What's the deal on dash cams?

jeepinmatt

jeepinmatt

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Thought I might have to shoot someone on my way to work a couple weeks ago. I'd like to have a dash cam to explain why if such a thing we're to ever actually happen. Don't need anything fancy, but ideally something simple and reliable.
 
I've got this ching chong setup on my work van and really like it alot. Records front and back, works as a backup cam and also have it set to record for 2 hrs after I turn the van off/ also locks down any video after a high G accident or sweet jump. Can play it back right from the screen.
 

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I have an entry level Go pro I use from time to time.good for about four hours of video per charge.
 
We have a bunch of these:

https://www.amazon.com/YI-1080P60-Dashboard-G-Sensor-Recording/dp/B01C89GCHU/

Add in $10 for a 64GB micro SD card, and you're all set. Ours are powered off ignition sources, so they come on and record automatically, and overwrite old files when the card gets full. You can use motion detection to turn them on and off, but I found it was a bit unpredictable.
 
You know, I've actually just been using my iPhone in a mount that gets a view out the windshield. I tell Siri to "record video" (actually the specific words are an experiment in patience every f'ing time. She's a total bitch). Won't kick into record mode, but she does bring up the camera ready to record, and I just hit the record button. After, assuming it was the normal 99% nothing but boring traffic and assholes, I delete when I get to my destination.

What's really weird is that, as I type this, its all coming across in my head as if I've got some speedy gonzales accent. Been a long week already...
 
A friend in the Jeepster world recorded an accident this week that, had he not had video, he likely would have been considered at fault. So I have also been considering some type of dash cam.
 
So you guys that are running them - are they just mounted to the windshield/dash, so you just see outside the vehicle, or do you have a record of your dash as well?
I could see a case where you'd want view of your speedometer, maybe even the driver's front seat area, if you happen to have a distrust of LEOs. But at the same time... that means a view of everything, including likely people. And having that speedo view could be as much of a liability as a help, if you are not a 100% law abiding citizen all the time. I'm not sure I'd want that.

Dashcam saved one of my interns once. Kid was driving home, hit a deer. Insurance gave him a hard time about it b/c the damage looked like it could have been a car, but they paid up. He got a cam after that. 2 months later, in a different car, he hit another deer. This time they tried to deny it, saying the chances are too small, some BS like that. He emailed them the footage and had it covered immediately.
 
RatLabGuy said:
And having that speedo view could be as much of a liability as a help, if you are not a 100% law abiding citizen all the time. I'm not sure I'd want that
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So that's my question, is can that footage be used against you??? Like how could that come up, say a cop tries to give you a ticket doing 90 in a 70...Obviously I'd provide the footage in court showing I was only doing 68, if I was really doing 90, I'm not going to volunteer the tape. If the cop sees the camera, can they request the tape? To me it would seem 6 to one, half dozen to the other anyway...you were getting 20 over ticket whether they have the tape or not, or I was going to prove I was only going 68. Obviously, I'd want to show the recording on my own terms, otherwise I always assumed that tape was private until made public.
 
UTfball68 said:
So that's my question, is can that footage be used against you??? Like how could that come up, say a cop tries to give you a ticket doing 90 in a 70...Obviously I'd provide the footage in court showing I was only doing 68, if I was really doing 90, I'm not going to volunteer the tape. If the cop sees the camera, can they request the tape? To me it would seem 6 to one, half dozen to the other anyway...you were getting 20 over ticket whether they have the tape or not, or I was going to prove I was only going 68. Obviously, I'd want to show the recording on my own terms, otherwise I always assumed that tape was private until made public.
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Edit the tape. Problem solved.
 
Related quandary - do you record audio too?
B/c that means that any conversation occurring in the car is at least potentially recorded.
This can also be seen as an invasion of privacy by any passengers. Or, even if you use your car stereo for a hands-free phone call.
Depending what state you happen to be in at the time, that may be a felony.

My take on it is this - the best setup is something that auto-deletes unless specifically told not to. Then you will only have access to something for which there was an explicit reason at the time, and you can then make the personal call if keeping/letting it be known that you have said recording based on the circumstances.
E.g. might want to give up on that video of a crazy vehicle you passed while talking to your girlfriend about when your wife was leaving town :D
 
Virtually any dash cam from the last few years is going to record audio, pretty much every dash cam rolls over aka "auto deletes" any old footage that isn't locked. Virtually every over $50 camera out there has a button as well as G sensor to lock the previous xx minutes of footage. The police absolutely can take your footage and use it against you. Let the police and your insurance companies sort it out and let your insurance Co/attorney know there's footage and no one else. There are plenty of cams out there with gps that will overlay the video with any info you want, still likely won't get you out of a ticket vs a radar. There's no reason unless you are an Uber driver to film The interior of your car.
 
braxton357 said:
The police absolutely can take your footage and use it against you.
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I know they 'can'...but I feel legally there are several steps before it's admissible if not voluntarily forfeited. And for a relatively routine traffic citation, I doubt they'd even care.
 
UTfball68 said:
I know they 'can'...but I feel legally there are several steps before it's admissible if not voluntarily forfeited. And for a relatively routine traffic citation, I doubt they'd even care.
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I'm no lawyer but this is regularly debated on Reddit by "lawyers" and apparently it's a pretty common thing for an leo to just take the whole dash cam. So I mean if you're doing anything sketchy it takes about 5 seconds to format the SD card with mine and another 5 to swallow it. Yolo.
 
I'm Surprised my Boss is not running them in his Trucks! And the video's I see that come up on You Tube, & tonight's News, makes me want one, for My protection. But the other side of me, thinks, I Might have to drive a little safer, if I'm recording! :lol:
 
RatLabGuy said:
Related quandary - do you record audio too?
B/c that means that any conversation occurring in the car is at least potentially recorded.
This can also be seen as an invasion of privacy by any passengers. Or, even if you use your car stereo for a hands-free phone call.
Depending what state you happen to be in at the time, that may be a felony.

My take on it is this - the best setup is something that auto-deletes unless specifically told not to. Then you will only have access to something for which there was an explicit reason at the time, and you can then make the personal call if keeping/letting it be known that you have said recording based on the circumstances.
E.g. might want to give up on that video of a crazy vehicle you passed while talking to your girlfriend about when your wife was leaving town :D
Click to expand...
My go pro records audio,picks up the radio,conversations and even the sound of the engine under hard acceleration.I go to a lot of different places buying/selling stuff and some are pretty sketch looking,Due to the limited battery life I usually just turn it on when Im getting there and try to park where I think I will be.I always try to be mindful of where I am versus where the camera is pointed.In the event I was to shoot somebody for tryin to rob me I want it on camera.I don't nessacarily recommend a go pro,at least not the entry level one.
 
FWIW, I looked up some of the footage from the Yi dash cam I linked above. It uses about 8GB to store an hour of video.
 
shawn said:
FWIW, I looked up some of the footage from the Yi dash cam I linked above. It uses about 8GB to store an hour of video.
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Well, was it any good?
 
jeepinmatt said:
Well, was it any good?
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Oh yeah, the video is fine. I just didn't know how much space it actually took up. If you're concerned about having too much video saved, sticking to a small SD card is a good solution.
 
I almost needed one today. Was traveling through a neighborhood in my work truck and a small work van had stopped in front of a residence coming from the opposite direction and I continued on slowly heading his way maybe 20 MPH. All of a sudden he turns and backs up directly in front of me so he can drive up the driveway. I was not 30' from him when he made this move! I don't think he ever saw me and I was so hot from the last job I just went on, didn't even blow the horn! :flipoff::flipoff2:
 
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