See the gap to the car ahead.
DistanceCamera turns your iPhone into a smart dashcam companion. It finds the car in your lane, estimates how far away it is and warns you when you follow too closely — all on your phone, with nothing uploaded.
What it does
Built for daily driving in Vietnam, where keeping a safe gap is the law.
Finds the car ahead
On-device AI detects cars, trucks and buses and picks the one in your lane — the car that matters.
Estimates distance
A large, glanceable number shows the approximate distance in metres. Calibrate once for better accuracy.
Safe-gap warnings
Optional sound and visual alerts when the gap is shorter than your limit, or than the legal gap for your speed (Thông tư 38/2024/TT-BGTVT).
Lane detection
Recognises your lane so the car you follow is the one in your lane, not in the next one.
Minimal road view
A calm, dark 2D view of the road and cars around you. Uses less power and keeps the phone cooler.
Private by design
No account, no ads, no tracking. Camera frames are processed in memory and never saved or sent anywhere.
How to use
Set up once, then just drive.
- Mount the phone in a car holder on the windshield or dashboard, camera facing the road, as close to the middle of the car as you can.
- Open DistanceCamera and allow Camera (to see the road) and Location (for your speed).
- Calibrate (optional): behind a car at a known distance, tap the big number and enter the real distance.
- Turn on warnings in Warning settings: a fixed distance, the legal gap for your speed, or both.
- Drive. Keep your eyes on the road — a glance is enough. Switch to Minimal on long trips to save power.
Safety first. DistanceCamera is a driving aid, not a safety system. Distances are estimates and can be wrong in rain, at night, on curves or with unusual vehicles. Always watch the road, keep a safe distance yourself and obey traffic laws. Set up the app before you drive and never handle the phone while driving.
Questions & answers
Câu hỏi thường gặp
How does DistanceCamera measure distance?
An on-device AI model finds vehicles in the camera image. Because cars, trucks and buses have typical heights, the size of the vehicle in the picture gives an estimate of how far away it is. Calibrating once with a known distance makes it more accurate for your phone and mount.
How accurate is it?
It is an estimate, usually within about 10% at normal following distances after calibration. Accuracy drops at long range, at night, in rain or fog, on curves, and for vehicles with unusual shapes. Never rely on it alone.
Does it record video or upload anything?
No. Camera frames are analysed in memory and discarded immediately. The app has no servers, no account and makes no network requests. See the privacy policy.
Why does it need my location?
Only to read your speed from GPS on the phone, for the legal safe-gap warning, and only when that warning is on. Your location is never stored or shared.
What is the legal safe distance in Vietnam?
Under Thông tư 38/2024/TT-BGTVT, on a dry, straight road: 35 m at 60 km/h, 55 m above 60 up to 80 km/h, 70 m above 80 up to 100 km/h and 100 m above 100 up to 120 km/h. Below 60 km/h keep a gap suited to traffic. Rain, fog and curves need more.
Which car does it choose as “ahead”?
With a lane detected, the nearest car inside your lane. Without one, the nearest car close to the middle of your view. Vehicles crossing sideways in front of you are ignored.
My phone gets hot. What can I do?
Use the Minimal layer (dark road view, dimmed screen), keep the phone out of direct sun and away from heater vents, and use a holder with airflow. The app lowers its work automatically when iOS reports the phone is hot.
Does it work at night or in the rain?
It works, but less reliably: vehicles and lane lines are harder to see. Keep extra distance in bad conditions.
Which iPhones are supported?
iPhones running iOS 17 or later. Newer models with a faster Neural Engine run cooler and update more often.
Does it cost anything? Are there ads?
There are no ads, no accounts and no in-app tracking.
Có hỗ trợ tiếng Việt không? · Is Vietnamese supported?
Ứng dụng giúp bạn giữ khoảng cách an toàn với xe phía trước theo Thông tư 38/2024/TT-BGTVT. Mọi xử lý diễn ra trên điện thoại, không tải hình ảnh lên mạng. Luôn quan sát đường và tự giữ khoảng cách an toàn.
Support
Found a problem or have a suggestion? We read every message.
Email: cduyminh@gmail.com
Please include your iPhone model, iOS version and what you were doing. Performance logs can be found in the Files app → DistanceCamera → Performance and attached if helpful.