The benefits of installing dash cams in company vehicles are plentiful – it can save money and keep drivers safe by monitoring driving behaviours, for example – but there are concerns many potential buyers have about their operation and use in the long term.
Can it drain my battery?
Most dashcams are plugged into the 12V port, through the vehicle’s ODB-II port or directly to the vehicle though the fuse box and do not draw much power during operation. MDMtoGO’s AI-enabled webcam draws a mere 225mA at 12V when active, and in standby mode draws even less – a barely perceptible 32mA at 12V.
Depending on whether the vehicle in question uses an AGM style lead-acid battery or a flooded style lead-acid battery, it would take around 45 or 137 days, respectively, for a full-size 50Ah battery to drop below the safe 50% charge threshold while in standby mode.
That’s a lot of words to say that it is possible to drain a vehicle’s battery if it’s left in storage for a long time with a hardwired dashcam installed, but even if the vehicle is only driven once a month, it is highly unlikely to occur.
How many hours can a dashcam record?
The recording capacity of a dash cam can vary greatly. The two things to keep in mind are the storage capacity and the recording quality, both of which the user can control in most cases since the video quality can be changed in settings and the data is usually stored in a removable SD card. By lowering the video quality or using a larger SD card you can record more footage on your dashcam, and vice versa.
If recording in 1080p, an 8GB SD card can be expected to hold 55 minutes, a 16GB SD card can hold 110 minutes and so on. Most dash cams are equipped with continuous loop recording and record over the old footage when they run out of storage.
Do dashcams record at all times?
Most dashcams power up when they detect the vehicle has been turned on, although some do allow the user to turn them on and off at will. Some can record when the vehicle is turned off if they are still receiving power, either from being hardwired into the vehicle or plugged into an always-on port, meaning you could potentially always have the camera running, short of the vehicle losing power or some other error such as a damaged power cable.
MDMtoGO Fleet’s AI dash cam records for 10 minutes after the vehicle is turned off by default and will power back on if it detects a strong jolt.
How can I view the dashcam footage?
This also can vary based on the model of dashcam. Typically, there is an SD card that can be removed and inserted into an SD card reader on your computer. More modern dashcams, like MDMtoGO Fleet’s AI dashcam, automatically upload footage to be stored in the cloud via a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. This allows you to view the footage on your computer without having to physically handle the SD card, potentially losing or damaging it.
MDMtoGo Fleet’s SIM-enabled AI dashcam uploads its footage to the cloud in real time through the cellular network, allowing you to view livestreams of your fleet in addition to accessing recorded video footage.
MDMtoGo Fleet’s AI dashcam
As mentioned in this article, the MDMtoGo Fleet’s AI dashcam is a cutting-edge device that records the road as well as the cab. Using AI to detect unsafe driving, our dashcam saves you money while keeping your fleet safe.
To learn more about the MDMtoGO Fleet AI dashcam, connect with us at info@mdmtogo.com, and a member of our team will be happy to assist!