Been involved in an accident? Captured something interesting or amazing while driving? Follow these steps to protect the videos stored on your dash cam. These simple instructions apply to almost all dashboard video cameras. You may click on any image to view a larger version.
The Dashcam Store™ now has a Video Bounty program where you can earn cash for your footage! If you happen to capture something amazing on dash cam, and you own the rights to the video (meaning, you recorded the incident yourself on your own dash cam), you can upload the clip using our easy drag-and-drop video upload page. If the clip is interesting enough, and we use it for any reason (such as promotional or educational purposes), we will pay you!
Here's how to protect that important video until you get safely home:
Protect Dash Cam Video Files In Case Of An Accident
Step 1: Learn your camera's "lock" function
Many dash cams have the ability to "lock" (protect) a video file from being overwritten. Some models even have a dedicated "lock" button. It's a good idea to learn where these buttons are or how to access the lock functionality before you need to actually use it! So for step one, we will identify the lock button. Do this before you go driving! See the images below for examples:
If you can't find a dedicated button on your dash cam to protect video files from being overwritten, please consult the owner's manual for further instructions.
Step 2: Protect that video file!
When you capture something on video that you want to save or protect (lock), all you need to do is immediately hit the button or perform the action you identified in step 1. Usually, you will see an on-screen confirmation that the video file is now locked, and will not be overwritten.
If the video is especially critical (for example, you were involved in a car accident) or especially incredible (for example, you just saw Sasquatch walk in front of your car), we recommend locking the video file, and then unplugging and putting your dash cam in a safe place until you can retrieve the video files. This is just double insurance to ensure that you will have no problem obtaining your footage from the dash cam later.
If you are really worried about losing the video, and aren't sure how to protect the file from being overwritten, the best thing to do is just turn the dash cam off (via either the power button or by physically unplugging it), and storing it in a safe place until you can retrieve the video.
Most importantly, do not mess with your dash cam while you are driving! We cannot stress this enough, the video can wait until you are safely pulled off the road. Please, for your safety and for the safety of others around you, pull over before doing anything with your dash cam.
For instructions on how to copy the video files to your computer, please see our retrieve videos instructional how-to.
As always, drive safe!
To request additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us. We always give our best effort to respond to inquiries within 1 business day.