Ridesharing is great for additional income and can even be made into a full time job with the right mindset. But you can’t jump into this work without understanding the risks you will be taking every time a stranger steps into your vehicle.
The vast majority of customers will be no problem. But it only takes 1 belligerent customer to cost you your livelihood if you don’t properly protect yourself.
That’s why having the best dash cam for Uber, Lyft or any other ridesharing app is a smart investment not only for you and your job, but for others as well.
A quick YouTube search and you can see hundreds of Uber passengers doing the most crazy things. Any time there’s a little alcohol involved, the most bizarre things happen. Uber or Lyft drivers have gotten verbally and physically attacked, accused of kidnapping, scammed and even robbed. Plenty of times rideshare drivers have been apart of a criminal investigation as they were the last ones to see the passenger. A small investment into a dash cam will pay massive dividends in the future.
Why does my Uber driver have a camera?
There are several reasons why Uber and Lyft drivers have a camera in their vehicle and they all revolve around safety. For one, dash cams for Uber drivers protect themselves from any false accusations. Feedback ratings are vital for drivers and help them stay on the road. More serious than that, if a passenger ever accuses the driver of anything criminal, the driver doesn’t want to rely on their word versus the customer’s.
Rideshare drivers want to capture any accidents. Dash cams for Uber that are front facing are great for recording footage of any vehicle incidents. This is important for insurance purposes as anyone who spends time on the road knows there are a lot of poor drivers.
Lyft drivers want to also protect the customer. Having a cabin camera allows the customer a certain amount of protection if the footage ever needs to reviewed.
What is the best dash cam for Uber drivers?
There are several dash cams that are perfect for Uber or Lyft drivers. We’ve reviewed several options that vary in features and price points, but always including the main features needed to safely drive for Lyft and Uber. Having a cabin camera to monitor the inside of a cabin is a necessity. Being able to systematically recall GPS location at any time is great if you ever need to retrace your steps. And finally, being able to capture an accident is the sole point of a dash cam. The G-Sensor technology can help save and protect footage for future review. Let’s help you find the best dash cam for Uber.
Dual Dash Cam, VAVA 2K Front and 1080P Cabin
The VAVA Dual Dash Cam is a single unit solution featuring dual cameras. One is front facing filming in 2K and the other one is filming the cabin at 1080p.
This is a great choice for rideshare drivers because of its simplicity and all of the features that are packed into one device. The most important feature to have is the cabin facing camera with infrared lights. This will allow the dash cam to capture interior footage clearly.
We love that this has a built-in 320mAh internal battery strong enough to record without external power which is great when you park overnight or step away from your car.
In terms of ease of use, the VAVA dash cam footage is accessible through a smartphone app using the device’s WiFi. You can download, review and even share footage all through the app. Since the VAVA has built-in GPS, you can also view routes, location, speed and time for every rideshare customer. We recommend the VAVA as the best dash cam for Uber or Lyft as it fulfills all requirements.
Pros
- Built-In 320mAh battery for overnight monitoring
- WiFi and GPS included
- 2K/1080P resolution
Cons
- Not the greatest design
TOGUARD Dual Dash Cam with IR Night Vision
The TOGUARD Dual Dash Cam is suited for those who want a budget cam that does the core functions correctly. This is a front and cabin facing dashboard camera that films in 1080P/720p. The menu is easy to access and navigate and getting set up only takes minutes.
The front camera films at a wide 170° and the cabin camera at 140°. We are very impressed with this wide field of view. The camera comes with HDR technology which allows a wide dynamic range, allowing the camera to capture a lot of differently lit areas effectively.
Standard features like loop recording and G-sensor are included with this dash cam which will allow continuous recording.
The cabin camera is fitted with 4 infrared lights which does the job in terms of lighting up the cabin. It is a bit unfortunate that the cabin camera is a low resolution but we are willing to overlook it for the price. The last thing to note is that the power cord comes with a rather unsightly cylinder plastic piece which is nearly impossible to hide in the car’s headliner. On the plus side, this kit does include a plastic crowbar which allows you to hide most of the wires in the car’s panels.
We aren’t sure of the purpose and we felt that this could have remedied as other dash cams don’t a similar design. Besides that design flaw, this is a great dash cam for Uber and Lyft drivers and also those who own convertibles. The cabin camera can easily pick up the entire rear of a convertible.
