Choosing between a 1CH or 2CH Dash Cam?
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So you have decided you want a Dash Cam in 2023. Good decision.
Maybe you saw something happen on the road and thought it would have been good to catch that on Dash Cam.
Maybe the footage could have helped a fellow road user determine who was at fault. Maybe the footage could assist the police.
Maybe you were unfortunately caught up in a road rage incident or someone was driving aggressively around you.
Maybe someone intentionally backed into you so they could make an insurance claim to get their car written off.
Maybe your car is being targeted while parked.
There are many situations where Dash Cam evidence can assist you or other drivers.
The decision now is whether you should purchase a 1CH (front recording) Dash Cam or a 2CH (front and rear recording Dash Cam).
There are a few things to consider before making the decision.
Things to consider before purchasing a 1CH Dash Cam in 2023:
1CH Dash Cams are front recording systems only. There is no rear Dash Cam in the box.
1CH Dash Cams will record the road ahead.
From an installation standpoint, these are easier to install as there is no front to rear cable that needs to be installed to the back camera.
Basically, the front Dash Cam mounts on the front windscreen and one cable runs from the Dash Cam to a power source – either a cig lighter socket or hardwired to the fusebox to enable the park mode feature.
You could say 1CH systems are more “plug and play”.
1CH Dash Cams are also easier to transfer if using in multiple vehicles. You don’t have the extra front to rear cable and rear cam to keep swapping between cars.
From an evidence standpoint, 1CH Dash Cams do still tell most of the story. The front footage not only shows driving behaviour ahead of you, but provides evidence of your driving behaviour at the time of an incident. So even if you are hit from behind or the side which would be out of the 1CH Dash Cams view, the footage can still prove that you were driving legally at the time and had no way of avoiding the incident.
For example, in a rear end incident, a 1CH Dash Cam will show what you were doing before being rear-ended. If you were stationary at a red light while being rear-ended, the footage will show that you were not at fault. The driver behind you was obviously not paying attention and not looking forward for them to rear-end you at a red light. The driver at fault cannot say that you suddenly stopped.
Another common accident on the road is when the driver in front of you backs into you. They are either not paying attention, misjudged the distance, or accidentally went heavy on the accelerator. A 1CH Dash Cam will record their behaviour and more importantly, show that your behaviour was not at fault.
Another increasingly worrying scenario is when a driver purposely backs into you. Generally, in a rear-end accident, the driver behind who’s front end is damaged is deemed at fault. So without footage or witnesses, the driver that rear-ended is generally to blame. Scammers and fraudsters know this, and can use this against you. Let’s say somebody damaged the back of their car themselves. They may have backed in to their fence at home or backed into a wall in a car park. The rear of their car is already damaged. They don’t want to make a claim because they will have to pay their excess and lose their no claim bonus. So what they can do is purposely rear-end you while you are behind them. Without Dash Cam footage or witnesses, you would normally be deemed responsible unless proven otherwise. Had you had a 1CH Dash cam at the front, the footage would clearly show you were being setup and scammed.
To throw in one more scenario. Let’s say you are driving along at the speed limit, doing nothing illegal, and a child runs out on the road in front of you (hopefully this ever happens to ANYBODY). Unfortunately the child is hit and there are no witnesses. A Dash Cam would show that you were doing nothing wrong and it would have been impossible to avoid. The footage would be used by the authorities during the investigation. If your Dash Cam has GPS, the speed would be recorded on the footage adding to your evidence that you were doing nothing wrong and the incident couldn’t have been avoided. So without the Dash Cam footage and no witnesses, what would authorities assume? Would an investigation without footage or witnesses’ put you in the clear?
So in summary, having at least one Dash Cam at the front, will always be more beneficial than having NO Dash Cam at the front.
From a cost standpoint, 1CH Dash Cams are cheaper than their 2CH counterparts. Having only one camera in the box is cheaper. So if your budget only caters for a 1CH, you are still getting a valuable witness on your side. Having a 1CH Dash Cam in your car is much better than having no Dash Cam.
From a memory card standpoint, you will be able to save more videos on the Micro SD card before it fills up and starts looping over. Because you are recording with just one Dash Cam, you can fit more videos on the card. 2CH Dash Cams essentially give you half the recording capabilities because you are saving videos for both camera on the card.
So why get a rear cam then? Things to consider before purchasing a 2CH Dash Cam in 2023:
The rear camera on a 2CH Dash Cam system adds an extra layer of evidence and protection. You get the same benefits of the front footage out the back too.
Having both the front and rear footage tells the entire story of what happened. If a driver rear ends you at a red light, the front footage shows you were stationary while the back footage shows the actual incident. The rear camera might even pick up the driver looking down at their phone.
From a parked car standpoint, the benefits of a rear camera especially shine in park mode.
For example, if you are parked in a double bay carpark where there is a spot behind yours, the rear cam will cover this area. If someone enters the spot behind you, hits your car and drives off, your rear cam will pick that up. If there is no rear cam, there is no footage. If the license plate is made out, your insurance company or the police can track them down. It is illegal to leave the scene of an incident and/or not leave details after causing damage. This will save you from making a claim and paying your excess.
Dash Cams can also deter car thefts. Let’s say there is a row of parked cars and someone is going to break into a car. They will probably leave the car with the blinking Dash Cam light alone and go for a car without a Dash Cam.
If your car is parked alone and they see the Dash Cams park mode light flashing, they will most likely move on. There is a risk of being caught and identified if a Dash Cam is recording.
From a road rage point of view, a rear camera can deter dangerous tail gaters. We all experience them. They are in a rush, you are driving too slow, they think you cut them off. Aggressive tail gaters put you under pressure as they duck and weave and ride you.
In most instances, if the tail gater notices the rear Dash Cam they will back off. They would realise that you potentially have their number plate and you can show the police and track them down.
So in summary, a 2CH Dash Cam is the ultimate protection. Who can argue with both front and rear footage?
As a minimum, every driver should at least have a 1CH Dash Cam. Every driver needs to protect of their version of events, even if you are in the right, you need to prove it.
Dash Cam footage is hard to dispute and is more reliable than stressed or shocked witnesses, or even worse, no witnesses at all.
Below are comparison charts of our most popular 1CH & 2CH Dash Cams in 2023.
Most Popular Front Recording Dash Cams in 2023 (1CH):
Most Popular Front & Rear Recording Dash Cams in 2023 (2CH):
If you have any further enquiries or would like more assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on (03) 9350 2605 or info@dashcamsaustralia.com.au or chat with us live on our LIVE CHAT tab on the site. We are more than happy to answer any questions or assist you with a Dash Cam recommendation.
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