Trooper recommends dash cameras

Not allowed guns in aus, unless you're a criminal then it's free for all. I'm thinking of getting a can of Mortein bug spray with a 2 metre spray stream, always got a lighter on me. Or I might just start carrying my shortened sledgey handle in the door pocket again.

The torque wrench in the boot is too inconvenient to grab.
 
Originally Posted by hatt
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by hatt
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
I recommend against dash cams because they can always be used as evidence against you and if you, in a panic, decide to taper with the camera because of an accident where you're at fault you can also be charged.

How bad do you drive?


I'm a safe driver but not necessarily the slowest. Besides nobody is perfect as I suspect 99% of the poster on this board routinely follow too close* especially when commuting to/from work.

* 1 car length for every 10 mph.

If you're following too close and rear end someone you're going to be at fault camera or not. I'm not seeing the downside of a camera unless you routinely blow through stop signs and red lights, or drive aggressively. I'd much rather have the footage showing I'm not at fault vs trying to cover my rear when I caused a crash. I've been in one fender bender in almost three decades so my experiences may differ.



I'm thinking more like you're cruising along at 79 in a 70 and you run up on a car that abruptly changes lanes in front of you. I would not be too hard to deduce your min speed from the video. Of course the next step in that is camera with OBD and then real time monitoring by the state.
 
I've been using dashcams in my cars (front and rear) for past 5 or 6 years now. I've had to submit a claim to insurance twice in that time frame and both times showed the other party 100% at fault. Dashcamtalk.com is a good place to research dashcams.
 
Originally Posted by zzyzzx
How do I keep my car from being broken into for the dash cam?

My dash cam cost $30 and I have a $0 deductible.

Meh, they can have it.
 
Originally Posted by gman2304
They've become very popular for use by truck drivers over the last several years.

I can concur to this! As a driver myself, there's a lot of people out there that intentionally try to get you to hit them for either a big insurance payout or lawsuit towards the company you work for. It's even worse for the owner operators if they fall victim to these morons as it can literally put a little guy out of business and into the poorhouse.
And then there's the road ragers who think it's a swell idea to brake check an 80,000#+ rig at speed in their little 4000# car.. Driving isn't a competition, people need to put their egos in the backseat and DRIVE. Sadly, that's a real rarity on today's roadways!
 
Originally Posted by SirTanon

They issue usually seems to be with the batteries inside them (or the suction cup for those with suction cups). Using a cam that utilizes a capacitor instead of a battery seems to help a lot.


When I had a camera I drilled a 1/4 hole through my sun visor and ran a 1/4-20 bolt through it, nutted the other end, then used the last bit on the tripod mount of the dash cam. Very, very sturdy.
 
KrisZ said:
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl


From a legal perspective I believe the camera owner is supposed to disclose it so I would want to avoid having to make that decision. That's my only reason for not wanting one. IIRC some countries require a dash cam either by law or the insurance companies require it in order to obtain coverage. I can also see active OBD monitoring becoming a requirement for coverage or by law.


Wouldn't that be self incrimination?
Click to expand...
No, accidents are not crimes. You always have the option of disclosing the existence of the dashcam with the insurance company instead of the police. Especially helpful if you suspect the responding officers are friends of family of the other driver. Or think you might get a ticket for something besides the accident the cop might see.

Just don't lie in the report. The camera footage will catch you out.
 
Gimpy1 said:
They cops need a search warrant for that they cannot simply take it.
Click to expand...
This is incorrect. Under what is called "exigent circumstances" LEOs can seize the equipment if they believe it will be tampered with. They will however be required to obtain a warrant to view the footage.

BTW..If it's found that you did tamper (ie. spoliation of evidence) with the video the court will assume you're at fault.
 
Dash cams are great if your into electronics and want to have one for fun other then that they are as useful as lets say, an extended warranty on something. The odds of ever needing it are very low so you will have to consider decades of buying cams and keeping them running in your vehicle for the day you may need one.
Nothing wrong with that if its something you like to do, also remember, dash cams work both ways so if you are at fault and if the police are able to seize it that may prove you are at fault.

Been driving for 48 years never would a dash cam have helped me the 2 times someone bumped into my rear bumper.
Throw in 1 extra time in year two of driving as a kid that a girl with no license ran a stop sign and hit the side of my brand new custom van with custom paint. That was 46 years ago, wow was I upset. But again, in each of the 3 cases it was a no brainer and their ins companies paid for repairs.
In no way am I saying it is a waste of money, but think of it as a fun thing because its something you want to do. Now with the internet you will always find someone out of the thousands or millions of people whom a dash cam has helped or your cam possibly helping the person you hit.

