dash cams (1 Viewer)

[Mart grump]

which are the best dash cams to buy and are able to be used in court

 

[Autowbars]

I would be surprised if any can be used in court.
Maybe the video can give an indication of guilt or defence.
Not sure.
I have an RAC one, have to download any incident to keep on file from the card.

 

[SMB]

Loads to choose from on Amazon etc, also one of the funsters sells them or puts in a bulk order I believe, a search of previous posts should help. Not sure about use in British courts but I don't see why not, other video evidence can be accepted. Be aware if you travel abroad that the use of dashcams is prohibited in places like Austria and Switzerland I believe, and in Germany I don't think footage from them is accepted as evidence in court.

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[Ricardoe]

Well I read about an instance 6 months ago where dash cam evidence was used to prosecute a perpetual white van middle lane hogger on the m 62.The driver got penalty points..result!!

 

[DBK]

Can't recommend a specific model as mine is an anonymous eBay one but it has the advantage the video files are stored as discreet .avi files which you can view straightaway, including on a tablet. Others hide their files in a way which can only be accessed if you copy an .exe to a windows computer.

Also be careful of interference to the radio. Another cheap dash cam I had blocked the radio when it was switched on.

Some have GPS and give a speed readout but whether this would stand up in court, being presumably uncalibrated, is open to question.

By all means try an eBay offering and you may well get a good one but if you really want something which will work, then buying something a bit more expensive from a UK company might be the wisest choice.

This is my £30 cheapo.

 

[Neilfg]

Have a look at a website techmoan, http://www.techmoan.com/guide-to-dashcams/ he reviews all different types, very helpful.

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[Live Life Now]

Hi Mart grump,
I have just been reading the following article which can be found online (just copy and paste the first line onto your search engine)

I have had one from the gentleman who sells them here at Motorhome fun and it was very good, ordering another one for my new van.

Hope that is useful, from another Dorset MHer. (Ferndown).

"Careless or dangerous drivers could soon face prosecution as a result of “dashcam” evidence supplied by other motorists in a new initiative by West Midlands Police.

The police force has developed a new plan to take advantage of the significant rise in video recording equipment fitted in motor vehicles. The possible proposals mean that motorists who record road traffic offences taking place could fill in an online form and upload the footage directly to the police and cameras are already well-utilised by cyclists who capture details of any accidents they may be involved in.

In a well reported case last month a motorist was captured on film appearing to eat a bowl of cereal at the wheel and the hope is that motorists will unite against wrong doers to help create a safer environment for all road-users.

A representative for West Midlands police road traffic unit said: “West Midlands Police is going to introduce a new way of ‘self reporting’ due care and attention-type road traffic offences. The obvious benefit is, in the event of a collision, it can show the reason for the collision and liability. But this could work in favour of both the camera user and the non-camera user”

 

[ianandkath]

"Careless or dangerous drivers could soon face prosecution as a result of “dashcam” evidence supplied by other motorists in a new initiative by West Midlands Police.

so the police now want you to report other drivers, does that mean they will now put more effort in catching the real criminals ie, housebreakers, bank robbers, rapists, vandals.
call me silly, but all they want is you to make them money and there job easy

 

[PhilandMena]

Top of the range is Roadhawk. has been accepted by some insurance company's and is a first rate piece of kit. Not cheap.

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[WSandME]

Here's my take on it all.

Legality.
There have been a few high-profile cases where drivers / riders have been successfully prosecuted on the basis of their own dashcam evidence.

I don't think GPS sourced speed indication is of any use because the evidence could not be inextricably linked to the particular vehicle - you could only "prove" that the camera itself was travelling at the indicated speed. However, the indicated speed is probably more accurate than your vehicle's speedo - as accurate as your satnav!

In Germany (and Austria?) the use of dashcams is problematic because there have been successful challenges in court due to their strict privacy laws. HOWEVER, in my research, I have seen evidence that the use of dashcams primarily to record other drivers behaviour is not permissible BUT recording for your own entertainment and records is permissible. I cannot imagine any prosecution arising from, eg, using a hand-held camcorder in public! I felt completely happy continuing to use my dashcam in Germany, but realise that I would not have been able to resort to its records as evidence in court.

Performance.
Higher resolution better (can read number plates, road signs &c.), but uses more storage.
"Infra-Red" LEDs are a red herring - they won't work at the distances involved, and in any case would reflect off the windscreen. Need a dashcam that can handle extremes of illumination.
GPS essential for me - use it to "geotag" the videos to show on map where we've been. Side effect of corroborating evidence of speed, and of a reliable time stamp on the video.

I have a "2015 Mini 0805+GPS Car DVR HD1296P Ambarella A7LA50D Dashcam" with an additional GPS base which allows me to swap the device between my MH and car. Small enough to fit on screen without impinging on the window blinds, but I take the camera off the mount every night anyway in order to offload the videos onto a NAS box.
Have to admit that it has started playing up - spontaneously shutting down so I have started looking for a replacement.

I also have an old £15 ebay one in the wife's car - works OK ish
I also had a twin-camera version that went away with my old MH - second camera I used as reverse camera, but could have been set up to have two forward facing - left and right field views, or one forward, one into the cab.

Strongly agree with recommendation to look at Techmoan's YouTube videos - an excellent resource.

 

[Vanman]

Are there rules around size and position of these cameras? I seem to remember reading in another thread that it could make your MH fail it's MOT? Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the cassette emptying tool

 

[WSandME]

Position outside of the area swept by windscreen wipers and you're good to go. Most dashcams are small enough to fit behind the mirror. Mine is fitted low down on windscreen of MH, actually looking through swept area, but no problems with MOT as screen is so big and so far away the camera is inconsequential

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[Kingham]

so the police now want you to report other drivers, does that mean they will now put more effort in catching the real criminals ie, housebreakers, bank robbers, rapists, vandals.
call me silly, but all they want is you to make them money and there job easy

At your own request, I will call you silly

Far too many road users die on our roads as a result of dangerous and careless driving, so anything that helps reduce that tally has to be good for all of us.
I hate seeing that "real criminals" crud spewed out without thought about how many actually people die at the hands of burglars, bank robbers, rapists and vandals each year.

Nowhere near as many as on the roads !

It's not about making cops money, the fact is that due to austerity, there are not enough of them out there to cover the roads to the extent that is needed for our safety. We are out there daily in our thousands, many with dashcams recording offences, so why not lend a hand where we can ?

Any money made on driving courses etc goes back in to policing, it's not a bonus that goes in to the chief's pocket !

 

[martin2603]

Which Magazine Best Buy is the Nextbase at £125.00. I have two for our HGV s . Legally the screen must not show the recording while in motion and must be positioned out of the drivers eyeline. Possibly behind the rear view monitor (mirror) All video evidence is admissible providing the other parties have been served copies before trial date.
I used a Video recording to show the road when one of my trucks was negotiating a junction Claims or us had alleged their vehicle was parked in the road. This was clearly not possible , she had tried to enter the junction while we were exiting. Two days before the Court hearing they dropped the case. Had the dash cam been fitted at the time the case would never arisen