Pros
- Budget Friendly
- Wide field of view
Cons
- Unsightly cord
COOAU Uber Dual 1080P FHD
When a manufacturer puts Uber or Lyft in their product title, you know who they’ve built this for. This is a front and cabin facing dash cam both filming at 1080p @ 30fps. COOAU is known for their foothold in the camera market space. Many of their products revolve around cameras of all sorts so you know they are familiar with the technology. They have trail, action and indoor cameras available. So when they ventured in the dash cam arena, people had high expectations. So far they’ve launched 3 dash cameras and they’ve all have 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon.
It packs the Sony IMX323 image sensor and is paired with a F/1.8 aperture lens making this great for night vision. On the interior, the cabin camera comes with 4 infrared lights and will automatically switch to IR when low light is detected. This is perfect for rideshare drivers.
This setup comes with built-in GPS and included WiFi which makes operating the dash cam easy to use and effective. Download the “Ficam” app which will connect to your dash cam and be able to review footage or change settings. You’ll also be able to see GPS data there as well.
Over the past year, COOAU has released several software updates fixing the interior camera image sensor and incorporated an automatic turn on feature for the IR light. On top of that, several customers have expressed how good COOAU has been in providing customer support and even sending out new units if there’s a defect.
Knowing that a company is completely behind you and willing to help is a big factor in deciding to purchase a device.
Pros
- WiFi and GPS included
- Great customer service
- F/1.8 aperture and infrared cabin lights
Cons
- Earlier models had software issues but are resolved with new firmware
Vantrue N4 Three Channel
The Vantrue N4 3-CH dash cam is a complete setup with front and rear unit with an interior cabin camera. Amazingly, Vantrue was able to develop a processor that can record footage from all 3 different cameras at a high resolution. This is distinctly different from their other model releases as they’ve only went up to two cameras.
The front camera is filming at 1440p and both the cabin and rear is filming at 1080p. All of this at a smooth 30 frames per second. Take special note of this characteristic. When other dash cam products market high resolutions in their front camera, be sure to check that it can still film match that resolution if the rear camera is simultaneously recording. Often times, their processor cannot handle both. Take a look at this Kingslim D1 Pro 2K/1080P where you have to dig into the description to find out if you want to record both front and cabin, it has to be dual 1080p.
The night vision has great video quality due to its large aperture at F/1.4 for the front and F/1.8 for the rear. This allows lots of light to come in, much more than many other dash cams.
The cabin camera is the most important and we’ve found it very useful. Even in pitch black conditions like driving on a mountain, the dash cam was able to clearly record inside the cabin.
We also tested Parking Mode and it is very sensitive to vibrations and motion which is good. The one downside we had was that we used a SanDisk SD card and we were having recording issues with it. Turns out SanDisk is known to not work properly with dash cams. Once we swapped it out, it worked perfectly.
This unit does not have built-in WiFi or GPS which is a bummer at this price point. You may add GPS by purchasing an addon that replaces the suction cup mount.
Pros
- Triple Cameras – Front, Rear, Cabin
- F/1.4 aperture, excellent night vision
- True Motion Detection
Cons
- No WiFi or GPS
REXING V5 Dash Cam
REXING is a top tier dash cam manufacturer that has recently come out with its REXING V5 Dash Cam. This camera is built with modularity in mind, meaning you have the ability to upgrade and customize your setup as you see fit. The Rexing V5 is so much different than other Rexing dash cameras. Other models such as the Rexing V1 or V1P or V3 are camera setups where you don’t have flexibility. They have already selected the number of cameras and angles for the customer. The V5 is the first camera that has the ability for voice commands giving hands-free a whole new meaning.
If you don’t need a cabin or rear camera, then purchase just the baseline front facing unit. Or make it just a front and rear dual dash cam. But if you decide to add on later, you can easily do that. The available options include a cabin camera, a rear facing camera, or a rear facing camera with waterproofing. The last option allows one to mount outside of their vehicle and can be used as a backup camera.
This films in 4K and every camera in this package comes with a large field of view at 170 degrees for maximum road or cabin coverage. The cabin facing unit does come standard with 4 IR lights for low light conditions.
Within the main unit both WiFi and GPS are built-in for seamless review and download.
This is a great setup for a variety of vehicles but the design of the mount is sometimes not conducive to certain windshields that need large adjustment. If you ever need customer support, Rexing does a great job and includes a 18 month warranty. You’ll be happy to know that the Rexing V5 can handle up to a 256GB microSD card, but unfortunately doesn’t include one standard. Be sure to have one handy.