BTW I am VERY much into electronics but this never personally interested me, still not a bad idea I guess, just my reasoning why I dont bother.
 
Last edited:
If you are dead set against getting one because you don't want it to reveal anything you did wrong, then take a look at how you're driving.
If it's because they're ugly / ungainly, choose something low-profile, and then put it in a spot where it's barely visible. I'd never recommend just plunking it in the middle of the windshield with suction cups, or sitting it on the dash. That's inviting a broken window at the shopping center.

Just watch car accidents on YouTube and you'll realize this world is full of criminally bad liars, that the insurance companies are more than inclined to believe if it serves them. Cameras take away any question of who did what, and any bald-faced lie from the SOB that hit you won't stand, once the cop watches the footage.

Cameras are the best thing to happen to our court system since tort reform. Actually, better than that.

See my cam? I can't stand clutter, but this one fits my needs perfectly. I wired it into the power window circuit so it keeps running for a few minutes after I turn off the ignition....just in case there's a conversation I need to catch. You couldn't normally see it if it weren't for the camera flash.

Cam1.jpg
Cam2.jpg
 
With all the distracted idiots on the road, the need for a dash cam has never been greater. In most cases, it your word against the other party and the footage provided from a dash cam would definately help in determining fault.
 
WylieCoyote said:
...Just watch car accidents on YouTube and you'll realize this world is full of criminally bad liars, that the insurance companies are more than inclined to believe if it serves them. Cameras take away any question of who did what, and any bald-faced lie from the SOB that hit you won't stand, once the cop watches the footage.
Click to expand...
If nothing else, ^This.

I've lost count of the number of video clips I've watched where the caption contains "the police were going to ticket me until they saw the dash-cam video showing that the other driver was lying.
 
I just installed a dash cam in my semi a month ago. I've already reported and shown footage of 2 drivers brake checking me in that short time frame. Both were tracked down by their license plates and cited for aggressive driving...which is a serious offense in my state.

Why anybody would brake check an 80K lbs semi hauling flammable liquid (gasoline) is beyond my comprehension. It's a whole new level of stupid.
 
69GTX said:
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
You don't know that, because you don't know the number of times a dash cam wasn't disclosed. Take a "holier than thou" driver who "brake checks" another driver causing a rear end collision. Point being is that I can see situations where the camera "disappears" when the accident doesn't look favorably on the driver.


Regardless if someone "brake checks" you, it's hard to prove they did it on purpose. They could have hit the brake by mistake, had a leg cramp, reacted to a spider in the car, etc. The fact that you were following too close and hit them IS the issue. You'll be declared mainly at fault for following too close for the speed. Even if they lock them up....you should be far enough back to avoid them. Like you said earlier, 1 sec for every 10 mph should give you plenty of reaction time.
Click to expand...

Brake checkers typically pull into your lane just before braking.
 
GoldDot40 said:
I just installed a dash cam in my semi a month ago. I've already reported and shown footage of 2 drivers brake checking me in that short time frame. Both were tracked down by their license plates and cited for aggressive driving...which is a serious offense in my state.

Why anybody would brake check an 80K lbs semi hauling flammable liquid (gasoline) is beyond my comprehension. It's a whole new level of stupid.
Click to expand...

Had one brake checking my bus this week. First did an illegal overtake too.
 
I bought a Challenger, quickly saw how many kids wanted to show off in front of that compared to my Camry.
I have a single, 2 camera Blackvue system, with 2 cameras and no display (uses the phone by Wifi.) Very discrete.
In the Challenger (DD), I have it wired to a switch that selects battery or ignition/accessory power (a bit delayed off). Sometimes I watch the house or other area when things are weird.
I can easily move it to the Durango, as both are prewired..
In both vehicles the wires easily got tucked under headliner board, down A pillar trim, and into glovebox area - EZPZ.

I recently got tagged in the Challenger (just got the title paid off) and cameras told the tale.
Told the Trooper, he didn't need it.

I often get oddities or lawbreakers, wished they could follow up on that!
The cam records 'Normal', 'Event', and 'Park' (if left powered).
If I tap the cam the file becomes 'Event' (sensor) and easy to find and review.


for sample of how it shows stuff!
 
Last edited:
You know, maybe it's my age, but I get annoyed, and still cannot rationalize hard 'brake checking'.
I can think of much safer ways to mess 'back' with someone.
 
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