Dashcam Buying Guide
Are you looking into buying a dashcam on a small budget for your car? Not sure which one to pick? Not to worry, I have put up a simple buying guide.
Why a Dashcam Matters
A good dashcam protects you on the road by providing clear evidence if something goes wrong. Many UK insurers now accept dashcam footage to speed up claims, and some even offer small discounts for using one.
It is very useful in any 50/50 situation, even with your car being stationary while getting a hit. Yes, it does happen, and without the dashcam footage, you would have no way of proving to the insurer that your car was stationary. Furthermore, it can also be used to show that you have stopped in time to avoid getting hit.
A few features of dashcams:
Video Quality
- 1080p Full HD or higher (2.5K – 4K).
720p – HD
1080p – Full HD or FHD
1440p – Quad HD or QHD or 2.5K
2160p – 4K - Night vision is essential for UK winter driving.
- Look for wide-angle lenses (140°–170°) to capture more of the road.
Front vs. Front & Rear cameras
- Front-only is usually cheaper (not always!) and covers most incidents.
- Front and rear are ideal for tailgating, car park bumps, and rear-end collisions.
Storage & Loop Recording
- Supports microSD cards (usually 32–256 GB).
- Loop recording automatically overwrites old footage so you never run out of space.
Parking Mode
- Monitors your car while parked.
- Choose models with motion detection or impact detection. e.g., G-Sensor.
- Hardwiring kits are available to keep the dashcam powered (optional).
GPS (Not necessary but optional)
- Logs your speed and location, which can be crucial in disputes. Not that you are speeding (!).
- Useful for proving your route or speed if challenged.
- Sync date/clock settings of the dashcam after the battery went dead (very rarely!).
Legal Points Considerations
- Dashcams are legal in the UK, but they must not obstruct your view.
- If you use one in a company vehicle, you must inform employees under GDPR.
- Audio recording is optional – many drivers turn it off for privacy.
Installation
- Most dashcams use a 12V socket, which makes installation easy, but high-end dashcams have a hardwire kit included as an extra, which gives a cleaner look and enables parking mode. Some dashcam manufacturers require you to request a hardwiring kit if you need it.
My Recommendations
A few notes on parking mode:
The dashcam battery lasts a minute or two and usually turns itself off automatically when the cars are turned off. The battery life may vary with dashcam brands and models. The dashcams will start recording automatically as soon as they are powered on.
Certain car manufacturers, such as Ford and Skoda, still power the 12V socket even when the cars are turned off. It means you would need to plug/unplug the power cable for the dashcam when you are entering/exiting your car to preserve the previous day or two of recordings on the limited storage microSD card, e.g., 32 or 64 GB. It can be inconvenient, having to remember to plug/unplug it every time you drive it! Either that or power on/off the dashcam manually to keep it powered for parking mode.
Not so with Fiat and Dacia, where their 12V sockets are powered off automatically when cars are turned off, meaning you can leave it plugged in all the time conveniently. The rest of the car manufacturers may differ.
So why the hardwiring kit?
Hardwiring a dashcam is specifically designed not to turn off completely when the car is parked but rather to switch it into a low-power Parking Mode. Besides the power supply, it is a basic communication between the car and the dashcam, e.g., when the car is turned off and parked.
Although all dashcams, from the cheapest to the most expensive, have the parking mode option in the menu despite their limited battery life, it is the hardwiring kit that tells the dashcams when to stop recording and when the car is parked and keeps them powered for parking mode. You will definitely need that for the 24/7 parking.
Hardwiring is probably a useful, convenient option for the likes of Ford and Skoda without the regular manual intervention (plugging/unplugging the 12V power cable), but then you may as well need it for Dacia, Fiat and the like if you need to use the 24/7 parking mode in the urban areas, although you could get away just with the dashcam’s limited battery life.
A couple of features that usually come with the hardwiring are 6-, 12-, or 24-hour power-on and low-voltage protection that will stop running the car battery down.
