Best Dash Cams to Protect Your Company Vehicle
More drivers than ever are on the road these days, and more traffic means a highly likelihood of accidents.
An effect of higher number of traffic accidents is a increase in fraudulent insurance claims.
Those who drive for work, are especially at risk of accidents and fraudulent insurance claims. They are on the road so much more than the average person.
What Are Fraudulent Insurance Claims?
There are many ways that a person can fake an insurance claim. One way is to cause an accident, by slamming on the breaks or pulling in front of another car intentionally. Injured passengers that weren’t actually in the car is another tactic, as is exaggerating damage to the car, or claiming damage that was already present before the accident.
An company vehicle, that is marked with company details, is especially a target for this behaviour, because of a belief that a company will be likely to pay up quickly and avoid bad press. Fortunately, these days we have the technology to deal with this issue.
Can Dash Cams be the Answer to the Problem?
Insurance companies are starting to pick up on the benefits of vehicle cameras to tell the truth of an accident and save them money in the long run.
Some insurance companies offer up to a 15-20% discount for a properly installed camera. The discount could even be enough to cover the cost of the camera itself and along with that protect your excess and no claims bonus.
Fraudulent insurance claims are dependent upon he said/she said dynamics when there’s no witnesses. Dashboard cams, if installed and used properly, provide indisputable evidence. Dash cam footage is submittable in court and is considered more reliable than even an eyewitness.
Are Dash Cams Legal?
Yes! There are no laws against dash cams in general, and you aren’t required to get permission or notify anyone if you install them. If you are driving a company vehicle, it is required to notify your company and anyone else that might be driving the vehicle if you install a camera. You will be recording visual and possibly audio footage, which is a breach of privacy if the subject isn’t aware they are being recorded.
There are laws concerning the positioning and impact of cameras, however. Road Vehicles Regulations prohibits footage being displayed anywhere inside the vehicle whilst it’s moving. Much the same as you wouldn’t be watching a DVD while driving (we hope), it is a major distraction to safe driving to have the camera footage displayed while you’re behind the wheel.
Submitting your Footage
If you’ve caught an accident or incident on your camera, there is now a centralised resource to turn in footage at the National Dash Cam Safety Portal. The portal allows you to submit footage to the authorities easily and usually takes less than 20 minutes.
The portal is used by clicking, on the map of the main website, in the region of England or Wales where the incident occurred. You will be redirected to a page for that region where you can report and upload footage. It doesn’t need to be an accident; you can report high speed or reckless driving, as well.
Fitting Your Camera
Fitting the camera also has legal requirements. The UK Road Traffic Act 1988 specifies two zones of the windscreen
Make sure your dash cam is installed so that you can see the entire front of your car as well as the lanes ahead. You don’t want to miss crucial footage of an accident by having your camera pointing in the wrong direction!
Important Dashboard Camera Features
Recording While Parked
Some cameras are able to record even while the car is parked, This can be activated even when the ignition is turned off.
Some models have a motion detector function so that the camera only switches on when a person or car bumps or collides with the car, saving on battery and data storage, enabling you to leave the car monitored at all times.
GPS and WiFi
GPS allows your device to record the exact location of an incident or recorded moment, allowing you to pinpoint for the insurance company where the accident occurred. GPS records your speed, further proof of innocence in case of a accident if needed
WiFi doesn’t mean that you can connect to the Internet, it allows you to connect your camera to your smartphone to view or transfer footage.
Nigh Vison
Most cameras need ifrared red LEDS to move from Daytime recording to night-time recording, These LEDS use infrared light to see images at night, using wavelengths that are invisible to us. The more LED’s that you have the better the quality of video.
Why is Video Quality So Important
We have come accustomed to HD these days and we expect all video, TV and cmaeras to have it, but what is HD, well it’s a way of working out resolution. 1920 x 1080 is Full HD (that’s where 1080p) comes from and if you multiply 1920 by 1080 you get 2 million or 2K (half of 4k)
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
HDR has more contrast and colour than standard video. This technique can improve a camera’s range, combining video footage in a way that displays images the human eye couldn’t normally see. This is especially good for low-light or full dark recording.
Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)
In standard video, the camera is only recording the middle range between the darkest and lightest portions of the frame. WDR works to even this out, allowing for a clearer image. WDR also mitigates reflection from shiny surfaces like vehicles and water. WDR is great for both daylight or nighttime recording.
Top Tips
- The Battery is only supposed to be used in emergency (if the car battery dies), it is not for being used all the time as it won’t last very long
- Buy the largest SD card that the camera can take, this will increased the time before it overwrites
- Be careful when buying an SD card, some cameras have a limit and only accept a certain type. (mostly Class 10, max 32GB)
- Test you parking mode by nudging the camera/car with the ignition off
- Screen saver function (screen goes off after a number of minutes to save energy) and will make it look like it’s off.
- Its worth checking to see if it the camera records with a small trip to the shops, test out the recording modes as well.
