Dash cams are becoming very popular for both new and experienced drivers. Once you understand the many benefits they provide, it’s easy to see why. A dash cam is a piece of equipment that records the road and other vehicles surrounding your vehicle. Dash cams are especially helpful if you’re involved in an accident because they can confirm which party was at fault. They can also provide details about what led to the accident in the first place. Additionally, a dash cam could come in handy if you’re ever issued a parking ticket that you think is unfair. If you want to dispute the ticket, you could use dash cam footage to strengthen your case.
If you’re thinking about buying a dash cam, it’s important to understand they aren’t all created equal. Some are designed to serve the most basic function of recording footage of the road and vehicles around you while you’re operating your vehicle. Others are designed to perform additional functions, including going into hibernation mode when your vehicle is parked, then coming out of hibernation if motion or shock is detected. This feature is called parking mode. Before deciding what dash cam to buy, here’s a quick overview of why using a dash cam with parking mode is so important.
Understanding Parking Mode
A dash cam with parking mode stands out from basic dash cams because it has the potential to record incidents that wouldn’t be recorded otherwise. While dash cams may be valued primarily for their ability to capture car accidents, they can also be useful for other non-collision incidents that may occur when your vehicle is parked.
A dash cam with parking mode is designed to go into a state of hibernation when your vehicle is parked. This helps to save energy and minimizes unnecessary recording time. When the camera detects motion in front of the lens, it turns on and begins recording. This feature can come in handy in a variety of situations, including:
- If someone dings your car with their car door
- If your vehicle is involved in a hit and run while parked
- If someone vandalizes or attempts to steal your vehicle
- If you’re given an undeserved parking ticket or other traffic violation citation
Parking mode can be motion-activated or impact-activated, depending on the type of camera you buy. Those activated by motion may be a bit more reliable than those activated by impact because they are more likely to record the events leading up to and away from the incident. Impact-activated cameras, on the other hand, are less likely to capture the events before and after the point of impact.
Some dash cams with parking mode are configured to record in a time lapse configuration. This is a good option if you regularly park in a busy parking lot that would normally cause your motion-activated parking mode camera to be active almost constantly. With a time-lapse configuration, the camera captures images using two frames per second instead of 15 frames per second that’s common with normal motion detection mode. Time-lapse format reduces the amount of footage on your memory card so it doesn’t fill up too fast, but will still capture anything that happens to your vehicle while it’s parked.
It’s more expensive to purchase a dash cam with parking mode than it is to purchase a basic dash cam. However, many people think it is worth the extra cost to make sure all incidents involving their vehicle are recorded.
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