Technology

I Wish I’d Had This Three-Way-View Dashcam When a Driver Hit My Car and Drove Off

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Vantrue’s reliable, well-reviewed 4K dashcam records anything and everything that happens in and around your vehicle. I wish I’d had it when I was swiped by a car not long ago.

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I never understood just how vital dashcams were until I really needed one. Oddly enough, I spent countless hours last year scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, watching myriad scary, eye-opening dashcam videos that captured insane auto accidents, road-rage incidents, car break-ins, and more auto-related events. And while I was definitely taken aback by many of these videos, I wasn’t convinced to pull the trigger on having a dashcam in my own car because I wondered if I would ever actually need one. Well, I learned very quickly that I did.

A few months ago, a driver swiped the front side of my car in a parking lot and drove off, and because I wasn’t able to identify their license plate and didn’t have the event recorded on camera, I was up a creek when it came time to file an insurance claim that cost $1,000. It was after that upsetting, costly event that I decided to trust all the signs and look into investing in a dashcam that would be easy to operate, affordable, and super reliable. I certainly didn’t want to be in a bind like this ever again, and after looking into it, I was surprised by just how affordable dashcams are.

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Dashcams have been around a long time, and the ones sold today are as state-of-the-art and efficient as they come. The best ones you can buy capture numerous views at the same time—interior, exterior, and rear—and keep all of the events around and in your vehicle documented, stored, and ready to share in case you ever need to utilize them.

And while there is any number of dashcams you can buy, there are very few brands that have as great of reviews as Vanture. After some initial research and reading in-depth reviews about all their different dashcams, I decided to try the Vantrue N4 3 Channel 4K Dashcam and see if it lived up to its many 5-star reviews. I wanted a camera that would capture a full 360-degree view of my vehicle, and help me feel secure and safe on the road.

Vanture 3 Chanel 4K Dashcam
Down from $300

What I immediately appreciated about the Vantrue N4 3 Channel 4K Dash Cam is just how easy it was to set-up in my SUV. I was able to assemble everything and get it ready to go on my own in about forty-five minutes without relying too heavily on the manual to guide me. And, if forty-five minutes seems too long, it’s not putting the camera together that takes the longest; it’s running the rear-camera wire up to the front of the vehicle, but all it takes is some patience and ingenuity, and from there it’s incredibly easy.

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After I got the interior/exterior camera and the rear camera set up and rolling, I took the dashcam out for a spin to get a full view of the picture quality. Right away, I noticed how crystal clear the 4K picture appeared on the footage. Everything from license plates, road signs, distant vehicles— you name it—was very visible, clear, and easy to identify in the footage. And if you’re worried about not being able to capture imagery you might need down the line, rest easy: the dashcam footage is stored on a memory card. You will need to purchase a 32GB to 256GB memory card for the dashcam since Vantrue doesn’t provide one, but you can purchase one from Vantrue, or find any number of different reputable ones sold on Amazon.

Even at night, the footage on the dashcam is amazingly clear. Though I haven’t had to use it yet, the camera also comes with an on-board G-Sensor, which detects and records crashes and locks the recorded video to prevent it from being lost or overwritten down the line. With this nifty feature, you don’t have to worry about the camera losing any footage you may need to access later, such as for an insurance claim or a police report. Even the audio on the camera records exceptionally well, though there is the option to turn the sound off if you desire.

What I appreciate most about the Vantrue N4 3 Channel 4K Dashcam is the peace of mind it gives me knowing that I don’t have to drive with anxiety. After my incident a few months ago, I’m warier about the drivers around me, but I know that if something unfortunate does happen, I’ll have a solid video to back up my claim in case I’m not at fault.

The way I see it, it’s better to be out $200 or so on a dashcam you can use in the years to come instead out a $1,000 on an insurance claim you’ll wish you could have prevented if only you invested in a dashcam. I’ve been there and done that and can tell you the dashcam is worth the investment.

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