- Make sure it’s installed properly, wires and cables and neatly inserted and not liable to come lose whilst driving.
The built-in G-sensor locks away any footage during a collision so it won’t be overwritten.
The Nextbase is easy to set-up and easy to install. The battery life is poor, so you will need to keep this one plugged in during use. Be aware that the suction cup doesn’t work very well in high heat, and may come off if your car is parked in direct sunlight. This can be mediated with an alternate mounting system.
Nextbase 312GW Features
Screen Size
Maximum Resolution
Maximum Angle
Wifi/GPS
G-Sensor/Parking Monitor
WDR
IR mode
2.7 inches Display
1080p HD recording capabilities at 30 fps
140 degree wide
Yes
Yes
No
Night vision records in low light
Upgraded Dash Cam
This camera has the perk of a 90 day guarantee with 24/7 customer service. It has an incomplete manual that isn’t very well translated, so you might be using this perk if you by this camera. Otherwise, it has a 140∘ angle, 1080P FHD camera.
The camera has a motion detector function, so you can record while the car is parked without running down the battery or taking up too much space.
Upgraded Dash Cam Features
Screen Size
Maximum Resolution
Maximum Angle
Wifi/GPS
G-Sensor/Parking Monitor
WDR
IR mode
2.31 inches Display
1080FHD 1920*1080
140 degree wide
NO
Yes
No
1 infrared LED
ORSKEY Dash Cam
The Orkey is a sleek, subtle dashboard camera with tons of great features. The Wide Dynamic Range lens adjusts to light conditions to provide the clearest picture possible, even down to license plate numbers. The 3″ screen enables you to see video clearly right on the device, before transferring to your phone or computer. Six infrared LED lights enable the camera to take excellent footage even at night, and combined with the WDR function you’re covered any time of the night or day.
170∘ wide angle lens provides a sweeping view of the front of your car as well as oncoming lanes. Large buttons allow for easy use of the camera, and there is an easy on/off function for the screen so you can drive without the distraction of the video feed. 6 unique infrared LED
You do need to purchase a separate Micro SD card for this camera, but it comes with an extra long power cord so you can place it anywhere in the car it needs to be while still reaching to the power plug.
ORSKEY Dash Cam Features
Screen Size
Maximum Resolution
Maximum Angle
Wifi/GPS
G-Sensor/Parking Monitor
WDR
IR mode
3.0 inches HD Display
1920x1080P at 30 fps
170 degree wide
NO
Yes
Yes
6 unique infrared LED
Apeman Dash Cam
The apeman has WDR technology for excellent video footage down to the specifics of a license plate number, even during low-light recording. 170∘ angle provides full coverage of the front of your car and all lanes.
Much like the other cameras reviewed here, the apeman has loop recording so that when the memory card is full, new footage will replace old footage.
During a collision the camera will automatically store away that footage to avoid being accidentally overwritten, keeping that crucially important footage safe for review and also Date stamp and Plate stamp for evidence use. The case is made out of a durable zinc alloy, to dissipate heat quickly.
You’ll need to buy your own SD card for this one, but that seems to be more common than not with these cameras.
Apeman Dash Cam Features
Screen Size
Maximum Resolution
Maximum Angle
Wifi/GPS
G-Sensor/Parking Monitor
WDR
IR mode
3.0 inches HD Display
1080P Full HD at 30 fps
170 degree wide
NO
Yes
Yes
Super Night Vision
SuperEye Dash Cam
The final camera to be reviewed is the SuperEye Dash Cam, which wins the prize for best name at least. This camera has 170∘ wide angle lens that can capture 4 lanes of traffic and 8 infrared LED lights that clearly capture car licence plates and road signs, day or night.
It includes the Sony IMX323 Sensor, that improves sensitivity in the near infrared region while maintaining performance such as visibility, meaning it is smaller and just as effective at night.
The SuperEye has loop recording, collision detection sensor with a Locking mechanism, motion detection function and WDR lens that will improve the color resolution, brightening the extremely dark area and dimming the extremely bright area.
The SuperEye has a touchscreen for easier use, but is surprisingly lacking in both WiFi and GPS. As with the others, you’ll need to buy your own SD card.
SuperEye Dash Cam Features
Screen Size
Maximum Resolution
Maximum Angle
Wifi/GPS
G-Sensor/Parking Monitor
WDR
IR mode
2.7 inches HD Display
1920x1080P at 30 fps
170 degree wide
NO
Yes
Yes
8 LED infrared night vision lights
Our Winner
Whichever dashboard camera you choose, you’ll want to choose one fast.
Fraudulent insurance claims are up and you’ll want to protect yourself from this threat with the simple addition of a camera.
With the insurance breaks there isn’t any reason not to. Keep yourself safe from fraud the same way you keep others safe during your hours on the job.
All of these Dash Cams are great and all have similar features, and it’s difficult to pick the best out of all of them, but our winner would be the Apeman Dash Cam, simply because it has the 3.0″ screen , a wide 170˚ angle lens, super night vision and Durable zinc alloy case.