If you’re a fleet manager or someone who owns multiple vehicles, you probably know the importance of installing dash cameras in your fleet. Dash cameras can provide valuable information about your drivers’ behavior, help mitigate accidents, and even help prevent fraud. However, you may have concerns about how your dash camera impacts battery life when parked for long periods of time. After all, a drained battery can be a serious inconvenience and cost your business time and money.
What happens when your fleet vehicles are parked for an extended period of time? Will the dash camera’s power consumption cause the battery to lose power?
First, let’s discuss how a dash camera works. A dash camera is essentially a small computer that runs on electricity. It is powered by the vehicle’s battery and starts recording as soon as the ignition is turned on. The camera continues to record as long as the vehicle is running, and when the ignition is turned off, the camera shuts down automatically.
Now, let’s address the question at hand. Will the dash camera’s power consumption cause the battery to lose power if the fleet vehicle is parked for a long time? The answer is yes. Allow us to explain.
If the fleet vehicle is parked for a few hours or even a day or two, the dash camera shouldn’t consume too much power and drain the battery. This is because most dash cameras come with a built-in power-saving feature that shuts down the camera after a certain period of inactivity. This means that the camera will only consume power when it is actively recording or when it is turned on.
However, if the fleet vehicle is parked for an extended period of time, say a week or more, the dash camera may consume power and drain the battery. This is because the built-in power-saving feature may not be enough to prevent power consumption over an extended period of time.
How to prevent the dash camera from draining battery
So, what should you do to prevent the dash camera from draining the fleet vehicle’s battery when parked for an extended period of time? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1.Disconnect the camera’s power source
The easiest way to prevent the dash camera from consuming power when parked for an extended period of time is to disconnect it from the power source. Simply unplug the camera’s power cord from the cigarette lighter or USB port in the fleet vehicle. This will ensure that the camera is completely shut off and won’t consume any power.
2.Use a battery pack
If you don’t want to disconnect the dash camera from the power source, you can use a battery pack to power the camera. A battery pack is essentially a portable battery that can be charged and used to power your dash camera. This way, your camera will continue to record even when the fleet vehicle’s battery is not in use.
3.Turn off the camera
If you don’t want to disconnect the camera from the power source or use a battery pack, you can simply turn off the camera manually. Most dash cameras come with a power button or a switch that allows you to turn off the camera completely. This will ensure that the camera is not using any power when parked for an extended period of time.
4. Check the battery regularly
It’s important to keep an eye on the fleet vehicle’s battery when parked for an extended period of time. Make sure to check the battery regularly to ensure that it has enough charge. If the battery is running low, you may need to start the vehicle and let it run for a while to recharge the battery.
5.Park in a shaded area
Another way to prevent the fleet vehicle’s battery from draining is to park the vehicle in a shaded area. This will help keep the interior of the vehicle cool and prevent the battery from overheating. When the battery overheats, it can cause it to lose power and reduce its lifespan.
In conclusion, if you own a fleet of vehicles and have dash cameras installed, it’s important to take precautions to prevent the cameras from draining the battery when parked for an extended period of time. You can disconnect the camera’s power source, use a battery pack, turn off the camera manually, check the battery regularly, or park in a shaded area to prevent the battery from overheating. By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your dash cameras don’t drain your fleet vehicles’ batteries and that they’re ready to record when your drivers hit the road again.
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Jimi IoT relies on innovative solutions for driver status monitoring and vehicle tracking for fleet management, more effective driver tracking, recording, notification, monitoring and efficient fleet management.
Jimi has more than 20+ years of experience in the loT/loV industry and a team of experts to assist you in the adoption. We offer ready-todeploy solutions (with IoT SIM cards for worldwide connectivity) as well as OEM, ODM.and OBM services to suit your industry-specific needs.