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Driving your vehicle is typically an easy-going gig, but when you’re faced with troublesome onlookers bad drivers on the road, it can become costly without proof that you’re not at fault.
For many drivers, the Vantrue N2 Pro is a prime solution.
While we like to imagine that insurance fraud is unlikely and false customer complaints are rare, driving hundreds of people each week may cause less than ideal encounters every once in a while.
As a rideshare driver, it’s important to take precautions for anything that may happen — in and outside of your vehicle.
In this article, we’ll go into further detail about how dash cams can help you, why drivers choose the Vantrue N2 Pro, and the best alternatives.
Why Do I Need a Dash Cam?
When your daily life requires you to spend an increased time on the roads, you may be more susceptible to car accidents and general liabilities.
Having a reliable dash cam can provide you with an extra layer of protection to prevent many forms of injustices, including:
- Accidents caused by other drivers
- Falsified complaints from passengers
- Vehicular damages caused by pedestrians
Whereas premium insurance adds up over time — and doesn’t provide solid protection from rowdy riders — a one-time investment in a dual dash cam can be all you need to reduce all forms of risk.
With interior and exterior-facing cameras, you’ll have all corners covered during every trip.
Top Pick: Vantrue N2 Pro
One of the most popular selections for rideshare and taxi drivers is the Vantrue N2 Pro dual dash cam.
This high-definition dash cam provides clear images during the day and uses infrared night vision when it’s dark, with an impressive 170-degree angle for the road and an interior angle that captures the entirety of your vehicle.
With the ability to record at 1920x1080p at 60 fps (or 2560x1440p at 30 fps), you can expect to be able to see details and read license plates at any time of the day.
Because of the dual 1080p footage from the front camera and rear camera, you shouldn’t expect the camera to store a full week of continuous recording.
However, the camera’s loop recording capabilities will automatically overwrite your oldest footage so you don’t have to manually erase anything.
If you do need to pull footage, you can pull files from your SD card at any time.
Plus, the Vantrue N2 Pro has a handy collision detection feature that prevents overwriting when a sudden shake occurs.
The dash cam is equipped with a G-sensor (gravity sensor) that detects sudden changes in movement, whether that’s the force of a collision or a sudden speed change.
Here are some additional features we love about the N2 Pro dash cam:
- It syncs with your vehicle to turn on and off with your engine. Or, if you have the dash camera connected to an external power supply or hardwire the camera, you can set the car in parking mode. Parking mode turns on the dash cam’s motion detection feature, and starts recording only when triggered.
- Video recordings are stored separately for each camera, so you won’t have to review internal and external footage simultaneously when an incident occurs.
- High quality audio recording is included.
- Its Auto LCD Off feature stops the flashing recording light after a short time frame, so your eyes are focused on the road.
- The camera additionally takes pictures at specified time intervals if you choose to use the time lapse feature.
- The Vantrue camera supports microSD cards with impressive storage capabilities, up to 256 GB.
- Unlike typical dash cams that utilize Sony sensors for both cameras, the Vantrue product uses a OV4689 sensor for its front camera to ensure the best visibility.
You can purchase the Vantrue N2 Pro on Amazon for $199.99.
Vantrue N2 Pro Alternatives
The Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam is an excellent product that covers many key features for rideshare drivers, but at its price point, many drivers note that it’s missing a few helpful items, too.
For example:
- Its optional GPS and vehicle speed tracking features are not included, and actually require a separate part that costs just under $22.
- The microSD card for recording is not included with the camera.
- The dash cam is not compatible with SanDisk SD cards, which are some of the most widely available and affordable SD cards. Vantrue only recommends the Samsung brand for your separate purchase.
Below are two dual dash cam options that resolve some of the Vantrue N2 Pro’s downsides, and work as great alternatives to the popular product.
1. Crosstour Dual Lens Dash Cam
Crosstour dash cams are some of the best in the industry, so this one did not dissapoint.
This top-rated dual dash cam provides plenty of features that are highlights for the Vantrue N2 Pro.
For example:
- It uses a Sony sensor to provide full HD footage in low-light environments for its interior and front-facing cameras.
- It uses four infrared LED lights to enhance its night vision mode.
- It can record a whole four lanes of traffic ahead of you and the entirety of your vehicle.
- It supports loop monitoring.
- It has a built-in G-sensor to lock in videos and prevent the overwriting of important files.
- It can connect directly to your car charger while you drive, so you don’t need an external battery pack.
