Top 5 In Car Accident Cameras In The UK

Whenever you step inside a vehicle, there is always the potential for something to go wrong. In the odd-occasions where this does happen, you have an insurance company to bail you out, depending on who is the cause for the accident. A lot of the time, it’s all word-and-mouth on who is to blame for the incident, which could involve your insurance premiums to go up, even if you had nothing to do with the accident. To prevent this, you can purchase yourself a handy, little device known as a dash cam, which will give you visual evidence if anything ever does happen that is out of your control.

Compiled together in one quick and handy list is 5 different dash cams’, so you can see some of the best products out on the market for the moment without breaking the bank too much on them.

Transcend 16 GB DrivePro 200 Review - Our Number 1

Transcend are a company and manufacturer that are known for their car-related recording equipment and has a number of useful features that you would want out of a product like The DrivePro 200.

Some of those features are:

• The dash cam recorder comes with a bright, 2.4-inch colour LCD screen that makes viewing either on playback or in real-time a simple feat.
• This product produces 1080P recordings at 30FPS, which for this type of usage is more than what you’ll need for a clean and concise picture.
• In place on the product is a G-Sensor motion detected that detects when the user receives some form of an impact and is designed to almost instantly protect the current recording without it turning off or being damaged in the impact.
• The lens inside the product is what you would call a wide-angle lens; something that allows for a 160° angle on the road, giving you a wide viewing recording.

The Transcend 16GB DrivePro 200 is easily one of the best, reliable, and somewhat inexpensive dash cams that you can buy on today’s current market. The crisp, clear video is what you’re after and with this product that’s exactly what you’re getting.

Summary:

Features – 1080P recordings at 30FPS, 160° angle (on-road), G-sensor

Pricing – Mid range

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Nextbase 312GW Review - Number 2

Nextbase are in the business of manufacturing and selling their own dash cams and are the number one seller of dash cams in the UK. With this sort of pedigree come a number of helpful features for both the new and experienced drivers around.

A few of these features are:

• This product comes with built-in Wi-Fi for you and can easily be hooked up to your smartphone to allow you to share the recording with whoever you may need to; be that the insurers of your vehicle or if necessary, the police.
• Inside the product is a GPS system that gives you the option to track along your journey and demonstrate exactly where an accident/incident that you’ve been involved in has taken place, as well as the speed it occurred at.
• Recordings from this dash cam uses a crisp and clear 1080P HD recording of the events that follow, all while doing so at a 140° angle. That is to make sure you have more than enough of the road in view to prove what you need to in the case of an incident.
• Another useful feature of the product is the auto-file crash protection that is included. No matter the severity of the incident, the files will be safe and sound for you to use and take to the proper authorities; if you so choose.

Nextbase 312GW comes from one of the best-selling manufacturers of dash cams in the UK and it shows why. In this one, little dash cam, you have a host of useful features, all of which are paramount in a long-lasting and successful dash cam.

Summary:

Features – 140° angle (on-road), provides 1080P recordings, GPS tracker

Pricing – Mid range

MAISI Camera Review - Number 3

MAISI aren’t exactly the main proprietor of dash cams in the UK, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a nice option to purchase a dash cam from. After all, the name may not be all that known, but the amount of helpful and necessary features that come from a dash cam are here; no doubt about it.

Here are just some of those features:

• This here is a product that uses the G-Sensor, a function that protects the recording from the single moment of impact automatically, without the need for human interaction.
• The product also uses an ignition-detection software, so whenever you start up the engine for your car, the device will boot up and start to record. This allows you the opportunity to forget completely about the dash cam and still get the recording you need if an incident happens.
• This product has a feature known as “Loop recording”, which is where you effectively have unlimited storage if you make use of a TF memory card. Upon the moment storage is full, it will remove some of the oldest recordings you don’t need any more and simply record over them for new, up to date footage.
• The dash cam decides to use a slightly more unorthodox resolution at 1296P, but thanks to this it provides a clearer image when in comparison to 1080P and is still at a 30FPS framerate when recording.

