Just like the internet and mobile phones, what was once a luxury can become necessity and the Dash Cam is no different, it has become even more vital for me since we have recently had 20km of dual carriage way added to our local area, with many roundabouts, an unnecessary amount of lanes that make zero sense, that have led to numerous accidents and constant cut up (I will save the rest of my rant for my local MP), so evidence has become a must. The RAC 225S Super HD dash cam, is a compact forward-facing camera with GPS, packed full of functions to help keep you safe on the road. So, what you do get included in the price? Well the box contains the RAC 225S Ultra HD in car camera, an 8GB SD card, a SD card reader, a mount holder, charger, lead and windscreen pad. This provide 1296p video recording, which understandably produces a lovely clear image, it also has a large 3inch colour display, 320 x 240 resolution, 3.0-megapixel sensor, GPS tracking, Speed Camera Alerts, motion-triggered mode, and a G sensor incident recording. Described as compact I would argue that 9cm x 5.5cm x 3.5cm (3.5" x 2" x 1.3") and 0.115kg is average if not slightly larger than other cameras in this price bracket.

There is nothing new or exciting to offer, it records in a loop, it features an Emergency button that allows you to manually select the current video segment if you want it to be protected, the G Sensor is there to detect sudden movements, like a break in or swerving and automatically protect the recorded data. The screen provides a clear playback and automatically switches off whilst driving to avoid distraction, recording begins as soon as you switch on the ignition, you can select the microphone to record audio at a push of a button, it is powered by your in-car cigarette lighter, it must be continuously plugged into the power source when in use.

The speed camera alerts notify the driver of upcoming speed and safety cameras by an audio and visual alert, advising the distance, speed camera type, the current camera's speed limit and the current speed you are travelling at. The 225S can also be used to take still photos, it has a enhanced night vision, low light warning and 130degrees recording angle. The mount adds more volume to the set up as it isn’t integrated into the camera and involves an extra lead to connect the GPS which, strangely, lives in the mount not the camera, this lead limits the movability of the camera. The only other reason I can see for the keeping the GPS in the mount is rather cynical but once the mount is installed there is no moving it so even though the camera can be detached you cannot use it in another vehicle without the mount, which results in more sales. It is easy to find your way around the menus, the image quality is great and reasonable in low lighting, the recording angle could be wider. Is this a good dash cam? Yes. Is it worth the money? No, not until it improves it features, there are better out there for a similar price. RRP £245

Current Cheapest Price

3.5 out of 5

Pros

Excellent image in good light

Reasonable image in low light

Precise GPS

G-Sensor

Speed camera alerts

Clear display

Easy to use

Cons

Bulky mount

GPS in mount-once installed it can’t be moved to another position or vehicle

No Wi-Fi

Wired power only

Lens angle could be wider