Anybody use dashcams?

[PandaSelecta]

After this happened to my Mam's car a couple of months ago...



And this happened to my Dad's car a couple of weeks ago...



I'm thinking its about time that I got a dashcam. So which of you use a dashcam, and which would you recommend?

[GT4ME]

I got one around 18 months ago after 2 schoolboys decided to step off the pavement in front of me to brake test me while eating there fish and chips.
Occurred to me that, had I hit them -the only witnesses being their laughing mates I would probably have been accused of speeding etc.
Stuck it behind my interior mirror and have forgotten all about it.
I've had 2 very near misses, both times people on the motorway pulling into my lane without looking in there mirror. On both occasions I'd of been glad of the footage had contact been made.
Mine is just a budget one bought on Amazon, think I paid about £30 for it, though they've gone up slightly.

www.amazon.co.uk/E-PRANCE-Novatek-Dashcamera-Recorder-G-sensor/dp/B00IPDDAME/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466783414&sr=1-8&keywords=Dash+cam

[MkX]

I had recently warned my Dad off buying one. Although they can undoubtedly be a useful tool they're a two-edged sword, unless your driving is always impeccable & you never exceed the speed limit there's a possibility the dashcam evidence could end up working against you, (as my Dad drives everywhere with the revs counter needle in & the red & takes most corners on 2 wheels there was a very strong chance the dashcam would have ended up working against him).

[BT]

I was involved in a fatal accident last October and since then run a dash cam, should ideally buy a decent one. I take huge satisfaction in the fact I don't drive like a moron and therefore have nothing to hide. Some of the things I've picked up are unbeliveable, until you show people the footage!

[jiminwatford]

There is some info in this thread

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/182880/any-got-used-dashcam

[sb]

I would suggest you get something that can record in HD and preferably run a 64gb card (most only seem to do 32 so not sure if they're available).

This means that if the worst happens you can actually identify license plates if someone tries to do a runner or claim it isnt them. Some of the dash cam footage you see is so unclear it seems barely of use!

[discostew38]

I have one
It's fitted to one of the better cars
There's a roundabout on my way home from work where people change lanes with no indication and I've had a couple of very close calls
And this made me get one
Now days no one will stop and be a witness so it's your word against theirs so the dash cam is the only way
I had a cheap one first but it played up so buy the best you can afford mine has gps with speed but you can turn that off

[Rebuilda]

£20 cheapo from tescos just to get a feel for if I like them or not. I put it in the van as thats getting used most. Comes on and records automatically when I start the van and goes off about three minutes after the power goes off. Video isn't great but better than nothing. If i'm actually trying to record video for you tube then I just use my phone in a bracket.

[richr]

I run a dash cam in both my cars.

You just never know who is going to do what in their car providing you drive reasonably what issues could you have with it.

Mine was around £30 plus a decent card for it.

[taurus]

As on he other thread, I use a MieVue which is very good. The updates seem to have stopped arriving recently which I must check as they are meant to be for life.

[PandaSelecta]

Jun 24, 2016 16:10:08 GMT MkX said:

I had recently warned my Dad off buying one. Although they can undoubtedly be a useful tool they're a two-edged sword, unless your driving is always impeccable & you never exceed the speed limit there's a possibility the dashcam evidence could end up working against you, (as my Dad drives everywhere with the revs counter needle in & the red & takes most corners on 2 wheels there was a very strong chance the dashcam would have ended up working against him).

Shouldn't bother me, as I'm a "boring" driver who does a couple of mph under the speed limit. I swear, sometimes I make Victor Meldrew look like a party animal

[richr]

Jun 24, 2016 20:07:58 GMT discostew38 said:

I have one
It's fitted to one of the better cars
There's a roundabout on my way home from work where people change lanes with no indication and I've had a couple of very close calls
And this made me get one
Now days no one will stop and be a witness so it's your word against theirs so the dash cam is the only way
I had a cheap one first but it played up so buy the best you can afford mine has gps with speed but you can turn that off

8 gb is big enough as the cam re records over on the card

You just need a high grade one

[tonup]

I got a Nextbase 402G from Halfords last week. Saw on another forum they had a mistake on the 'click and collect' option that if you bought the cam for £119, then the 32gb card and case would be taken off, not added, and you would pay £95 for BOTH. (If you try it, The reduction doesn't show until you click on the collect from store opption)
Excellent so far, really good pics with 1080dp camera.

[Mad Max]

I have a cheapo Chinese one in the car but a better one in my lorry. With the amount of miles we do there's multiple times a day when I'm glad I've got one just in case and a few drivers I know have had their livelihoods saved with the evidence of their videos. If the video only proves it was the camera vehicles driving that was at fault then surly that's a win for better driving too?

[andyf]

Yes, I have a nextbase from Halfords, I got one last year when somebody drove into the side of my daily driver and despite it being clearly his fault he argued the toss and it took ages and court dates before he caved in. Somewhat ironically somebody pulled out on me last weekend on a roundabout and hit my TR7. I don`t have a camera in that one.

[oukie]

I've got one and my wife has one now also, after my wife was in accident which she was found at fault cause she pulled out of a junction and hit a car, problem was the car she hit was massively speeding there was only minor damage to her Honda FRV, yet the Citreon piccaso (new style) was far more damaged completely spun out and hit the curb about sixty foot past my wife (30 zone) there was two witnesses but they were kids, who both said Citreon was speeding, insurance company decided not enough evidence to defend my wife. So logged as a fault claim, silly-billies.

Got camera's in both my main cars now.

[Mercdan68]

I really should get one of these,, in a bit of a different slant an old guy at work has one in his van . And apparently he and his wife watch what's gone on over the course of his working week....ok now you all must know what goes on in work places??? Yes I'll admit to mooning a few weeks ago whilst his van was being loaded on the warehouse door ......

[14500rpm]

There's lots of dashcam reviews HERE. It's worth getting a decent one I think.

[alecf]

Jun 24, 2016 16:10:08 GMT MkX said:

I had recently warned my Dad off buying one. Although they can undoubtedly be a useful tool they're a two-edged sword, unless your driving is always impeccable & you never exceed the speed limit there's a possibility the dashcam evidence could end up working against you, (as my Dad drives everywhere with the revs counter needle in & the red & takes most corners on 2 wheels there was a very strong chance the dashcam would have ended up working against him).

Not the case mate.

All my vans run them. They are the best thing we have ever brought.
In 5 years they have brought to an instant close 4 accidents that previously I have no doubt in believing would have gone 50 50.

We also had the police view one of our cameras after an accident where a biker had been hit. Not by our vehicle but he drove past at the time of the incident. It showed although in the wrong,our driver smoking and with out his belt on.
They weren't interested in the slightest.
Told us to deal with him as we need to.
Needless to say he was disaplined as needed.

I even have one in my own works vehicle. Best thing ever.

[montythemole]

Yep I've got one after witnessing a tool in an Audi run a red light and T-bone a young lass in a mini. He managed to convince her she was in the wrong by the time I managed to find somewhere safe to park. I was able to re-adjust his attitude and his company eventually paid out.

Despite heavy traffic no one else stopped. Had I not bothered (I was running very late for work and was tempted to assume someone else would stop) she'd have been stuffed.

Sadly you can't rely on witnesses so a camera is next best thing.

Just be aware of how long your card takes to loop. You don't want to record over an accident by mistake.