Once again, MAISI isn’t a well-known brand, but with the features that come along with the MAISI 4 Mega-Pixel Car Recorder, you have everything you need all in one simple dash cam; something even more expensive dash cams don’t necessarily provide.

Summary:

Features – 150° wide angle (on-road), 1296P recordings at 30FPS, loop recording (providing you have a TF card)

Pricing – Mid range

Falcon Zero F-360 HD Review - Number 4

Falcon Zero is a company that focus specifically on dash cams and their accessories, and while their pricing may be a little higher than the rest; it’s not a dash cam that pulls any punches. If anything, it’s only slightly more improved in most areas.

The features included in this cam are:

• This product comes included with a night vision system for interior clips and shots, along with a built-in microphone and speaker to provide an audio option to your videos if need be.
• The screen for this product has been increased from the typical 2.7-inch LCD screen that most dash cams have, up to a 3.5-inch LCD screen to provide a preview that is much easier to establish and view than others.
• One more feature included in the F-360 HD is loop recording, all so when you start to run over your storage limit, it will simply record over old files that are no longer needed.
• This product comes included with a 32GB SD card, something a lot of these products don’t tend to include. On top of this, there is also your typical TV output, as well as an HDMI output to improve the output visuals of your recordings.

Falcon Zero F-360 HD does have a slightly higher price tag than other dash cams, however, it comes with an SD card included, something that really doesn’t happen often; on top of everything else you could need in a dash cam.

Summary:

Features – Loop recording, includes a 32GB SD card, night vision, built-in microphone and speakers

Pricing – High end

CamTours K4 Dashboard Camera Review - Number 5

CamTours K4 may be last on the list, but that hasn’t necessarily prevented it from being a good dash cam, that’s for certain. Similar to all the others, it comes with a number of helpful features for the regular driver on their daily commute.

Below are some of its features:

• This product’s camera comes with a 12 megapixel extra wide angle lens, one that views at 170°, giving you almost all the coverage you could ever need for the front of your vehicle.
• Inside this product is a built-in GPS module, which tracks your location, speed, and direction and can also all be stamped onto the bottom of the recording.
• A feature that almost all dash cams should come included with, which this one thankfully does is the loop recording feature. As soon as the recordings start going over the storage limit, they will overwrite unneeded and old video footage to make way for the new ones.
• Along with all of those, there is also a parking monitor: if anything happens even if you’re not inside your vehicle, it will start to record in the unfortunate case an accident occurs to protect you from any liability.

CamTours K4 Dashboard Camera isn’t what I would consider the most visually stunning dash cam out there. However, it does come with a number of good features, especially like the parking monitor; a feature that not that many dash cams actually come with.

Summary:

Features – Loop recording, parking monitor, 170° wide angle

Pricing – Mid range

Verdict

Falcon Zero F-360 is technically the dash cam with the most expensive price tag, but that’s only for another £10 and you get more than you would in your typical purchase. For instance, you’re provided with a 32GB SD card (something they don’t have to include), it also has night vision, loop recording for when storage starts to become an issue, and even a microphone and speakers. For that little bit extra, you get a lot of solid and helpful features that you otherwise wouldn’t have; all of which are in a product that you can trust to keep you safe and secure while out on the road.

Dash Cam Buyer Guide 2016

Dash Cams are gaining a lot of popularity worldwide these days because they protect drivers in a variety of ways. Insurance claims from accidents, police corruption, and other criminal activities are all recorded on these cameras so perpetrators can be prosecuted. They have also been widely recognized for their ability to record other mishaps and natural disasters – one in recent years with the meteor that hit Chelyabinsk in Russia, loads of footage was captured specifically from dash cams and was uploaded online, which just goes to show how helpful they can be.

