Dashcams and Reversing Cameras in Adelaide

This guide is for Adelaide drivers thinking about a dashcam, a reversing camera or both. It covers where to mount them, the South Australian rules on screens and audio recording, how to pass footage to SA Police, and how to wire a camera in without flattening your battery.

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Why Adelaide drivers fit cameras

Adelaide's main arterials carry a lot of traffic through busy intersections. Think of South Road through Hindmarsh and Edwardstown, Port Road out to Port Adelaide, Anzac Highway down to Glenelg and Main North Road through Salisbury. A dashcam gives you an independent record if there is a dispute about who caused a crash, and many people simply like the peace of mind.

Reversing cameras solve a different problem. Driveways on busy streets, tight shopping centre car parks and kids or pets behind the car are all hard to judge from the mirrors alone, especially in a larger SUV or a van with no rear window.

Mounting a dashcam without blocking your view

The road rules expect you to have a clear view of the road and traffic. The simplest way to keep a dashcam out of the way is to mount it high on the windscreen behind the rear-view mirror, where it sits in an area you don't look through when driving.

Keep it out of the area cleaned by the wipers in front of the driver, and route the power cable along the headliner and down the pillar trim rather than letting it dangle across the dash. Take care near curtain airbags in the pillars. Don't tuck cables where they could get in the way of an airbag deploying. If you are not sure, have a professional fit it.

Screens and the road rules

South Australia applies the Australian Road Rules, which restrict screens that the driver can see while driving. Entertainment screens and screens showing video are generally not allowed in the driver's view while the car is moving.

Displays that help you drive, such as a reversing camera screen or a navigation screen, are treated differently, but the rules about how and where they are mounted are detailed. In practice, set your dashcam so its screen turns off or shows nothing distracting while you drive, and don't watch footage on the move.

Rules can change, so check the current South Australian road rules with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport before you fit a screen, especially an aftermarket one.

Audio recording and SA surveillance law

Video of a public road is one thing. Recording what people say inside your car is another. South Australia's Surveillance Devices Act 2016 generally makes it an offence to use a listening device to record a private conversation without the consent of the people taking part, although there are exceptions. The Act also limits how material recorded in breach of it can be shared or published.

If you carry passengers, and especially if you drive for a rideshare or delivery business, the safest approach is to switch off audio recording or tell passengers clearly that the car records sound. The Legal Services Commission's Law Handbook has a plain-English summary of SA surveillance device rules. Get legal advice if your situation is unusual.

Giving footage to SA Police

For non-urgent traffic incidents that don't need police to attend, SA Police offers Traffic Watch, through its app or an online form. Police use those reports to help decide where to put patrols and cameras. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For other police assistance, call 131 444.

If you have been in a crash, save the footage straight away. Most dashcams loop-record and will write over old files. Many have a button that locks the current clip, and an impact sensor that does the same automatically. Copy the file to your phone or computer before handing the card to anyone, and think carefully before posting footage of other people online.

Hardwiring without flattening your battery

A plug-in dashcam powered from the accessory socket is easy, but it only records while the ignition is on. To use parking mode, which records bumps or movement while the car is parked, the camera needs a permanent 12V feed through a hardwire kit.

A good hardwire kit has a low-voltage cut-off that shuts the camera down before the battery gets too low to start the car. Set it conservatively if your car does short trips or sits for days, because parking mode is a common reason for a battery that keeps going flat.

Connect to the fuse box with a fuse tap, use the correct fuse rating and pick a circuit that suits, one that is switched for the ignition feed and one that is permanent for the parking feed. Our guides on where to put the fuse when wiring an accessory and checking and replacing a fuse explain the basics. Avoid circuits for airbags, ABS or engine management.

Fitting a reversing camera

Aftermarket reversing cameras usually mount near the number plate or on the tailgate, and send a picture to a screen on the dash, a replacement mirror with a built-in screen or, in many newer cars, the factory head unit through an adaptor.

Most cameras switch on when they get power from the reversing light circuit. Wired cameras give the most reliable picture, but running the cable from the back of a wagon or van to the dash takes time. Wireless kits are quicker to fit but can suffer from interference or a lagging picture.

Seal every connection at the rear of the car. Water getting into a tailgate plug or camera connector is a common cause of a flickering or blank picture. Check that your reversing lights still work after the camera is fitted.

Getting a camera fitted in Adelaide

Dashcam and reversing camera installs are everyday work for auto electricians, and a professional fit means hidden cables, sensible fuse choices and no airbag interference. Many mobile auto electricians will fit cameras at your home or work. Our pages for the Inner West and Port and Northern Suburbs list local options.

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Questions Adelaide drivers ask

Is it legal to have a dashcam in South Australia?

Using a dashcam to record the road is common in South Australia. The things to watch are mounting it where it doesn't block your view, not having a screen showing video in your view while driving, and audio recording, because SA's Surveillance Devices Act restricts recording private conversations without consent. Check the current SA road rules and get legal advice for unusual situations.

Can I record sound inside my car in SA?

Be careful. South Australia's Surveillance Devices Act 2016 generally prohibits recording a private conversation without the consent of the people involved, with some exceptions. If you carry passengers, the simplest approach is to turn off audio recording or make sure everyone knows and agrees. Rideshare and delivery drivers should take particular care and check the law.

Will a dashcam in parking mode flatten my battery?

It can, especially if your car does short trips or sits for days. Use a hardwire kit with a low-voltage cut-off and set it to switch the camera off well before the battery gets low. If your car already struggles to start, test the battery before adding parking mode, as a weak battery will be the first thing to fail.

How do I report dangerous driving I caught on my dashcam in Adelaide?

For non-urgent incidents, SA Police has a Traffic Watch reporting service through its app and online form. Call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, or 131 444 for other police assistance. Save and copy the clip quickly, because most dashcams record over old footage, and keep the original file unedited.

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