In Car Video cameras as standard on cars....

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After today, I am getting a system fitted with continuous front and rear recording - sick and tired of the drivers willing to risk it all on the road.

Can anyone recommend a system?
 
I can't recommend any systems but i'm planning something similar myself. the popularity with cameras on cars is on the rise and if you have an accident that wasn't your fault it will come in pretty handy. Wish I had one a few years ago when a crash I had got accused as 50/50 between me and another car when actually I was in no fault at all...yes every one says that but I'm not porky pieing lol.
 
They make you drive better too, knowing that any of your mistakes will be recorded. I have one front facing camera, excellent image quality even at night but it's no longer made so can't recommend it. What I would say is avoid the cheap £20-40 range and choose one with gps in it.
 
I use the blackvue DR550GW. Although I actually get sent loads of different dash cams to test for my youtube channel, Ive found this is the best all round system. It has GPS, WIFI, front and back recording, crash sensors, motion sensors etc.
Its not cheap, but the quality is good and its pretty reliable. Ive had 4 or 5 blackvues over the years, I have the DR500 in my work van and my wife has the DR400 in her car.
 
E-prance do a cheapo that has two front facing cameras and rear view camera in a built in rear view mirror so it is quite unobtrusive. It has gps I think. If you're a bit naughty speed wise I'm not sure gps in the car is wise ;)

I've just got one of their cheap mini ones to try out. I was going to use my phone but lots of the software is unreliable.

Auto car have just done a review of several and one of the £80 ones came out well. Transcend was the brand I think.

Wasn't going to get one but a recent run in with a complete bell end has made me change my mind.
 
An E-Prance model is what I have, they are generic Chinese but get good reviews, especially the more expensive ones.
 
As Suz says, Auto express have just done a review and the £80 Transcend model came out on top
 
There's a massive thread on MX5nutz reviewing some of the half way decent Chinese ones and going through installation etc.
 
You maybe able to prove to "your" insurance company the the other guy / gal was a pillock,
if the accident was a little ambiguous as to blame / fault without the camera's evidence,
being curious here, are they actually legal?

That is, would the "evidence" stand up in court?
Or indeed is it admissible?

So an accident occurs, you prove you weren't at fault,
The other side denies it, (we all know insurance companies are as wiggly as a worm on speed)

If the evidence is inadmissible, for a legal battle,
that's back to a 50/50 claim.

On a slightly different note,
I can also see that eventually they will be fitted as standard,
we have camera's watching our every move now, they may as well watch us in / and inside our cars too.

That way they can remove all the speed camera's saving the country a fortune on maintenance,
and just down load "our own evidence" :)

"I was only stopped on the double yellows for a minute" ;)
"I didn't mean to stop on the cross hatch,
"I didn't mean to straddle a pedestrian crossing
the guy in front stopped suddenly.

Too late sunshine, your nicked :D

(Before anyone says don't break the limit / law and you have nothing to worry about,
think about other things you may use your car for, clandestine meetings with someone else's wife / husband,
Buggering off early from work etc. That'll do for a start, but the list goes on ;)

So where is the best place to buy tin foil hats again? :D )
 
They are perfectly legal as they will be recording within a public space from your own vehicle. Some insurers are actually giving discounts for having them fitted.

The footage could only be used against you if you presented it for evidence against yourself and why would you do that? I mean for speeding/parking offences.
 
pitkin2020 said:
They are perfectly legal as they will be recording within a public space from your own vehicle. Some insurers are actually giving discounts for having them fitted.
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I didn't mean are they legal from a recording point of view,
More to the fact are they legal as evidence gatherers and that evidence
being admissible in court?


pitkin2020 said:
The footage could only be used against you if you presented it for evidence against yourself and why would you do that? I mean for speeding/parking offences.
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You kinda missed the point of that wry, George Orwellesque last comment.
Where the camera's fitted to cars are linked to, and sends data to, a central computer :D
 
sounds good to me ,last weekend while coming home from holiday i stopped at a roundabout ,i had my caravan on tow ,outside lane as i was going round to the right and i was at the crest of the hill waiting for a clear space from my right to pull out ,a muppet (female type) proceeded to come up my inside and pulled up diagonally across the nearside front of my car then shot out ,the wife just sat there with her mouth hanging open ,totally unreal .
 
Cobra said:
I didn't mean are they legal from a recording point of view,
More to the fact are they legal as evidence gatherers and that evidence
being admissible in court?



You kinda missed the point of that wry, George Orwellesque last comment.
Where the camera's fitted to cars are linked to, and sends data to, a central computer :D
Click to expand...
Well as insurance companies are using them and persuading you to use them by giving premium discounts I can't see why not, however with the footage in hand most will never see court. Why would you go to court to fight against something when there is video evidence going against you??

I didn't the last comment you referred to but camera data being sent back to a central computer aren't exactly mainstream (currently). If you look at the black boxes put in cars currently to help reduce insurance premiums you can't be prosecuted for speeding offences it captures, but the insurer will hike your premium up
 
pitkin2020 said:
Why would you go to court to fight against something when there is video evidence going against you??
Click to expand...

