In early 2013, a big meteorite lit up Moscow as it rained fire across the morning skies. Abundant footage showed the memorable event all across YouTube, hundreds of images captured mostly by dashboard cameras, just like this one:

 
Now, the question is: why do the Russians have so many dash cams? Among other reasons, it’s because it’s not easy to process an insurance claim in Russia without proof. In the U.S. or Europe, insurance companies are less strict, though in a he-said-she-said case with conflicting statements it’s still hard to prove your case without evidence. Not only that, but in New York City alone, it is reported that insurance fraud costs insurance holders more then $240 million in extra premiums. One of the most-used techniques is when a car backs up into you in the middle of a traffic jam and then claims that you hit them from the back. If you haven’t heard about this before check it out!
 

 
If these stories are enough to convince you to read further, let me explain how it works. You see, a dash cam is a device that records your driving footage and acts like a Black Box for cars. Most of them can be programmed to record only when you drive or when an unexpected movement happens. In essence, it’s really just a way to feel a bit safer when you do drive, knowing that you’ll always have a witness on your side. For example, last year I was stuck in a major knot of traffic in the city. And I mean dead-in-the-water type of traffic. Then, out of nowhere, this beat-up Chrysler decided that, if traffic wasn’t gonna move for him, he’d move the traffic out of the way! And, with a push and a disturbing crunching noise, he scraped alongside the rear left side of my car and went on his merry way.

At that moment, I wish I had it all recorded. In hindsight, I couldn’t even remember his license plate number. I wish I had a dash cam.

So, what do they look like? Most of them stick via suction cup (like a GPS mount) to your windshield, though they also have more discreet ones that look like rear view mirrors. Below, we’ve gathered a couple of the best dash cams around.

 

LUKAS BLACK BOX LK-7900

 
This dash cam records videos in Full HD. It’s compact and really offers some top-of-the-line performance. It incorporates a Sony CMOS sensor that makes images more vivid and an Auto Exposure function that adapts the image to any lack or excess of light. Of course, it also comes with a G sensor (a movement sensor) that activates when you start driving and a GPS to log your locations. Finally, it has a motion detection sensor that automatically records events for 30 seconds, just in case someone hits you while your car is parked.

From every angle, this dash cams looks like a winner. If you want the best of the best in terms of quality, and you don’t want to miss anything that goes on around your car, a Black Box is the solution. It is sold for $239 on Amazon.

Read more about it on the official company page.
 

ABEO Rear View Mirror

 
If you don’t like extra equipment hanging all over your windshield, consider getting a camera that looks exactly like a rearview mirror. The camera is actually in the back of the mirror and it attaches by clipping on to your current rearview mirror. Another cool feature is the secret, “camouflaged” screen on the side of the mirror that lights up when you want to look through your recordings. It also offers high-quality recording and starts recording automatically when you turn on the engine.

While not as good as the Black Box in terms of features, it is a discreet choice for the discerning customer and gives you high-quality recordings. Get it for $129.
 

BLUESKYSEA

 
If you are limited by budget or you just don’t believe in spending a lot on dash cams, Blueskysea–and I have no idea why they chose this name–does its job well enough. It records in very acceptable quality, and it just sticks onto your windshield. On the back of the camera there’s a small screen for viewing your recordings. Find it on Amazon for $51.50.