What are the most important features of a vehicle camera system?

When it comes to selecting a Vehicle camera system for your fleet, there are a lot of different options to choose from. Here are a few of the most important features to consider.Crisp video quality is critical when reviewing video footage. Look for a dash cam with a wide-angle lens (to ensure you have a good field of view) and high dynamic range (HDR) that offers 1080p full HD video. Look for 1080p or full HD if you want video recordings that are clear enough to read license plates and detect whether drivers` eyes are open or closed.

Built-in artificial intelligence
The best Vehicle Camera Systems now offer built-in artificial intelligence (AI). AI-enabled dash cameras use edge computing to analyze the road and driver behavior in real time. This makes it possible to proactively detect risky behavior, like distracted driving, tailgating, and more. Optional in-can alerts can warn drivers of an impending collision, helping prevent accidents before they happen.

Internet connectivity
To ensure they don`t run out of space while continuously recording footage, most Vehicle Camera systems use loop recording; they overwrite older video files to continue recording new files. If your camera isn`t internet-connected, you will have to manually retrieve footage from the vehicle before it`s overwritten. For a more reliable and convenient option, consider an internet-connected camera. Internet-connected cameras can automatically upload safety-related event footage to the cloud, giving you real-time access to footage for coaching or exoneration. This convenient, remote access to footage can be helpful for investigating false claims or calls from the public.

Automatic harsh event detection
Make sure to choose a vehicle camera system that connects to a telematics device with a built-in accelerometer and g-sensor (for motion detection) and gps tracking. This way, the system can detect safety-related events-like harsh braking, harsh turning, and collisions-and automatically upload footage from before and after the incident for your team to view.

In-cab voice coaching
The best dash cameras have a built-in audio speaker that can play in-cab messages for harsh events, speeding, and unbuckled seat belts-alerting drivers to potentially unsafe behavior in real time. Immediate feedback from in-cab voice coaching is proven to improve driver behavior and reduce preventable accidents.

Low-light or night vision
If your drivers often operate at night, choosing a vehicle camera system with low-light or night vision capabilities is extremely important. Look for a camera with high dynamic range (HDR) and infrared LED to ensure nighttime footage is still crisp and clear.

Plug-and-play installation
Deploying a vehicle camera system in dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of vehicles is no easy feat-which is why choosing hardware that`s easy to install is so important. For example, the best dash cameras include an adhesive strip that easily attaches to your windshield, and they get their power supply from a connected telematics device.

Streamlined coaching tools
When it comes to choosing a vehicle camera system, software is just as important as hardware. Look for dash cam software that helps you make sense of your raw data and footage. The best vehicle camera systems offer online tools that aggregate coachable events, make it easy to coach drivers with suggested scripts, and track safety trends and improvements over time.

Mobile app for drivers and fleet managers
In addition to an online dashboard you can access via your computer, look for a vehicle camera system that offers accompanying smartphone apps. With a mobile app (for both Android cell phones or iPhones), safety managers can access footage while on the go. In case of a not-at-fault accident or false claim, this makes it easy to send footage to drivers or police on the scene.