No doubt, Indian traffic and road conditions are far from the best in the world. While driving, one needs to be ultra-careful to avoid mishaps by carefully making way through everything from stray animals to rash drivers. The condition is so bad that in 2019, as many as 4.37 lakh accidents happened on Indian roads. Other than the accidents, there often are even many incidents of road rage, which is something that's often as dangerous as an accident as those involved even get hurt. Thanks to all this, it makes incredible sense to buy a good dashcam as it works as proof that might be needed to safeguard your interests in case you are ever involved in an unfortunate event.
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A dashcam is basically a compact camera that is mounted on the windscreen and records the road ahead. Some cars even have a dashcam that records the rearview. This camera can record at the push of a button, but by default, it starts recording as soon as you start driving. The captured footage is saved on an SD card that can be easily read. Also, there are dash cams that have loop recording wherein the old footage is automatically deleted once the card is full as it is overwritten by the new footage.
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How To Choose The Best Dash Cam in India?
You can pick the best dash cam based on your exact needs and usage conditions. Basically, the factors mentioned below should be kept in mind, and you should choose a camera accordingly.
Chipset
The chipset is the heart of any electronic gadget - be it a mobile phone or a laptop, or even a dashcam. A dashcam with a good chipset will easily record everything without any sort of lag in the recording.
Gyro Sensor (G Sensor)
Having a Gyro sensor or a G sensor in the Dashcam enables it to automatically record the footage of a frontal accident in case the sensor notes the impact.
Loop Recording
Most cameras these days support loop recording as it saves one from the trouble of emptying the memory card every now and then. In a loop recording system, the old footage is over-written by the new one as soon as the memory card gets exhausted. A good thing here is that the Dashcam doesn't overwrite any footage that has been recorded when the G sensor has sensed an impact.
Video Resolution
A camera with a poor resolution is mostly as good as not having any camera at all. The same is the case with the Dashcam. I mean, what's the use of the camera if the footage is hardly clear. Some dash cams even offer a resolution of ultra 4K these days, but in case you don't want to spend much, you can still go for a full HD resolution to ensure decent video recording quality.
Wi-Fi and GPS
This might not look like a must-have at first, but having GPRS or WiFi in a dashcam can turn out to be very useful in case your vehicle is stolen.
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Best Dash Cams in India 2024
Today, anyone who is out there to buy a dashcam is pretty much spoilt for choice as he can choose from a range of options. With this, let's take a look at some of the most sensible options out there -
1. Nextbase 522GW
This Dashcam features a GPS tracker and even offers a great video quality of 1440p. It also comes with Alexa support built into it from the factory, which means you can control it through voice commands like Start recording or Stop recording.
2. Aukey Dashboard Camera
This Dashcam features a 6 lens recording system that offers 1080p resolution. It even offers night vision that enables the recording of sufficiently clear footage even in low light conditions. This camera also looks quite stylish and has a compact form factor.
3. DDPAI Mini Car Dash Cam
This Dashcam comes with all the essential features while still not being too expensive. It is also one of the best non-screen options available in the country right now. It has a compact design and supports a mobile app through which you can easily check recent recordings.
4. 70mai Smart Dash Cam Pro 1944P HD Camera
The 70mai Smart dash cam is among the most popular devices at the moment. It features all the required facilities such as loop recording and GPS and even comes with an AI-integrated technology and offers voice controls. Another great feature of this dash cam is that it comes with a Driver Alert System that warns a driver in case of a possibility of a frontal collision.
5. DDPAI Mini3
This dash comes with many features but is a. pretty costly option when compared to its counterparts. However, in spite of the steep price, one can't ignore that this is the first-ever 1660p car ever made. It provides a very clear image regardless of whether it is day or night.
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6. Transcend DrivePro 200
The Transcend DrivePro 200 offers a 7 layer screen with infrared filtering, which is something that results into a very clear picture in all sorts of conditions. The camera even offers a great battery backup while it is quite compact.
7. Blaupunkt BP 2.1 FHD
With a sticker price of less than Rs 3,000, this is the most affordable Dashcam on this list that we have here. It comes with all the basic features that one expects from an affordable dashcam. However, the recording quality is not all that great during nighttime, which is a price you have to pay for saving some money at the time of purchase.
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So, this was our list of best dash cams in India 2021, along with a small guide on how to choose the best dash cam for your car. Are you planning to purchase a used car? If so, we, at Cars24, can not only offer you a range of used hatchback and sedan cars to choose from but can also take care of all the necessary paperwork, including the RC transfer, absolutely free of cost. Not only this, but you can even put our used car value calculator to use in order to find out the accurate resale value of any used car in India.
FAQ's
A: Until now, there is no specific law on the usage of dashcams, and hence, you can install one without fearing any legal consequence. A dashcam is similar to a CCTV, and there should be no issue as long as it doesn't violate anyone's privacy. That said, you sure need to turn them off at places where any type of photography or video recording is prohibited. Such places generally include defence establishments and some government offices.
A: Yes, the Dashcam recording can surely be used as proof and help you in case you're in some legal trouble or in case you are having trouble getting an insurance claim processed.
A: Of course, you can. However, most dash cams don't offer remote operations, which means you won't be able to keep an eye on the vehicle's location in case the user turns the Dashcam off.