A dashcam with Parking mode can be a money saving addition to you car. A dashcam with Parking mode is able to work as a surveillance camera when your car is parked, keeping an eye in sight when you're not there. We distinguish between dashcams with Manual and Automatic parking mode, with the difference being the way the Parking mode is activated.

Manual Parking mode dashcams

Most basic dashcams have Manual Parking mode which usually consists of two different settings:

'Parking mode': With this function activated, the dashcam will turn on and start a short recording when a vibration is detected. The 'Parking mode' function can be left active continuously without problems.

'Motion detection': With this function activated, the camera will be in stand-by mode and will start a short recording when a movement is detected. After the recording stopped, it will turn into stand-by mode again. The 'Motion detection' function is preferably only turned on when the car is parked. When left active, it can cause problems with the loop recording.

Automatic Parking mode dashcams

Dashcams with Automatic Parking mode activate and deactivate the Parking mode automatically. We distinguish these dashcams further in the way they activate the Parking mode:

• Stationary: The dashcam uses the G-sensor and GPS data to determine wether the car has been parked for a set amount of time. This way the Parking mode is activated after a little delay (usually 5 minutes). 
• Contact: The dashcam uses a 3-wire hardwire cable to determine if the car is parked. The Acc+ cable of the hardwire kit loses power when the car is turned off, giving the dashcam a signal to activate the Parking mode. This way the Parking mode is activated directly after the car has been turned off.

Note that, regardless of the activation type, the dashcam should always be connected to a power source (hardwire kit or battery pack) in order for the Parking mode to function properly. The dashcam's battery, if it has any, is too small to power the dashcam for a long time.