Though the Crosstour product doesn’t constantly detect movement while on parking mode, it will record 30 seconds of video if your vehicle is hit with an external force.
This monitoring is done without the need for an external power source, and the camera turns off immediately after recording to save battery.
What makes the Crosstour Dual Lens Dash Cam significantly more useful for its cost is the inclusion of its GPS module, so you can track your driving route and speed without purchasing and installing a completely separate part or GPS mount.
Like the Vantrue dash cam, the Crosstour camera doesn’t include a microSD card either.
But… at less than half the cost of the Vantrue product with no specified brand limitations, the additional SD card purchase certainly won’t be a significant investment.
However, we will note that the Crosstour camera only supports 32 GB max.
You can purchase the Crosstour Dual Lens Dash Cam on Amazon for $79.99.
2. Pruveeo D30H Dash Cam
This dual dash cam provides many of the Vantrue N2 Pro’s primary features, from loop recording to high-quality infrared night vision.
Though it doesn’t have special parking modes or G-sensors, the Pruveeo cam provides some interesting features that the Vantrue N2 Pro doesn’t.
First off, it offers Wi-Fi connection, allowing you to view real-time footage via the compatible Tima Cam mobile application.
In addition, the display on the camera (a two-inch TFT LCD screen) itself is slightly larger than the Vantrue camera’s display.
Each camera can also be rotated 180 degrees vertically, or 50 degrees horizontally.
Again, this dash camera doesn’t include a microSD card, but since its price is on par with the Crosstour camera, the mini SD card is absolutely worth the minimal cost.
Like Vantrue, Pruveeo does suggest Samsung EVO cards, but does state that it supports SanDisk High Endurance microSD cards as well.
Though the Pruveeo D30H dash cam doesn’t support 256 GB, it still supports an impressively high 128 GB.
You can purchase the Pruveeo D30H Dash Cam on Amazon for $79.99.
Before Purchasing Your Dash Cam
Don’t go out spending your hard-earned money without doing some research.
While dual dash cams are perfectly fine in the majority of states, some local regulations may prevent you from recording without consent.
Namely, states like California, Washington, Illinois, and Florida have two-party consent laws, which can make ongoing interior recording — especially audio recording — illegal.
Some states’ regulations consider a visible sign the equivalent of consent.
Make sure you’re comfortable asking your riders for consent to keep your dash cam on.
In addition, select states may have restrictions to prevent additional obstructions on the road.
As we noted in our article about cell phone car mounts, windshield suction cup mounts like the Vantrue N2 Pro’s are sometimes not allowed.
Other states may have simple size restrictions for dash cams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting a dash cam truly is a form of insurance in itself.
To help you learn more about your options before you make your purchase, here are our answers to two common questions:
1. How can I use the Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam if windshield mounts aren’t allowed in my state?
Because windshield suction cup mounts are the most popular attachment styles for dash cams, there are a handful of products out there that resolve this issue.
Most commonly recommended by Vantrue and other companies are adhesive mounting discs, which you can purchase for under $10 on Amazon and in many big-box stores like Walmart and Target.
2. Can I get a tax deduction for my Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam purchase?
In most cases, yes!
As long as you are using the dash cam primarily while driving for Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare services, this product will likely qualify you for a tax deduction.
This is because it’s directly related to your service, but we recommend that you consult with your accountant to confirm.
3. Can I record a passenger with their permission in two-party consent states?
Yes, you can record with consent.
In two-party consent states, your dash cam cannot be recording until you receive permission, but once your passenger OKs the recording, you can turn it back on.
To be completely safe, you can ask for consent again on camera for evidence that no laws were broken.
Asking your passengers for permission doesn’t have to lead to an awkward situation.
Simply greet your riders as they enter the vehicle and ask if they’re comfortable with you keeping your dash cam on during the ride.
Make sure they understand that the interior of the vehicle will be recorded, and respect their decision if they decline.
No matter their response, keep it short and casual, and don’t linger on the topic, or else your rider may be more focused on the recording than on your five star-worthy ride.
Protect Your Wallet and Your Career
When it comes to rideshare, it’s capturing the worst moments can help you maintain a clean, record-free driving career.
A one-time investment can not only save you hundreds in the future, but also prevent you from being deactivated from your line of work.
We hope this guide has helped you select a dash camera suited to your needs.
For an in-depth look at a handful of other dash cam options besides the Vantrue N2 Pro, take a look at our guide to the best dash cams for Uber and Lyft.