Pros
- Modular Design to easily add or remove components
- WiFi and GPS standard on main unit
- 170 degree angle on all lenses
Cons
- Doesn’t include a microSD card standard
Vantrue N2 Pro
The highly reputable company, Vantrue, has a dash cam option specifically for Uber drivers. Unlike the Vantrue N4 model, the Vantrue N2 Pro is a single device but has two cameras filming in the front and in the interior.
While the front camera can film in 1440p, it can only reach that resolution if the cabin camera is not recording. When both record, it can film in 1080p at 30fps.
The front lens is filming with a 170 degree field of view and its lens has a F/1.8 aperture. This is a great feature to have for night time visibility because more light can reach its sensor. Likewise, the interior camera has a similar aperture at F/2.0 with a 140 degree FOV. It’s utilizing the Sony Exmor IMX323 sensor which is a top tier sensor that films at 2.19 megapixels.
The cabin facing camera is equipped with the standard 4 infrared lights that help illuminate the inside.
Standard features are included such as loop recording and G-Sensor. The parking mode does come with true motion detection, but the dash cam will need to have constant power.
The Vantrue N2 Pro a great choice for anyone who wants a true plug-n-play device that will work out of the box without reading any instructions. Video quality is quite exceptional and sharp at 1080p. It doesn’t have WiFi or built-in GPS, but it does come with an optional GPS addon.
Pros
- Gold standard for Uber drivers
- Great image quality
Cons
- GPS unit is an additional cost
AUTO-VOX Dual Dash Cam
The AUTO-VOX Dual Dash Cam is a relatively new addition to the dashboard camera market, but they’ve made great impact with this unit.
Like other dash cams for Uber, both the front and the interior camera will film in 1080p at 30fps. The form factor is relatively small and is accompanied by a 2 inch LCD screen, but it is not a touchscreen.
The sticky mount is also the GPS module which can track location and speed.
The greatest feature this dash cam has is that it doesn’t require hardwiring if you want to utilize the parking mode. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery, capable of filming up to 19 minutes which is plenty for overnight monitoring. If you have little experience with wiring and crimping, consider this as an alternative option.
The downside to utilizing a lithium-ion battery is its sensitivity to heat. While other dash cams have supercapacitators, lithium-ion batteries don’t do well under high temperatures which contributes to more common battery malfunctions.
We really like this dash cam setup because of its price point while also packing a ton of unique features into such a small form factor. If you don’t live in a super hot area, or will have the A/C circulating while driving, you should consider this dash cam. The AUTO-VOX is great for an Uber dash cam.
Pros
- Built-In Lithium-Ion battery for recording overnight. No need for hardwiring
- Budget friendly
- Minimalist design
Cons
- Sensitive to extreme temperatures
AWESAFE Dual Dash Cam for Cars
The AWESAFE Dual Dash Cam is one of the most budget friendly dash cam that includes a front and cabin facing camera. Don’t expect the best features, but you won’t have to worry about an expensive piece of equipment sitting in your car, visible to all.
The AWESAFE dash cam films in 1080p in the front and 720p in the cabin. We would love to have the resolutions at the minimum of 1080p, but we make an exception for this one. This camera setup is relatively old, but it works for the price.
It has a 170 degree front field of view with a 120 degree cabin viewing angle. The biggest drawback to this camera is that it only supports up to 32GB in memory. This won’t work for those who drive long hours and need to be able to reference old footage.
That being said, it does have all the standard features like loop recording, G-sensor and parking mode. Do note that this will only detect vibrations and not actual motion.
There are infrared lights on the cabin camera, but they seem to be a little weak and don’t work well in pitch black situations. For most Uber driving, streets will provide enough ambient light to illuminate the cabin.
This is a great setup for those that are new to Uber, Lyft or Taxi driving and want a cheap setup that will protect you from any outside liability. You don’t want to spend a fortune on a dash camera because you’re looking to first make some money as opposed to spending money. The AWESAFE doesn’t have the greatest specs, but you don’t need all the bells and whistles to stay safe. This is the best dash cam for Uber drivers on a budget.
Pros
- Inexpensive and reliable
- Standard dash cam features that work
Cons
- Low memory capacity
Pruveeo C2 Dash Cam with Infrared Night Vision
The Pruveeo C2 Dash Cam with another budget friendly option that has a rather large footprint, but allows a lot of flexibility when it comes to customizing. The dash cam films in both 1080p in the front and in the cabin and the cameras are adjustable in multiple directions whether that be backwards and forwards or side to side.
