What resolution do I actually need on a single-channel dash cam?

Mainstream reviewers and dashcamtalk forum testers converge on 1440p (2K) as the sweet spot for reading license plates at distance without massive file sizes. 1080p is acceptable if the sensor is good (Sony STARVIS class), while marketing-spec '4K' on cheap cams is frequently upscaled and not meaningfully sharper than 2K according to specialist subreddits.