Where to Mount a Dash Cam for the Best Footage
The best place for a front dash cam is high on the windscreen behind the rear-view mirror, usually just to the passenger side of the mirror stem. It stays out of your line of sight, sits inside the wiper sweep so the glass in front of it is cleared in the rain, and has a central view of the road.
Front camera checklist
- Behind the mirror: hidden from the driver's view, which matters for safety and the warrant of fitness.
- Inside the wiper sweep: rain and grime on the glass in front of the lens ruin footage.
- Clear of the tint band: a dark strip at the top of some windscreens darkens the picture.
- Clear of sensors: keep away from the rain sensor and any driver assistance camera behind the mirror.
How to aim it
Level the camera so the picture shows a little more road than sky, with the bonnet edge just in view or just out of it. Too much sky makes the camera expose for the bright sky and leaves the road dark. Check a recording in daylight and at night before you finish.
The rear camera
Mount it at the top centre of the back window, inside the wiper sweep if the car has a rear wiper. Avoid placing the lens directly behind demister lines where you can. On utes and vans, a camera on the outside may give a better view.
Keep the cable tidy
Run the cable along the headlining and down the pillar, behind any airbag, rather than across the dash. Our guide to hardwiring a dash cam covers the cable route and fuse box, and the dash cam rules in NZ cover placement and privacy.
Have it fitted
We fit dash cams in the right spot with the cable hidden: see dash cam installation, and our dash cam buying guide if you are still choosing.
Frequently asked questions
Should a dash cam go on the driver or passenger side?
Behind the mirror, usually just to the passenger side, so it does not block the driver's view.
Can a dash cam affect my warrant of fitness?
It can if it blocks your view of the road. Behind the mirror is the safe place.
Why is my dash cam footage dark?
The camera is often aimed with too much sky in view, or sits behind a tint band. Lower the angle and move it below the tint.