They usually plug into your car's 12v outlet-although some run on batteries-and record whenever the car is on.ĭash cams can capture footage of incidents, accidents, or unexpected situations such as a reckless driver or traffic stop.

One thing's for sure: If you don't have a dash cam, you won't capture anything.Ī dash cam lets you to record the road as you drive. Or maybe you'll save a bundle of money in repairs and insurance in the event of an accident or mishap. Who knows? Maybe you'll capture a close call on the road-or even a meteor. It's a veritable dash-cam jungle out there, so we've gathered seven of our favorites, of varying prices and features.

Finally, while most require a memory card to preserve footage, most new cameras don't come with a memory card included-and not all are compatible with all micro SD cards.

Battery life is iffy for most models, so if you're planning to keep a watchful eye on your car while it's parked overnight, you must have a 12-volt power outlet that stays live when the car is off.

Image quality, particularly during rapid exposure to bright sunlight (such as when exiting a tunnel or coming out from under an overpass), can vary.

Video quality and file sizes vary due to resolution, frame rate, embedded audio, and compression.

You can spend 50 bucks on a bare-bones, off-brand model, or you can pony up several hundred for a fully featured bundle that will cover your car tip to tail, as well as nearly everything in its perimeter.

Naturally, price points are all over the map, too.

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