What Is Parking Mode?
You park your car, lock the doors, and walk away — thinking it’s safe. But what if someone clips your bumper and speeds off? Or scratches your door while you’re inside the store? These things happen more often than you’d think, and most of the time, there’s no witness, no note, and no way to prove what happened. That’s where parking mode comes in.
Parking mode is a feature that keeps your dashcam on guard, even when your car is off. Instead of recording non-stop — which would drain your battery or storage — it stays in a low-power sleep mode and automatically switches on when it detects something unusual.
How Does It Work?
Parking mode typically uses two kinds of sensors. Motion sensors activate recording when movement is detected near the vehicle — such as someone walking by or loitering. Impact sensors, on the other hand, respond to physical bumps or jolts, like a hit-and-run in a parking lot. This way, your dashcam doesn’t record constantly but turns on the moment something suspicious or damaging happens.
Why Is Parking Mode Important?
Many accidents and cases of vandalism happen when you’re not inside your car. A door ding at the supermarket, someone scratching your paint, or even a break-in attempt — all these can occur while your car is parked. Without parking mode, you wouldn’t have any footage to explain what happened or who was responsible. With it, you can gather evidence, protect yourself in insurance disputes, and even assist police in tracking down the person at fault. In short, it offers peace of mind when you can’t be there in person to watch over your vehicle.
Different Types of Parking Mode
Dashcams usually offer two types of parking mode: event-based and time-lapse. Event-based parking mode only records when a motion or impact is detected. This saves storage and makes it easy to find the exact moment something happened. Time-lapse mode, on the other hand, records continuously at a low frame rate — like one frame per second — to create a sped-up video of several hours. It can be useful if something occurs slowly or outside the range of motion sensors.
Powering the Dashcam While Parked
Since the car’s engine isn’t running while parked, the dashcam needs an alternative power source. One common method is using a hardwire kit, which connects the dashcam directly to the car’s battery. This setup allows the camera to draw just enough power to operate in standby mode without draining the battery too quickly. Another option is an external battery pack made specifically for dashcams. These battery packs charge while you drive and power the dashcam when the engine is off, avoiding any risk to your car’s main battery.
Why You Should Use It
If you ever park in public areas, overnight in open lots, or even in a shared garage, parking mode is a valuable feature. It transforms your dashcam from a driving companion into a 24/7 security guard. Whether it’s a hit-and-run, theft, or an accidental bump, you’ll have the footage you need — even if you weren’t around to see it happen.
A dashcam with parking mode doesn’t just record your drive — it protects your car long after you’ve walked away. If you’re setting up your first dashcam or upgrading to a new one, make sure this feature is included. It might be the difference between solving a mystery and being stuck with a repair bill.
