Buying a dash cam is the easy part. Don’t worry, I have a guide coming on this, but really the scary part is installing your dashcam. Sticking it to your windscreen without creating problems is where most people stumble. That powerful sticky bad works best on the first run, so there’s some pressure here. A badly positioned camera can obstruct your view, record nothing useful when it rains, or be impossible to remove without disassembling half your dashboard.
Here’s how to get it right the first time.
Six Things to Check Before You Stick Anything Down
Hold the camera up to the windscreen and run through these checks before peeling off that adhesive mount:
Centre the lens as much as possible
A central position gives the camera a balanced view of both sides of the road. If you mount it too far left or right, you’ll end up with lopsided footage that cuts off important details. Fire up the app (if your camera has one) and preview the footage that you’re getting.
Check the wiper sweep
This is critical, especially in Irish weather. The lens needs to sit within the area your wipers actually clean and free from rain. Mount it too high or too far to the side and your footage will be useless the moment it starts raining. You’ll just be recording a blurry sheet of water.
Mind the cable routing
Look at where the power cable plugs into your specific camera. Some models have the socket on top, others on the side. Leave enough clearance between the camera body and the windscreen trim (or rear-view mirror) so the cable isn’t bent at a sharp angle. Stressed cables fail quickly.
Keep your options open too. If needs be buy a longer cable. I have a spare USB port in the glove box so I’ve run a longer cable behind the car’s panels to make it nice and tidy. You might want to by one of these panel lifting kits to make your life easier. It’s worth it.
Think about how the mount detaches
Some cameras slide sideways to unclip, others pull straight down. If you place the unit too close to the rear-view mirror stem or a sensor housing, you might physically block yourself from removing it later without a struggle. This is a classic annoyance that you won’t feel until a few weeks or months in unless you check it when installing.
Make sure you can access the SD card
And this is another. Worst still, you won’t know about it until you get into a bind and need your footage. The memory card slot shouldn’t be blocked by the mirror or anything else. Having to unmount the entire camera just to retrieve footage is irritating and defeats the point of quick access.
Sure enough, a lot of these dashcams come with apps and you won’t need to take the SD card at all, but if you need to download a lot of high quality video, having the card is a god send.
Keep it out of the driver’s sightline
Never mount the camera where it intrudes into your direct view of the road. It’s dangerous, often illegal, and entirely avoidable with proper placement. This one like’y goes without saying, but now I’ve said it.
Where to Actually Mount It
Behind the rear-view mirror (passenger side) is the best spot for most cars. From the driver’s seat, the camera disappears completely behind the mirror, causing zero distraction. The lens stays high and central, giving a commanding view of the road ahead. This works beautifully in older cars or anything without a large sensor housing.
Modern cars often have a chunky plastic block behind the mirror containing rain sensors, lane-assist cameras, or other tech. Do not stick your dash cam directly onto this housing unless the manufacturer explicitly says it’s fine. You risk interfering with the car’s systems or dealing with excessive vibration.
Instead, mount the camera just to the passenger side of the housing. Yes, this shifts the lens slightly off-centre, but the wide-angle view on most cameras (typically 120–140 degrees) still captures the full width of the road without issue.
Rear Cameras Need Thought Too
If you’ve got a dual-channel system with a rear camera, the same principles apply:
High and central is the ideal position at the top of the rear window.
Check the rear wiper coverage if your car has one. The lens needs to stay clean when it rains.
Watch out for defrost lines. Try to position the lens so it’s looking between the heating wires in the rear glass, not directly on one. If the lens sits right on a heating element, you’ll often get glare or black lines running through your footage.
One Last Check Before You Commit
Power up the camera and open the live view on the smartphone app (if your model has one). Make sure the bonnet is visible at the bottom of the frame. If you’re recording mostly sky and not much road, the angle is wrong. Adjust the tilt or reposition slightly before locking it down permanently.
Get this right and your dash cam becomes invisible to you as a driver while quietly doing its job. Get it wrong and you’ll be cursing every time it rains, every time you need to pull the SD card, or every time you catch it in your peripheral vision while trying to concentrate on the road.