You can position both cameras in any way that suits your vehicle. Often times cameras on dash cams are at a fixed angle and if you have a non-standard windshield, the angle might not be compatible.
The C2 does have a built-in 320mA battery which is great for filming in an emergency when the car is off like overnight parking. The interior uses infrared lights to help illuminate the cabin in low light conditions.
This entire unit is fairly large which may be good if you want to really showcase it to your rideshare passengers. This may discourage people from doing anything suspicious as they’ll know you are recording.
The C2 is compatible with microSD cards up to 128GB which is pretty good for recording long sessions. If you drive in extreme weather, this dash cam is built to handle hot or cold weather. This can operate in 170 degree weather or -40 degree weather.
Be wary that the power cable is 12 feet long which may not work with your vehicle if you decide to hide the wires along the car panels.
Pros
- Built-In 320mA battery for overnight monitoring
- Resistant to extreme weather
- Dual 1080P resolution
Cons
- Shorter power cord
Dash Cam Setup/Warning Stickers
Depending on your rideshare company or your local laws, you may have to notify your customer that they are being recorded by your dash cam. It doesn’t matter if your are working with Uber, Lyft or a Taxi service, local and state laws will always apply.
Consider getting a sign or sticker that notifies them there is a dash cam. While some may feel a little uncomfortable, for most it will make them feel at ease.
Features to look for
Cabin Camera
Having an interior facing camera is a must-have for anyone in the rideshare business. While someone can hit your car or cut you off, most incidents with rideshare driver’s happen with customers.
If you decide to drive late at night when fares are higher, you’ll run into those who have been drinking and may be in a less sober state. Being able to accurately record and review any footage can protect you from immediate or unseen incidents. The cabin camera should have at least 4 infrared lights that will help you illuminate the inside of the car.
Built in GPS
Having built-in GPS is a great addition that can help protect yourself if someone is accusing you of being in a place you weren’t. While this may sound rare, there can be times where you will need to recall a passenger at a certain time, date and location.
This is near impossible without a GPS unit that is tracking your every route. Be sure your dashboard camera has GPS included, or the ability to swap out a mount for a GPS mount.
SD Capacity
With loop recording, many people look past SD capacity when considering a dash cam. For rideshare drivers, SD capacity is important. Yes, loop recording will overwrite old footage from your microSD card to make room for new footage.
But if the dash cam overwrites footage that you need to review you will never see it again. If the SD card size is too small, there can be a good chance that footage recorded in the beginning of the day is overwritten in the second half of the day.
All cameras film footage in different resolution, thus take up different space, but a good rule of thumb is to get a SD card that is greater than 64GB. If you can get a camera capable of 256GB that is great for multiple days of recordings.
G-Sensor
A G-Sensor is essentially an accelerometer which will measure sudden acceleration or deceleration. This component exists in devices like your smartphone or airbag systems. For a dash cam, this will help monitor whether your car has been in an accident that suddenly jolted your vehicle.
When this happens, the dash cam will automatically save the crash footage and save it in an area where it can’t be overwritten by loop recording. This is also utilized in parking mode and will store incidents in a separate folder. This way, you don’t have to review the entire night time footage to find out if something happened or not.
Can Uber Drivers/Lyft/Taxi Drivers use Dash Cams?
Yes, it is perfectly legal for Uber drivers to use dash cams in their car, but there are some caveats. Here’s what they had to say.
Drivers may install and use video cameras, dash cams, or other recording devices to record riders for the purpose of fulfilling transportation services. Local regulations may require individuals using recording equipment in vehicles to fully disclose to riders that they’re being recorded in or around a vehicle and obtain consent.
Lyft drivers have similar restrictions and urged to check local or state laws.
Depending on local regulations, the use of dashboard cameras and other recording devices during rides may not be allowed. Some cities or states may require signage making known the presence of recording devices, while other regions may not allow recording devices at all.
Does Uber provide dash cams?
This is a very common question for prospective Uber or Lyft drivers. From the previous answer, we know that Uber and Lyft explicitly allow dash cams to be utilized while on the job, as long as local and state laws are upheld.
But they won’t finance a dash cam for their drivers unfortunately. We think that they should as dash cams can be as low as $50 and buying in bulk could be a worthwhile investment for their drivers and customers.
While they haven’t made a statement on this topic, my guess is they don’t want to provide their driver’s dash cams due to liability issues. Perhaps the driver misuses the camera or doesn’t obey local laws, Uber doesn’t want to deal with any legal liability.