Taxi Dash Cams - Everything You Need To Know

Yellow or otherwise, the perils of driving a taxi cab are all too often underestimated. You would think that transporting individuals from one place to another would involve a simple, straightforward series of events, but as any taxi driver would tell you, all too often, it is anything but. From the minute a passenger opens the door to when her or she closes it, there is a slew of things that can go wrong - very wrong. And while the majority of rides are uneventful, the ones where an incident does occur can be disastrous.

Taxi cab drivers are prone to scenarios ranging from non-payment, outright theft, and vehicle damage to verbally or physically abusive customers, fraudulent claims, and even bogus criminal charges from passengers. More and more, car services and their drivers are smartening up and protecting themselves on the road by getting a taxi dash cam.

So, what is a taxi dash cam?

Taxi dash cams are similar to any car camera only they have certain capabilities that specifically protect taxi drivers like dual-facing cameras, audio recording, infra-red lighting, cloud storage, and an array of emergency alerts provided by connectivity technology. These are features that provide comprehensive protection for taxis from the risks associated with transporting strangers for pay.

Why do taxi drivers need a dual dash cam to also record a car cabin?

The best dash cams for taxi drivers are those that are dual facing - capturing both the road ahead as well as inside the vehicle with a car cabin, so that both driver and passenger behavior are recorded. Simply knowing that they are on candid camera is often enough to prevent misbehavior or even criminal activity on the part of a passenger. Swiping cash from a driver, attacking him or her, or making false claims are all behaviors that are greatly deterred when knowing there is video evidence that can be taken to the police. Taxi drivers, too, tend to be more mindful of their behavior towards passengers and careful with their driving when they know that everything is on record - leading to happier customers, fewer accidents, and lower insurance premiums!

How to select the right taxi dash cam for your needs

The best dash cams for taxis must have certain features to ensure comprehensive protection. Second to dual-facing cameras is having audio recording capabilities. While video footage is indisputable, audio recording will put what the eye sees into context with information about what was said and possibly what was happening outside of the taxi. Additionally, since taxi cabs often work in the early hours of the morning and well into the night, infra-red lighting is essential so that the video footage is discernible at all times.

Best dual dash cams for taxis

Nexar One - The ultimate 4K dual dash cam

Nexar One is the best camera you could get yourself as a taxi driver. It has super clear 4K video recording capabilities, it protects your car 24/7 and it is equipped with Nexar's proprietary app.

This cam is perfect for taxi drivers as it easily lets you view footage inside and outside the vehicle. All Nexar dash cams also come equipped with a sticker that shows you are protected by the Nexar dash cam. In addition to the standard features a dash cam offers, Nexar One is a connected cam. This means that you can check in on your vehicle anytime, anywhere. If your car gets stolen, you can track the vehicle. If you are parking in the crazy streets of NYC, you can use Nexar One to remote stream and check in on your vehile. If your car is hit while parked, Nexar One will record it.

Furthermore, Nexar One comes equipped with features like one-tap insurance reports, emergency alerts and cloud storage. Check out Nexar's most powerful cam if you are in the market for a taxi cam.

Nexar Pro - Easy to use dual dash cam

The cream of the crop for taxi dash cams is the Nexar Pro dual dash cam. True to its name, the Nexar Pro is the best choice for professional drivers because of its wide range of capabilities. With 1080p HD clarity, free unlimited cloud storage, GPS data, and access to the Nexar app, the Nexar Pro is a smart camera ideal for high-mileage vehicles providing transportation as a service.

Since taxis spend so much time on the road and have a high volume of rides, the free unlimited cloud storage that comes with the Nexar Pro ensures that no ride recording ever gets lost. Once you connect the device to your smartphone, you can also decide how much data you want stored on your phone or if at all since it is all backed up on the cloud.

From the moment of installation, the Nexar Pro seamlessly streams live footage to your phone at the start of every drive - accessible with the tap of a button. Especially important is that you can also generate an accident report on the Nexar app with the tap of a button. The camera’s built-in GPS will detail the exact location, speed you were driving at, and impact force - all included in the report along with the video footage. This kind of full-picture accident data allows for insurance companies to easily re-construct what happened, make a determination, and exonerate the taxi driver faster.

The Nexar Pro’s front-facing camera records at a 135 degree wide-angle and in 1080p Full HD quality. It’s cabin cam features 10 infrared light bulbs for clear vision at any time of day or night. The camera’s advanced G-force sensors detect hard-brakes and collisions to create an event clip - backed up to a cloud account. Nexar Pro’s smart capabilities also include Parking Mode - the built-in sensors are able to detect even the slightest impact and activate the camera to create an incident clip - yes, even when parked. The incident clip is immediately transmitted to your phone so that when you return to the cab after stepping away, you can watch it and know what exactly what happened.

The REDTIGER F7N - 4K Dual Dash Cam

The REDTIGER F7N 4K Dual Dash Cam is among the best dash cams for taxi drivers providing broad protection and essential features. It includes built-in GPS and WiFi, a 3.16″ IPS Display, real UHD 4K recording for the front-facing camera, and FHD 1080P quality recording for the interior cabin camera. Both cameras record at a wide-angle capturing the comprehensive picture of the ride - for instance, the precise location of pedestrians and their actions, as well as other vehicles surrounding the taxi. These factors can provide critical evidence in case of an accident.

The Redtiger F7N touts Sony COMS advanced sensors and amazing HDR technology to provide for very clear footage in low light settings - forgoing the need for additional lighting sources. These capabilities allow the dash cam to capture the license plates of other cars even at the peak hours of night. Purchased separately, the Redtiger F7N’s dedicated hardware kit constantly monitors the surrounding environment of the taxi, even when parked.

The Redtiger system is set up for a 256GB SD card to be inserted into the device, and while its memory is limited, the camera’s G-sensor detects collision or sudden breaking and will automatically lock the footage related to the incident. And as all video recordings are automatically looped, any incident footage will systematically overwrite older footage so that important videos are saved without worry.

More advantages of installing dash cams for a taxi besides safety

While the most obvious advantage of a dual-facing taxi dash cam is the safety that it provides, the cost-savings that come from the reduced amount of insurance claims is a signficiant factor to take into consideration. In case of an accident, dash cam footage makes your side of the story easy to prove so that you can’t be unjustly found at fault and forced to pay for damage you didn’t cause. Moreover, if falsely accused of driving misbehavior by police - video evidence will quickly exonerate you avoiding fines, increased premiums resulting from moving violations, and unfair points on your license.

Final Thoughts

A silent, but salient witness that provides one source of indisputable truth, taxi dash cams exemplify the saying “money well spent.” When most of your day is spent on the road transporting strangers, it’s wise to invest in comprehensive protection that never lies.