This month, we’re delving into the world of vehicle and more specifically Dashcam security for vehicles.

‘Why do I need a Dashcam?’

With the advent of cheaper cameras coming onto the market, and mandatory legislation (only in WA at the moment) for heavy vehicles to always run Dashcams, we have been asked by quite a few of our customers to investigate what they should be using.

Have a look for the moment at a short 11 second video we took last month on one of our cameras.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL212xWalcs

In this video, a black sedan cuts the lanes in a roundabout and could have caused us to run into the rear end of them. Whose fault would this have been if there was no video footage? We would have had to pay. But not anymore.

Dashcam footage is being used every day to report incidents to insurance companies, police, and even social media.

They’re being used by business to ensure their company vehicles are being driven safely, for tracking where they’ve been, as well as evidence of accidents. We’ve found that the drivers of vehicles with Dashcams installed are actually safer as they drive better, knowing their every move is recorded via GPS and video.

Here at EtherTech, we have been trialling a few different Dashcams in our vehicles over the last couple of months to establish what works, and what is the best product for our clients.

‘What should I look for in a Dashcam then?’

Dashcams all record video, that’s a no-brainer, but the quality of the video determines whether you can identify number plates and detail to a level that will sustain a claim. Therefore we recommend dashcams that can support HD 1080P video.

Size is another consideration. The Dashcams we are recommending fit in your hand, and have no distracting displays.

Another thing to ensure is that the camera will not flatten your battery if left unattended. Voltage monitoring and regulation is very important.

‘How long do they record for?’

Ensure the camera has the facility to overwrite old data automatically. You don’t want to have to reformat your storage card every time it fills up. A 16gb storage card can hold about 4.5hours of HD footage and up to 17hours at 720×480 30fps resolution. A 32gb card holds 9hrs of HD and up to 34hours at lower resolution.

‘How do I access the video?’

This is actually very important. Most Dashcams require you to remove the storage card, put it into a PC so you can download the footage. This is a pain if you’re on the road and something goes wrong. The Dashcams we have been trialling allow you to wirelessly connect to the camera from your smart phone (android and iphone app provided) and copy the footage directly to your phone for later analysis without the fear of it being overwritten. The supplied software allows you to easily manage the footage later when more convenient.

‘How much are they?’

Camera prices start from $279.00inc GST + installation (which is simple, but we can do it for you if required)

If you want more information on the Dashcam’s available from EtherTech, please call us, or  visit our Online Store at :

www.ethertech.com.au/shop/

Here you will find a lot more information we couldn’t fit in this boffin, as well as special promotional pricing!

Until next month…..