Dashcam

EDRs and some dashcams also record acceleration/deceleration g-force, speed, steering angle, GPS data, voltage of the power source (vehicle's electrical net), etc.

A wide-angle 130, 170° or more front camera may be attached to the interior windscreen, to the rear-view mirror (clip on), or to the top of the dashboard, by suction cup or adhesive-tape mount.

To ensure a reliable 24/7 parking surveillance when capacity is an issue, a motion detector may be used to record only when an approaching human/vehicle is detected, in order to save power and storage media.

Dashcams usually use class 10 or above MicroSDHC or MicroSDXC cards usually 16 GB or higher or internal memory to save videos.

Dashcams can be plugged in via the cigarette lighter socket, or may be hardwired directly into the electrical system, freeing up the power outlet for other uses.

In order to store files and properly format the media card when power is turned off, dashcams use either a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery or a capacitor.

Dashcams are widespread in Russia[2] as a guard against police corruption and insurance fraud, where they provide additional evidence.

[3] They have been called "ubiquitous" and "an on-line obsession", and are so prevalent that dashcam recordings were the most common videos of the February 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor,[4] which was documented from at least a dozen angles.

[12] While dashcams are gaining in popularity as a way of protection against distortion of facts, they also attract negative attitudes for privacy concerns.

[24][25][26] Freedom of information laws mean that the footage can be released under some circumstances,[27] and this can be an important tool in reporting on police actions.