunset, a funny moment, or a skilled manoeuvre that might get you millions of
views on social media.
What are the different types of dashcams in India?
There are more than one way to categorise dashcams. We would like to stick to the most important
aspect – the number of lenses. If your dashcam has a single lens and if it faces the road ahead, it will
be recording just that. If it has two lenses (one for each side), then you record both – the front of
your car and also the inside. These days, you also have 360-degree dashcams. As the name suggests,
this camera will record EVERYTHING around it. From the front of your car to the sides to the rear to
the inside, if it is in a clear range of sight, it is being recorded. A 360-degree camera makes much
more sense than the usual single or two lens cameras, but also costs a lot more than the others.
These cameras also make videos that take a lot of storage space because of the additional
information they have in their videos.
Then there are cameras that can be segregated depending on the video quality. If the quality of your
dashcam footage is so poor that you cannot differentiate between a Ferrari and a Mahindra, the
video is of no use. Most of the dashcams start with video quality of 720p and go up to 2160p (4K).
The better the video quality, the more space it takes. Another issue that you might have to deal with
is the manner in which a video is saved. If you like to hoard your videos, then find a dashcam that
saves the videos on a cloud somewhere in the web world. If your dashcam saves videos on a
memory card, it will delete the old videos when the memory card is full. To avoid this situation,
either save a backup on a regular basis or find a dashcam that has Internet connectivity and can save
your videos on a remote server.
Summary
Having a dashcam in your car is like owning a mobile phone. It is not mandatory to have one, but it
will surely make your life easy if you have it. Just like mobile phones, the basic ones start at a
nominal cost, and others cost a fortune if you want nothing but the best money can buy. It is a
convenient tool to have as you navigate through city traffic or on highways where the risk factor
increases significantly. On many occasions, you might be thousands of kilometres away from home
and the law of the land might not work in your favour. This is when having a dashcam might prove to
be the most effective purchase of your life. Road rage, reckless driving, being fined for a mistake you
didn’t commit are some of the most common instances we all witness on a regular basis. If push
comes to shove and you need to prove something you did, or did not do, a dashcam can come
handy.
FAQs about what is a dashcam in car
Q: What does a dashcam do?
A dashcam records things happening in front (or rear) of your car. It is a video camera that records and saves videos of areas depending on where it is placed.
Q: Is it a good idea to have a dashcam?
Yes, it is always a good idea to have a dashcam in your car. It can be your saviour in a difficult situation. Over 1.5 lakh people died due to accidents in India in 2022. These are the figures that are registered, there are thousands of cases that never get registered on a regular basis. In the court of law, the dashcam footage can be your proof of innocence in a situation that you had no control over.
Q: Is it worth buying a dashboard camera for my car?
Absolutely! It is certainly worth the money and the effort. If you do not want to buy the 4K camera, you can always go for the basic ones that have a good enough resolution without the audio recording. If you get falsely accused by someone who ran into your car driving (or riding) in the wrong lane of the road, having a dashboard camera can prove that you are not at fault.
Q: Should I buy a rear camera for my car?
Having a rear camera is a good idea as well. It will do the same thing as a dashcam, and also help you park your car more effectively. It also helps you eliminate the blind spots while parking or navigating through a tight spot. In case, someone rams your car from behind, it will be your proof of innocence.
Q: What are the different dashcams available in India?
Thanks to the various online marketplaces available at our fingertips, there are a lot of options to choose from. When looking at the ratings and the prices of various dashcams, Qubo Car Dash Camera Pro, DDPAI Mini, NEXDIGITRON A3, Vantrue N2 Pro, REDTIGER F7N, 70mai Pro Plus+ A500S, WOLFBOX, Hikvision, Kent CamEye are some of names that are worth considering. There are dashcams with prices starting around Rs. 2,500, and then there dashcams that cost over Rs. 70,000. As we said earlier, it is similar to buying a mobile phone. There are thousands of models to choose from in every price bracket.
