The value of dashcams...

[jwatkins]

Hi all,

I'm new here and have just introduced myself on the introductions forum.

This thread caught my eye as it's something I've been thinking about doing, although originally to act as a deterrent for aggressive drivers when I'm out on my bike!

I would have thought there's no harm in using such a device. You can always disregard information that you don't think helps your case, but you never know when an incident might take place in which a video recording from your own dashboard would have been invaluable.

[jont]

Jont: not sure I understand your outrage. Sure there are times when a vid can be misleading but there are also times when it's pretty clear what has gone on and it should be counted as good evidence. Isn't that what our court process is all about...prosecution and defence etc?

Most people seem to want to use them to criticise the behaviour of others (or validate their own behaviour), rather than review their own behaviour or use it as a learning tool. For example in accidents it's always a - "look, it's obviously his fault" - not "hmm, maybe I could have done something different and I would have avoided it".

If you carry on along your line, maybe all dashcam footage from everyone should be uploaded? then it can be reviewed to spot any drivers on hand-held phones, parked illegally, people crossing double white lines, using wrong lanes etc etc. Do you /really/ want to live in that sort of society? I don't.

[Astraist]

And, to elaborate on that last point, most countries where dash-cams are widely used, namely Russia and former USSR countries, have poor car crash statistics.

While the dashcam users will regard them as being the answer to the rotten driving culture around them, it might actually be part of the problem - an aid to the oh-so-common shifting of responsibility to the other drivers, to the detriment of safety.

[sussex2]

I'll take the view that 'what you use to protect yourself can be used against you'.
There is a lot of this footage about but it rarely shows the entire sequence of events, and IMO shows omissions on the party of the taker of the video as well as the supposed wrong doer.
These cameras may be required in some countries where the standard of road us is so poor that something has to be done; this is not a situation we have in the UK or EU in general.

I wonder how many times a manoeuvre that many of us have made, and known to be perfectly safe, would have been viewed as other as unsafe.

I also wonder how much police time is/will be wasted viewing victimless 'crimes' of this sort; quite a lot I imagine.

I also think that we should adopt the EU system of vehicles carrying a standard form which, in the event of a collision, is filled in by the road users concerned (if able).
This form, once signed by all parties, ends the endless squabbles thereafter as to who was to blame.
It may not work for serious collisions but would I think help in the vast majority of incidents which are not serious.

[sussex2]

And, to elaborate on that last point, most countries where dash-cams are widely used, namely Russia and former USSR countries, have poor car crash statistics.

While the dashcam users will regard them as being the answer to the rotten driving culture around them, it might actually be part of the problem - an aid to the oh-so-common shifting of responsibility to the other drivers, to the detriment of safety.

Well said.

[Astraist]

These cameras may be required in some countries where the standard of road us is so poor that something has to be done; this is not a situation we have in the UK or EU in general.

Tell me about it...

Dash-cams are starting to pick up on Israel, too.

Now, the local driving culture may not be nearly as poor as the aforementioned countries, but is still a long way from European standards with regards to politeness (being mostly a result of congestion) and crash statistics.

Given the circumstances, I am not actively advising against the use of such cameras, not least because they often provide me information as a coach.

It is not uncommon for me to view a driver's recording of the mishaps of others, only to point out his or her own faults at driving, namely insufficient anticipation and lack of following distances.

[akirk]

another way to look at it though might be that some of the idiots on the road may start to think twice if they are aware that they might be caught on someone else's camera...

the driver in the OP video - will he do that again in the future, perhaps less likely if he thinks he might be caught by someone else - is his deterrent just in points and fine (doesn't seem to make that much difference to others)... don't know, but it might play a role...

Alasdair

[martine]

Most people seem to want to use them to criticise the behaviour of others (or validate their own behaviour), rather than review their own behaviour or use it as a learning tool. For example in accidents it's always a - "look, it's obviously his fault" - not "hmm, maybe I could have done something different and I would have avoided it".

Agreed but I can see they could be useful in a court of law or even a simple insurance claim.

If you carry on along your line, maybe all dashcam footage from everyone should be uploaded? then it can be reviewed to spot any drivers on hand-held phones, parked illegally, people crossing double white lines, using wrong lanes etc etc. Do you /really/ want to live in that sort of society? I don't.

I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

[TheInsanity1234]

We have a dashcam in our Galaxy, but it never leaves the car. We don't use it to review footage, and nor do we use it for uploading anything to YouTube, the only reason it's there is because it means if any accidents happen, we can provide evidence to support claims. There's been a fair few occasions where a near miss happened right in front of us between 2 third parties, and if an accident happened, we would be able to offer the 'victim' if there is one, our footage to help them in their case.

We've yet to get around to wiring in the one in the Yeti, so my various naughty things shall go unnoticed for now...
(For the record, I don't do any stupid things, I just have a poor attitude to speed limits when not in urban areas...)

[Carbon Based]

another way to look at it though might be that some of the idiots on the road may start to think twice if they are aware that they might be caught on someone else's camera...

Only if they know they are idiots.

[jont]

another way to look at it though might be that some of the idiots on the road may start to think twice if they are aware that they might be caught on someone else's camera...

Only if they know they are idiots.

Or if they worry about being caught.

I increasingly think that mis-registered cars (or no plates) will become common. All after-the-event enforcement revolves around being able to trace a number plate. If that information is wrong/missing, then it feels like you can get away with almost anything.

[TheInsanity1234]

I wonder if these will come in handy...

[Garrison]

No, I do not have a dash cam and no plan on acquiring one.

[Silk]

No, I do not have a dash cam and no plan on acquiring one.

Go back 20 years and you can substitute dash cam for mobile phone. Now everyone has a mobile phone.

[sussex2]

No, I do not have a dash cam and no plan on acquiring one.

Go back 20 years and you can substitute dash cam for mobile phone. Now everyone has a mobile phone.

Not everyone has a mobile phone, not by a long chalk and it's not the same sort of thing at all.

What I want to know is why it seems obligatory, if you have a dash cam, to be playing the most god awful music on your stereo even when the traffic situation would seem to dictate a bit of peace and quiet; the type that might aid all around concentration