Dash Cams – An Essential Tool For Fleet Managers
The news and social media are awash with stories of crashes and accidents, and things of that nature. In most cases, accidents happen because of an alcohol-induced or cellphone-induced stupor. There are countless videos of road rage incidents, crashes, and so forth on YouTube and social media in general.
However, none of these videos would exist for you to see without a truck dash cam.
What are Dash Cams? And How do they work?
Dash cams are cameras that are mounted to the windscreen and the rear ends of your vehicle. It records the road as you are driving.
It is powered through the cigarette lighter cable and can also be hardwired into the fuse box. The dash cam begins to record automatically when you switch on the ignition. The recording is continuous, and clips are recorded in three-minute segments and stored on an SD card.
Why Should You Get a Dash Cam?
People are buying into dash cams in a big way these days. Here is why:
Hard Evidence of the Accident
This is the primary reason millions of drivers tend to invest in dash cams. Given how the camera starts recording the moment you start your engine, you can expect clear, real-time video evidence of the accident, should it happen.
It is a comforting feeling knowing that you can save significant amounts of money and energy with your dash cam’s recorded evidence to cover you.
Teach Reckless Drivers a Lesson
Dealing with reckless drivers is not a new thing under the sun. It happens regardless of the precautions you take. At best, their reckless and irresponsible road behavior is annoying and bothersome, and can potentially put others’ lives in danger.
Reporting an undisciplined driver can be futile if you do not have the evidence to back up your complaint. Buying and installing a dash cam can solve this problem for you.
Preventing Fraud
Insurance fraud is rampant in this day and age. It is common for some drivers to cause accidents on purpose to assign blame to the recipient and, in turn, extort money from them. This practice is widely used in just about every country, and drivers of high-end cars tend to fall prey to such practices.
Recording Roadtrips
The internet plays host to a plethora of travel freaks and digital nomads. Ardent travelers tend to record their travels, make vlogs, and post them online. If you find yourself traveling often and want to save your memories on video, a dash cam can help you do that.
Easy Supervision
Dash cams have proven to be an indispensable tool for worried parents and driving instructors. If you are looking to ensure your child or employee or anybody else does not use your vehicle without your consent, installing a dash cam in your vehicle can make it happen.
Dash Cams for Trucks
These days, Dash cams are used by owners of just about every type of vehicle. Dash cams enable truck drivers and fleet managers to tighten their grip over their fleet safety by providing them with features designed to increase visibility, reduce accidents, and lower collision costs.
Types of Dash Cams
If you are looking to pick up a dash cam, be sure to check out the following:
Single-Lens Dash Cams
Single-lens dash cams use one wide-angle lens to capture a large field of view. Keep in mind that the coverage it can record is limited as there is only one point-of-view. The single-lens dash cam setup is budget-friendly, albeit basic. It is an excellent security measure to start with.
Dual-Lens Dash Cams
Dual-lens dash cams come with both lenses built into the body. There is one lens for either side. The dual-lens dash cam happens to be the most commonly used type of dash cam and gives the fleet manager access to two viewpoints, one of the road and the other of the driver.
Multi-Lens Dash cams
Multi-lens dash cams are widely used in fleets. The recording coverage and driver’s Point-of-View (POV) can be accessed in real-time by the fleet manager through the use of a fleet software.
The standard multi-lens dash cam setup usually includes a dual-lens dash cam in the cockpit, a camera on the driver’s door side, along with a few more cameras installed towards the back of the vehicle.
The advantage of the multi-lens dash cams is the extra surveillance it provides so that you can make sure that the cargo is not compromised.
What Should You Consider Before Buying a Dash Cam?
It is essential to know what you want in a dash cam before you buy one. Here are a few things you ought to consider.
What Is The Video Quality You Are Looking For?
Dash cam video quality varies with each model. You can get cameras that have normal video quality (480p) or go for those that feature higher quality (720p), or full high-definition (1080p) or even higher. Given how cameras with increased video quality come at a high cost, make sure you choose the dash cam that suits your budget.
How Visible Do You Want Your Camera To Be?
Dash cams of all sizes and shapes are available. Ultimately, the camera you choose depends on what you need it for.
Do You Want A Dash Cam For Your Fleet Or Business?
Professional Dash cams are known to record both the video facing outside the front windshield and the video facing inside the vehicle, showing the driver and passengers.
Some professional dash cam models can be tracked remotely, which means a business owner can monitor assets at any given time.
