I have been considering getting a dashcam for some time now as we do a lot of travelling all over the country.
As you may or may not know, dash cams are ever increasing in popularity with many drivers looking for that extra piece of mind whilst on the roads.
In addition, dash cams can also help many save money on insurance with some companies offering discounts on premiums if you have one installed – so you can pocket some extra cash too!
Dashboard cameras – commonly know as “dashcams” – are wired into your car and automatically turn on and start recording when the car is started. They come with built-in memory and record on a continuous loop, ensuring that you never miss an accident and can be used to help prove that an incident on the road was, or was not your fault.
I was sent the Mio MiVue 658 WIFI to review, which comes with the following features:
- 2.7 inch touch screen – offers true ease of use: intuitive and user friendly
- Extreme HD recording – 2304 x 1296 at 30 fps – with the latest H.264 technology for high quality videos at a smaller file size
- Integrated WIFI – easily send your videos to your smartphone for back up, or share your experiences on Facebook via the MiVue app
- GPS tracking – automatically records your driving information, including speed, altitude, longitude, latitude and heading
- Speed alarm – offers a sound alert if you go over the speed limit
- Add safety cameras – add a new safety camera to your device
In the box are a quick start guide, the in-car charger and the dashcam iteself.
After looking online I found the best place to install it is behind the rearview mirror so it does not cause an obstruction to your view.
The cable is long enough to tuck around the windscreen (easier said than done) and plug in to the lighter socket of the car, however, I do have an issue with this as the cable comes with a fixed plug rather than a USB end which means I cannot use my satnav and the dashcam at the same time.
I love the speed camera alert feature, especially on unfamiliar roads, the recordings are sharp and in focus and it’s very easy to operate – when you are not driving of course!
We have been driving with it for a couple of months now and it offers added peace of mind that if the worst does happen, we will have a record of the events to help any insurance claims.
If you slam on the brakes, or make a sharp move, sensors inside the unit automatically start to record a 20sec ‘event’ video, showing the seconds before the event and a few seconds after… and conveniently stores these videos in an ‘event’ folder on the SD Card.
There is an orange ‘manual event’ button on the front of the unit also, so if you want to record any issues in front of you, just press the button and it also has a motion detection feature that activates and records from a parked car with no driver present, provided you have a constant power supply smartbox.
Why use a Dashcam?
Proof in case of accidents – Mio’s dash cams have the ability to record every vehicle journey including capturing the moment of an impact so can help provide proof before, during and after an accident.
Protect yourself from fraudulent claims – Recorded proof from the dash cams can be used to help resolve accident liability claims, ‘stop cash for crash’ claims as well as protect your ‘No Claims Bonus’.
Peace of mind when driving on the roads – Feeling and being safe on the road is paramount! So why not protect yourself against instances of road rage and become more aware of your own driving speed with the safety camera alerts.
After seeing the increase in car insurance prices and accidents on the roads we have thought about purchasing one of these.
I’ve seen more and more cars with these in recently and it is something I’d consider getting. We were involved in a serious car crash (the other drivers fault) and it would have been good to have a dashcam!
I’ve thought about buying one for a while too, this one looks fab! It’s worth it to cover yourself, there are far too many accidents on the roads these days!
Wow this sounds like a really great way to have peace of mind when on the roads – off to investigate further!
I think all the major car insurers should start encouraging more usage of these. It annoys me that I pay such high premiums because of other useless road users. Great place to have it and even better that it alerts you to speed cameras as my sat nav doesn’t do that. Mind you should it? lol
You never know when accidents can happen and the dashcam sounds like a great way to record event sequences as proof x
I think these are such a good idea as u never know when an accident may happen. This one sounds like a really good brand.
I think these are a great idea, so handy to have that footage if you’re ever involved in an accident. This seems like a great model.
I had no idea insurance companies gave discounts if you owned one of these – think it may be time to purchase one! This one looks great 🙂 x
While it makes me a little sad we have come to a point where humans can’t sort it out fairly between themselves, it does make lots of sense and I am amazed at what they can do! I know a relative just got much cheaper insurance with something like this installed.
My parents have a dashcam and love it, we haven’t got around to it yet but will get one when we have some spare money 🙂
my boyfriend also has a dashcam in his car and unfortunately, he had to use it already. I think it’s a good tool for safety reasons, specially when something which wasn’t your faults happens x
I’ve been thinking of getting one for a while now. I’m so sick of seeing idiots on the road, and not having the capacity to record any of it, I thought it an ideal way of having a record.
Little bothered about where they sit, I have seen people with them stuck in an obvious place that obstucts view and wonder how they get away with it. You seem to have placed it in a good place.
We’ve been contemplating one. It’s a great way for a bit of security and peace of mind x
Whata nifty little gadget and one that I never knew exsisted, great if it helps for car insurance to go down
This sounds like a great device. I hadn’t realised you can get a discount on your car insurance if you use them. It sounds like a good investment
I enjoyed reading your review. I especially liked the portability of the dash cam and that you can easily move it from car to car. I recently reviewed the Roav dash cam, made by Anker and that one records also while the car is parked when it senses motion or impact, this is also great if the car is hit when no witnesses are there. I also never realized one can get a discount on car insurance if they use a dash cam!
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