All dash cams provide a variety of different features for their owners and below we’ll take a look at some of the most important but first we will take a look at some of the reasons why you may want to add a dash cam to your wish list.

How can a dash cam protect me?

Car accidents – There are those genuine people out there that will accidentally crash into you and they will likely hold their hands up, but there are also thousands of people worldwide that take advantage of insurance claims by causing “car accidents” on purpose – in the UK this costs insurance companies £400 million a year. With a dash cam on board you will always have evidence of what really happened and who was responsible – if it was you that caused the crash, you can hold your hands up but if it is someone else’s fault and they are trying to pin the blame on you, you will have sufficient evidence to take to court.

Police corruption – This isn’t a big deal in the UK because we are pretty safe with the police, however, there are corrupt police out there that will lie and with a dash cam on board you have the right to record everything that happens during your journey. If you get stopped by the police for whatever reason rest assured you will have their policing practises on camera which provides you with evidence should they ever act illegally.

Car security – A lot of the latest dash cams provide parking mode security. What this means is that when your car is parked somewhere and you are out of sight of it, it will automatically start recording anything in front of it if it moves. This is with thanks to its motion detectors – your car will be under surveillance at all times when you are not there.

House security – A lot of people take advantage of the motion sensors a lot of the dash cams provide. They park their cars pointing towards their house so if there are any sudden movements in front of the car and in view of the camera, then it will automatically turn on and start recording. This is very handy if you live in an area if the crime rate is high.

Driving practises – Most of the newer release dash cams come with a lot of warnings and alerts and these are to warn you about your own driving practises to keep you and others safe on the road. The alerts and warnings range from each dash cam but most of the basic alerts are for speeding, drifting out of lands on the motorway, and even getting to close to the vehicle in front.

Dangerous drivers – A dash cam is perfect for those that want to report dangerous drivers to the police. Recorded evidence can be submitted and the driver responsible will be provided with warnings, or at worse be prosecuted.

Here are some of the many features you should look for when looking to buy a dash cam:

Features To Look For When Buying An In Car CCTV

Hands Free Operating

Most of the latest releases of dash cam products are hands free so you will not have to interact with it at all when driving which not only keeps you safe from distractions but also keeps you driving legally. Most of the latest products even turn on and record automatically when the engine starts up and stops recording when it turns off again – which is great because you can keep the camera in the car at all times as long as it is hidden from view well.

All weather protection

If you keep the camera in the vehicle at all times you will find the dashboard gets very hot especially when driving in the summer. Windscreens also get frosty when they are left over night and that has an impact on the dashboard which is why it’s important to purchase a dash cam that will work in all weathers.

Legality

Dash cams are very popular worldwide these days and can be used in almost every country, however, they are illegal in Austria. Dash cams are also frowned upon in Germany because they feel they aren’t beneficial for the data protection act. Small cameras can still be used in Germany but consumers are not allowed to upload videos to social media because it is a criminal offence. Dash cams are perfectly legal in the UK as long as the user isn’t interacting with it whilst driving.

Good sound quality

Most dash cams come fitted with microphones so they will catch all the important sound and conversations that will give you further evidence should anything go wrong. This is good because after an accident occurs you will often find yourself in a heated argument with the other driver(s) and this just provides further protection in case of threats.

Crystal clear video

You will find that all recordings are recorded in HD quality so even the minor details will be viewable. All good dash cams have specific filters and lenses which provide even better photo and video quality. If a dash cam can’t read the number place of a car in the distant then it’s obviously not good enough to purchase.

Multiple positions

Most dash cams come with multiple mounting accessories so you can sit them on the dashboard nicely or you can stick them to the windscreen to provide a better view of what’s going on. A good mount is mandatory if a dash cam is going to stay in the same position throughout the journey

Loop recording

Most dash cams come with ample storage space for hours of video recordings and pictures, but some of them provide what is called a “loop recording” feature. This feature will let you carry on recording even when the storage device is full up of previous recordings, it will automatically go to the oldest video recording on the device and it will overwrite it with the new recording. This saves you from having to buy larger SD cards and you won’t ever have to worry about having to manually delete recordings yourself.

