CAN I RUN DASHCAM WIRING BY MY AIRBAGS?

by Ben DelGrosso | May 11, 2021 | Dash Cam

Dashcams are an excellent deterrent and protector of your vehicle. Not only do they keep a watchful eye on your vehicle when you’re not occupying it, they also act as protection against any fraudulent claims made against you while operating it. As such, dashcams have massively gained in popularity in North America and beyond in recent years.

HIDING THE DASHCAM WIRES

We love our cars. The crisp, clean lines. The swaggy interiors. That’s why when installing dashcams, we often aim to hide any wiring, to keep the aesthetic of the car neat and tidy. Luckily, dashcam wiring can be run through A pillars quite easily and effectively, leaving you with that clean look, and a fully functional dashcam.

There is one caveat to this that is important to note: most new vehicles have airbags located in the A Pillars. This is an added level of security that has been shown to greatly reduce the chance of injury in the event of an accident.

The presence of these airbags in the A Pillars often leave customers with a burning question: Is it safe to run wires by the airbags? In short, the answer is a resounding YES! And there is some serious data to back up this claim.

DASHCAMS AND AIRBAGS—HISTORICAL DATA

In many other parts of the world, dashcams have been common practice for over a decade. In that time, we have been able to gather an abundance of data on the efficacy of dashcams, but also the safety of those dashcams in case of an accident. What we’ve learned is that airbags that have dashcam wires running by them are as effective, and no more dangerous, as those without. In other words, the dashcam wiring had NO effect of the efficacy of the airbag contained in the A Pillar. That is great news for those who want their dashcam wiring hidden.

RUNNING WIRING INSIDE THE A PILLAR

Now, generally speaking, the A Pillar in a newer model vehicle is going to contain a bundle of various wires, as well as the airbags we mentioned earlier. For someone who’s never looked inside the A Pillar of a vehicle before, or run wiring for that matter, it may look complex. If installing a dashcam is on your to-do list, but the task seems daunting—we recommend hiring a professional. This will ensure that peace of mind you need, in order to feel as though the job was done properly.

RUNNING DASHCAM WIRING UNDER WEATHERSTRIPPING

There are some instances where it may be difficult to remove the A Pillar—don’t sweat it. The dashcam wiring can still be run between the interior and the door via the weatherstripping. There could be some irregularities in the appearance of the weatherstripping after installation, but no worries, it’s still very safe.