STACK #210 Apr 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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TWO EYES ON THE PRIZE According to research conducted by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), people using their

The connectivity Many dash cams can be

when a car has been hit – and even the direction of the impact – and mark the footage with a time and date. Video is often automatically captured before and immediately after the incident. Parking mode Unless it includes an internal battery, the unit needs to be professionally hardwired by a qualified tradesperson to use the parking mode in a dash cam. A parking mode will begin recording if vibration is detected. This can be particularly useful in car parks where unreported prangs are common. The weather

connected wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to a smartphone via an app. A Bluetooth connection can send alerts to smartphones and allow settings to be managed. When Wi-Fi on a dash cam is

THE LAW Dash cams on public roads are perfectly legal in all states of Australia. However, if you decide to post footage from your dash cam on an online platform, be aware that potential privacy issues may come into play. It pays to think before you publish!

paired with a smartphone, footage can be stored in a cloud or easily accessed and viewed in the case of an accident. The advantage here is you don’t have to insert the SD into a computer to view the video – it can be accessed immediately. Storage solutions While some dash cams incorporate a small amount of internal storage, video footage is recorded on microSD cards. Storage on microSD cards does vary, and we recommend using either a 32GB or, although a little more expensive, a 64GB card to capture more hours of footage. If needed, the microSD card is inserted into a laptop or desktop and the relevant footage saved. It’s worth noting that dash cams rarely come with a microSD, so factor the cost into your budget. The recording Loop recording is a feature found in many dash cams. It works by continually recording video footage until the SD card is full. Once the memory capacity is reached, the previous video is deleted, making room for new footage. As such, it’s important to retrieve any video you might need, save it in a cloud, or buy an SD card with expanded storage. GPS geotagging Built-in GPS functionality can be an essential tool for car owners. GPS geotagging can help in an accident dispute situation. It records and logs the location and speed of the car and, when used in conjunction with video footage, could provide the necessary information in a contentious incident. The impact Make sure the dash cam you pick has impact detection functionality. This will automatically sense

smartphones to check social media or send texts while driving are ten times more likely to be involved in a car crash. A third of drivers polled admitted to using a smartphone while driving. If a driver takes their eyes off the road for just two seconds at 50kph, the car would’ve travelled 28 metres in that time. That’s around three buses end-to-end. The most- reported distractions include using a smartphone or GPS, talking with passengers, and, believe it or not, eating.

Dash cams are available for all budgets and can be sourced worldwide. However, it’s important that the model you do buy is suitable for Australia’s extreme temperatures and has been tested appropriately for those conditions.

Top Five Tips For Using A Dash Cam

1. Clean your windscreen. There’s no point in having a great, high- resolution dash cam installed if the windscreen it’s mounted behind looks like it’s just competed in a leg of the Australian Rally Championship. 2. Mind your mount. Don’t mount the dash cam where it will obstruct your view. Under or directly below the rear-view mirror are the ideal mounting positions. 3. Time to align. Take time to align the camera to ensure you’re getting the complete picture. While the sky is indeed pretty, unless you’re tracking aircraft, you’ll want to ensure you’re capturing events happening ahead of you on the road. 4. Bigger is better. Aim to get the biggest, best quality microSD card your budget will allow. And make sure you buy the right one for your dash cam! 5. Check yourself. It’s important to test that your dash cam is regularly recording footage. You don’t want to be caught short when you need it most.

58 APRIL 2022

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