Wi-Fi enabled

Technology is getting more and more advance on a daily basis and so is the technology within dash cams. A lot of the newer builds have Wi-Fi enabled on the devices so they are ready to connect to any local hotspots in your area. This will make uploading videos to the internet a lot easier and you will also be able to upload videos to Cloud storage.

G-Sensor file protection

One of the most useful features a dash cam can provide is the G-Sensor file protection. The G-Sensor automatically detects impact if there is an accident and it will protect the files that are saved on the storage. The G-Sensor will also save the current footage that was being recorded prior to the accident. This is beneficial because even if the dash cam was damaged on collision you will still be able to get the data and videos you saved earlier.

Alerts and warnings

A lot of the more modern dash cams these days come with regular alerts and warnings. These are primarily to keep not only the consumer safe but other drivers nearby as well. Common alerts range from speed, land departure, and getting too close to vehicles in front.

Night vision

The night vision feature is an important addition to dash cams these days because a lot of drivers make their longer journeys during the night. The night vision will provide the camera with an easy to see environment so it can continue to capture the events surrounding it. Having night vision implemented into the dash cam is one of the features you would want to see in any dash cam you consider buying.

Wide camera angle view

Dash cams are able to see what’s in front of it only so it’s important to have a dash cam that can see as far wide as possible too. With a dash cam that doesn’t have a very wide angle view means it can miss important activities a wide range angle view would see. Most good dash cams are able to see over 120 degrees wide and high which is plenty of coverage to catch the all-important moments.

GPS tracker

A GPS tracker can provide more evidence on when and where a specific accident took place. Most GPS trackers within the dash cam will log when and where the event happened which can be used as further evidence.

Warranty

The warranty of a dash cam is very important as you will want something to fall back on if paying for an expensive bit of kit that doesn’t provide you with the experience you were hoping to achieve. Many manufacturers provide at least 12 months warranty for their customers so if they experience any problems or the dash cam should fail; they will be entitled to a repair or a new replacement.

Different features and apps

It’s common practise to have smartphone technology integrated with dash cams these days and many of the dash cams you find will be based on an android operating system. This is great because users can interact with the dash cam when they are not driving and it opens up many different features and apps. Users will also be able to watch films and listen to music from all-in-one dash cams.

Live video feed

Many dash cams come with smartphone and tablet communication. This means that if you are away from your vehicle you can connect your phone to the dash cam and get a live feed of what’s happening around your vehicle.

Storage capacity

With the loop recording feature most of the recent dash cams provide automatically overwrites older recordings so storage space isn’t always important. But if you want to keep everything you record then most dash cams provide a couple of SD slots that can take up to 256GB of storage – which is perfect for hours of non-stop recording.

Discreetness

Some dash cams can be a bit big and bulky, it’s important to have one that is small and compact so it can be well hidden in any car. This is important because if you are leaving your dash cam in the car overnight you’ll want to make sure no one sees it in case they want to break in and steal it, especially if it’s a higher end model. Luckily most of the more recent models are mini versions and can be hidden well behind windscreen mirrors.

Ease of installation

A lot of dash cams come with a variety of accessories and many wires, some of them don’t even provide good instructions when installing for the first time. Always make sure you buy from a reputable brand that specifically mentions easy installation and you won’t go far wrong.

These are just some of the many features different dash cams provide so you can see what benefits they have, and you’ll now know why dash cams are important additions to any vehicle. If you are looking to buy one, always remember that the more features it has it will become more expensive. Don’t always go for the cheapest option because it is more likely to break or not work when you need it most, always buy a higher end dash cam from a reputable manufacturer and that will save you time and money in the long run.

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