Dashcams, is ONE really enough?

Picture: Pixabay via pexels.com

In this day and age, many drivers all over Malaysia have come to see the benefits of installing a dashcam (or dashboard camera) in their cars. Even owners of motorcycles and superbikes have also done the same in their own way, often in the form of attaching a camera to their helmets for the exact same reason. If you’re still unsure about getting one, check out the article ‘5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Dashcam’.

Let’s assume that you already have one, or are in the process of getting one for your car. You’ve decided that you’d like to have a camera constantly recording in the event that an accident or insta-worthy incident takes place in front of you so that you’ll capture all of it in high-definition video. You’re imagining how relieved you’d feel having all the evidence on video to hand over to the police, or how many likes you’ll get on social media when you share that funny video you captured!

But what if it doesn’t happen in front of you?

Recording All Around You

What if this accident or incident takes place behind you, or even worse, to the left or the right of your vehicle? In these situations, the only thing you might capture is the sound of the accident or the sound of your reactions on the camera and nothing more. Let’s not forget that even in the case of a simple collision, a single dashcam pointing forward does not help in situations when a careless driver hits you from behind.

In the case of robberies or road rage, the danger often comes from a car, motorcycle, or individual approaching the side of your vehicle, not necessarily the front or back, either.

So what options do you have? Well, did you know that there are such things as multi-channel dashcams? From a technical perspective, with human ingenuity and unlimited resources, a car can be fitted with as many cameras as you wish. But for the average car owner like you and I, at most our needs may only go as far as installing four cameras; that is one for every side of the car.

One way to do it would be to simply buy four dashboard cameras, but that would not be very practical when it comes to wiring and supplying power to all of these cameras. Instead, some manufacturers produce 2- or even 4-channel dash cameras that simplify the entire process. Odds are that your favourite car accessory workshop also has the equipment and skills necessary to wire up your car with multiple dash cameras.

In-Cabin Dual Dashcams

The outside of the car isn’t the only part that might benefit from having a camera pointed at it. Some dashcam manufacturers also produce dual cameras specifically for taxi and rideshare drivers. These are unique in that even though the device consists of only a single unit, it has one camera lens pointed forward at the road while a second lens is pointed inside the car, recording all of its occupants.

This is great because it helps you as a taxi or rideshare driver to record everything going on inside the vehicle, therefore discouraging acts of theft or damage by passengers. Furthermore, this type of dashcam acts as a witness who will protect you in the case of disputes with passengers, seeing as how it records both what’s happening in the car (through the lens) and also what’s being said and heard (through a built-in microphone). This is particularly important seeing as how misunderstandings or disputes could lead to you losing your ability to drive for the taxi or rideshare company altogether.

Accountability

Regardless of the type of dashcam setup you have in your car, truck, van, or even motorcycle, always remember that its purpose is to hold everyone accountable. This should also include yourself and those around you like your friends and family.

While it is great to have video evidence of other drivers and their misdeeds, dashcams also serve to hold us, and whoever we allow to drive our cars, accountable as well.

So while some drivers might improve their behaviour knowing that other vehicles have dashcams, we must also ensure that our own behaviour is held to the same standards. We do this because we know that as responsible drivers, we must always be accountable for our actions.