Mirror Dash Cams

How mirror dash cams work

A mirror dash cam straps over your existing rear-view mirror. The front camera records the road ahead, the screen doubles as a mirror, and most include a rear camera that records behind you and can act as a backup camera.

What to compare

• Rear camera wiring. The rear camera runs a cable to the back of the vehicle. It's a tidy afternoon job, or any car audio shop can do it.
• Parking mode. To record while parked, the camera usually needs to be hardwired to the fuse box rather than plugged into a 12 V socket.
• Memory card. Loop recording overwrites the oldest footage, and a crash clip is locked automatically. Use the card size the camera lists.

Common questions

Are dash cams legal in Canada and the US?

Recording the road from your own vehicle is generally allowed. Rules about mounting devices on the windshield vary by province and state, which is one reason people like a mirror dash cam: it sits where your mirror already is.

Does a mirror dash cam need a subscription?

No. Footage saves to a memory card in the camera.