Leaving my wry George Orwellian comment aside,
that's the point I was making, if it is still an ambiguous claim WITHOUT the evidence,
and the other party fights it,
it goes to court, and the footage is INADMISSIBLE.
Then you have gained nothing.
I was asking if it was admissible as evidence, that's all.
 
why would it be inadmissable though?? As long as the footage is true and un edited there is no reason why it could not be presented as evidence. You wouldn't go to court without presenting the evidence first anyway, if you pulled it out once at the court then yeah it probably would be inadmissable as there is no reason why you would genuinely leave it to the last minute. The likely hood of a claim actually going forward to court with video evidence is unlikely as the defending insurance company know they stand a big chance of losing with even more cost so will pay out the effected party.
Insurance companies are out to make money not defend clients at extra expense, they want a case closed asap
 
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pitkin2020 said:
why would it be inadmissable though?? As long as the footage is true and un edited there is no reason why it could not be presented as evidence.
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I don't know that's why I posed the question.
Some CCTV evidence is inadmissible.

As to your bold point.
I've been on the Google and yes that's correct.
However it seems a good "defence" is that the footage is in-complete.
The "camera" should have been started earlier and switched off later,
as the "snip" is not a good representation of the event.

As I am not a Lawyer I'll leave it to people more knowledgeable than I
to fight that one out ;)
 
yeah which is why i said unedited, it would really need to show the lead up and the after parts not just a snippet which could be interpreted, the whole picture can be put together then.

I think CCTV that is inadmissable would be where it was recorded on private property without permission, your vehicle should be a on a public road videoing a public area which is totally legal.
 
IANAL but I THINK that video evidence is generally admissible since it's harder to fake than stills. There was a case some years back where a brief claimed that the stills produced as evidence were "obviously faked in photoshop". At which point the other side produced the strip of negatives...

It won't be long before all cars have to be fitted with black boxes that report all transgressions to the Central Scrutiniser.
 
Cobra said:
(Before anyone says don't break the limit / law and you have nothing to worry about,
think about other things you may use your car for,
Buggering off early from work etc. That'll do for a start, but the list goes on ;)
Click to expand...
No hope of me doing that, 1. I'd have to clock out. 2. I'd have to use the same card again to get through a turnstile to the car park to get to my car and finally 3. I'd have to drive past the main security gate, which has a camera.
 
nilagin said:
No hope of me doing that, 1. I'd have to clock out. 2. I'd have to use the same card again to get through a turnstile to the car park to get to my car and finally 3. I'd have to drive past the main security gate, which has a camera.
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Thats a b****r :(
 
TCR4x4 said:
I use the blackvue DR550GW. Although I actually get sent loads of different dash cams to test for my youtube channel, Ive found this is the best all round system. It has GPS, WIFI, front and back recording, crash sensors, motion sensors etc.
Its not cheap, but the quality is good and its pretty reliable. Ive had 4 or 5 blackvues over the years, I have the DR500 in my work van and my wife has the DR400 in her car.
Click to expand...

Typically how much would that cost to fit?
 
Nothing, do it yourself. Its only a cable from the cigarette lighter and another from the rear camera to the front one.

I fit several different cameras every week without issue.
 
TCR4x4 said:
Nothing, do it yourself. Its only a cable from the cigarette lighter and another from the rear camera to the front one.

I fit several different cameras every week without issue.
Click to expand...
Is the rear camera cable long enough on the DR55GW for say a slightly largish vehicle like the Mercedes GL AMG? I have a Roadhawk HD in my Golf R which is absolutely fantastic for the front...But want a nearly similar integrated all in one package for our main family car cover both front and back...
 
Well it fits with cable to spare in my Landrover Discovery, so I guess it would be fine in a Merc GL
 
Super, yes that is a fair comparison....I'll order one this weekend :)
 
Of course it depends how the cable can be routed, mine was quite a straight run along the back door and into the headlining and straight to the front camera. I'm sure other cars have limitations to where you can run the cable which will use up some of the excess.
 
I should be able to get it straight along the side of the roof to then meet the camera at the front...So the rear camera connects to the front camera, which then in turn records both? And then has its on wire for power?
 
No experience with it, but I'd prefer to get one that's built into a rearview mirror (clips over your existing mirror) - less noticeable to the casual observer, they are hardwired into the car's power - turn on the ignition, it starts recording, turn off the car, it stops (with a lithium battery for backup), and have loop recording.

Something like this, even Amazon has them now for under $100

Only hassle would be running the wire underneath the car's headliner and around to wherever the powercord can plug into.
 
I guess it depends on what you drive and like. No way id have some bit of Chinese electronics with the design features looking like a car from the 1980s clip on my nicely integrated rear view mirror.

You'd be surprised how discrete the discrete camera installs can be. It would be even better if the inboard cameras for reading roadsigns and 360 degree view, and night vision etc could record for this purpose. My guess will be in the next two years.

It is good that there is choice available for all.
 
The tacky eprince does all of the above as it has a 360 degree view and night vision....

I've wedged mine into the passenger seat under the head rest. Can't see it from outside the car. No trailing wire all over the screen and much harder to see from outside the car. No idea whether it is worth the effort as I haven't checked the footage yet. Mac seemed to barf at the camera being plugged in an moaned about the card not being ejected properly so it threw a wobbly. I suspect it will corrupt the card like it did to my nokia.
 
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