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What Dash Cam Do Uber and Lyft Drivers Need?

By Garage Trials 4 min read

On this page
  1. What Uber’s rules say
  2. What Lyft’s rules say
  3. Audio is where consent rules differ
  4. Privacy habits from the FPF guide
  5. Which camera setup fits rideshare

This lesson draws on Uber’s driver recording page and help articles, Lyft’s safety policies, the Future of Privacy Forum’s guide written with Uber, Consumer Reports’ dash cam buying guide and VIOFO’s A229 Pro 3CH page. How we research explains the method.

What Uber’s rules say

Uber’s help article on using a dashcam says Uber “allows drivers to install and use video cameras to record riders for purposes of safety.” It adds that local regulations may require you to tell riders about the recording and get their consent, and asks you to check the rules in your city.

Uber’s recording page lets you register your own dashcam in the driver app: Account, then App settings, Video recording and Dashcam registration. The same page says the app lets riders know a trip may be recorded, and Uber offers recording-notice stickers to download.

Uber’s recording guidelines limit how footage is used: only as proof of a completed trip or as part of an incident report. They say not to post images, audio or video of a person on social media, and to upload unedited dashcam footage when you report an incident.

Record My Ride is a separate phone-based feature that Uber offers to select drivers in the US and Latin America. Its recordings are encrypted and stored on your phone. If Uber lets you view one after a safety report, Uber says you are “strictly prohibited from downloading or sharing” it.

What Lyft’s rules say

Lyft’s safety policies include a recording device policy. Lyft says dash cams and other recording devices “may be subject to local regulations,” and asks drivers to check their city and state regulations on recording devices when giving rides. Drivers can register a dashcam through the Lyft Driver app; Lyft says registration is optional and that it has no direct access to the camera.

Lyft’s firm rule is about sharing. Broadcasting another person’s image or recording without their “express prior consent” is prohibited, and Lyft says it may result in your account being disabled. So keep rider footage off social media and livestreams.

Lyft’s policy page does not say what riders are told about a registered camera. Posting your own notice, as in the habits below, keeps riders informed either way. Both platforms update these pages, so check the current rule in each help center.

Consumer Reports’ dash cam guide says that to record audio, you need to know whether your state follows one-party or two-party consent. In two-party states, everyone in a conversation must consent to the recording. Rules vary by state and city and can change, so check the current rule where you drive; this lesson is not legal advice.

If you are unsure, two habits help: tell riders the car records sound and get their consent, or switch the microphone off. How dash cam microphones and the general consent question work is covered in do I need a rear dash cam.

Outside the US, rules on recording passengers differ again, so check the current rule in your country. For the European data-protection view, see the EU privacy note in does dash cam parking mode drain your battery.

Privacy habits from the FPF guide

In February 2022 the Future of Privacy Forum published privacy best practices for US rideshare drivers, created with Uber. They are industry guidance, not law:

  • Place recording notices inside and on the vehicle, and use any notice the rideshare app offers.
  • Mount the dash cam where riders can see it.
  • Consider, in some situations, telling riders out loud that recording is taking place.
  • Keep recordings only as long as the original purpose needs, and delete footage you no longer need.
  • Share footage with others only for reasons that match why you recorded it.

FPF adds that drivers with questions about specific legal duties or incidents should consult a lawyer.

Which camera setup fits rideshare

Rideshare is the job a cabin-facing third channel is built for: a camera facing the riders, with infrared light for night trips. Whether a third channel is worth it, and what it costs in card space and parking-mode power, is covered in is a 3-channel dash cam worth it.

VIOFO markets its A229 Pro 3CH to rideshare drivers. It records 4K in front, 2K in the rear and 1080p in the cabin with an infrared camera. Why 4K helps with plates ahead is in can a dash cam read license plates.

VIOFO

VIOFO A229 Pro 3CH

Three-channel dash cam: a 4K 30fps front camera, a 2K rear camera and a 1080p cabin camera with four infrared LEDs for night. Supercapacitor, no battery; parking mode needs a VIOFO hardwire kit.

Key specs

  • 4K front, 2K rear, 1080p cabin, all 30fps
  • Cabin camera with 4 infrared LEDs
  • Cabin cable 3.3 ft (1 m), rear cable 20 ft (6 m)
  • microSD cards up to 512 GB
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Vantrue’s N4 Pro S is another 3-channel option with an infrared cabin camera. VIOFO’s A229 Plus 3CH has the same layout with a 2K front camera; VIOFO A229 Plus vs A229 Pro explains that trade-off.

Vantrue

Vantrue N4 Pro S

Three-channel dash cam: 4K front, 2.5K (1440p) rear and a 1080p cabin camera with four IR LEDs for night. The IP67 rear camera can mount inside or outside. Supercapacitor; parking mode needs a hardwire kit.

Key specs

  • 4K front, 2.5K (1440p) rear, 1080p cabin
  • Cabin camera with 4 IR LEDs
  • IP67 rear camera, inside or outside mount
  • microSD cards up to 1 TB
Premium

Paid link

View on Amazon

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