

It is also worth remembering that even electric cars with their huge power packs also have a conventional 12V battery, and it is this that powers the dash cam, not the main battery used to drive the car. Most dash cams are smart enough not to drain the 12V battery too much, and will shut down before your car is in danger of not starting. Read more: 12 best compact cameras for the perfect shot every time

This setup keeps the system alert and ready to start recording the moment an impact is detected.

This means the dash cam can use its parking mode, which draws a very small amount of power from the battery, even while the car is switched off. Often requiring an additional cable sold separately, this sees the camera connected to the fuse box of your car, from which it receives a constant source of power from the 12V battery. Some can also work with a USB port, although in some vehicles these don’t deliver enough power for the dash cam’s needs.Īnother option offered by most systems is hardwiring.
TOP DASH CAM 2021 DRIVERS
The latter can be useful for taxi drivers with a need to keep tabs on unruly late-night passengers.Īlmost all dash cams can be plugged into the 12V lighter socket of your car. Some systems include a rear-facing camera for recording behind your car, and others even have a camera pointing into the interior. Key differentiators include the video resolution of the dash cam, how wide the lens is, whether GPS is integrated (for adding location and speed data to recordings), and how many cameras are included. But naturally, when you start looking at systems that combine a dash cam and satellite navigation system in one device, that figure gradually begins to climb, with some cams coming in at over £400.
TOP DASH CAM 2021 DRIVER
But when you start investigating beyond the surface, some offer features like Alexa voice control, driver assistance technology, warnings about potential danger, and even navigation.Īs for those varying price points we mentioned, some dash cams start at well under £100. The dash cam market has grown significantly in recent years, and there’s now a broad range of devices on the market from several manufacturers – and yes, they’re all at various price points.įundamentally, they all do the same thing: automatically save footage when a collision is detected.
