This Dash Cam Is My Best Tech Upgrade of the Year.
Living in 2025 means assuming you’re being constantly recorded. Cameras are installed practically everywhere we go: CCTV cameras, video doorbells, and smartphones are constantly recording, and they’re so ubiquitous that I’m inclined to believe that if I go outside, I’m being watched.
But behind the wheel, the situation can be different. Sure, there are cameras on the roads—either street cameras or built into modern cars—but there are plenty of moments behind the wheel when your actions aren’t recorded. This can be seen as a welcome respite from the surveillance of modern life, but it also means that in the event of an accident, things can quickly devolve into a dispute over who said who. Someone might back into your car, but since there were no cameras to document the accident, your insurance company might throw in the towel and force you both to pay for something you weren’t at fault for.
Download Newsletter
I’ve never been in this situation before, but I’m tired of worrying about it. My car is quite old and doesn’t have the modern safety features that new cars now have, including cameras. While a Tesla records everything in and around the car, my car doesn’t. If someone accidentally crashes into my car, or worse, intentionally tries to deceive me, I might be out of luck, and without clear evidence, I won’t be at fault.
You won’t regret buying a dash cam, even if you never use it.
After reading too many horror stories online, I decided it was time to get a dash cam. But before I did, I received one last Christmas —a Redtiger 4K dash cam . Setting it up was fairly simple, though even after a year of use, I still haven’t fully utilized it: the main unit attaches to the windshield with a cable that plugs into the cigarette lighter, but this particular model also comes with a rear camera, which requires a little extra effort to install. I’ve been a bit lazy with this, but I should probably get around to it, as it would be useful to have a camera that also covers the rear of my car.
I’d love to tell a heartbreaking story about how my dashcam saved me over the past year, or at least a story about how I captured some crazy driving behavior from other drivers. But, to get ahead of myself, I haven’t had to use it yet, as, fortunately, I haven’t been in an accident or even in a dangerous situation. But the peace of mind that comes from knowing that even a minor accident can be serious is very comforting. When I’m driving on a busy road, it’s nice to know I have extra protection in case someone swerves into oncoming traffic or decides to text while driving.
There are so many different dash cam models out there, so I won’t try to prove that mine is the one for everyone. But there are a few things I like about it: first, the main unit records in 4K, meaning your videos will be clear enough to use if you need to prove your innocence. While 4K takes up more recording space than 1080p, this model is designed to overwrite itself when the space is full. Since you likely won’t need all the footage from your driving scene, you don’t have to worry about running out of space, and you can access the file whenever something happens. There are other features I don’t use, like Wi-Fi connectivity and a smart app, but I prefer to simply copy the videos from the included SD card—at least, that’s what I would do if I ever needed one.