No dash camera for me

[debaets]

I’ve been reading several posts about which dash camera is best, which one has the clearest pictures etc. The reasoning goes that if you’re in an accident you can prove who is at fault…..what happens if you’re at fault? Don’t want to pick on anyone but one of the posts had the video from the newly installed dash cam to show everyone how clear the video was. Well, it also showed him blowing right through the stop sign in his neighborhood. Lets face it most accidents happen by ‘accident’. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not always paying attention like I know I should be, or maybe I’m following too close, or speeding, or trying to make a turn at the last minute because I was distracted. Sometimes the he said vs she said works in your favor.
I’d like to have video of some of the beautiful places we’ve driven through but I don’t want video of some of the ‘bone head’ moves I’ve made over the years.

Safe travels to ALL.

[UsualSuspect]

My thought is, if you are recording, you open yourself up to the good and bad. I have insurance, they have buildings full of lawyers, and I have no dash cam. The computer on my rig is there if they need to see how fast and if I hit the brakes or not. Happy camping!

[1492]

[wa8yxm]

Two things... First if it's a "Cell pone" dash camera or other camera you can quickly hide.. DO SO, what the officer does not know can not hurt you.

Second, your vehicle may already contain a data recorder that monitors the position of the throttle, the brake lights and turn signals, speed sensor and accelerometer. Among other things. Your Insurance adjuster KNOWS how to access it.

Used to be only a few top end rides and commercial rides had those, but the list is growing all the time.

[dahkota]

Bumpyroad wrote:

dahkota wrote:
So, you're telling me that you would lie to get out of responsibility for an accident you caused?

not being stupid is different from telling a lie. assuming that my dash camera had it on a SD card, if I was at fault, that SD card would immediately disappear.

bumpy

So in other words, you would lie to get out of responsibility. Good to know. I, personally, wouldn't. Not admitting fault when knowingly being at fault is lying. You may call it stupid but it doesn't absolve you of blame.

[Bucky_Badger]

Johno02 wrote:
More and more responsible, safe truck drivers are using dash cams, as well as ones that see both sides of the truck. For them, it is just a method of self-defense. As many drivers do not recognize the size and handling abilities of a big truck, carefree and careless drivers tend to get the trucks into difficult and/or disasterous situations every day. And with less than scrupious lawers,out there, trying to get a settlement out of anything, Truckers need all the help they can get. That said, truckers can and are recording and reporting more and more drivers doing stupid and illegal things. With a camera capable of recording time, speed. location and time, all the driver has to do is turn in the SD card at the next weigh station, where it can be reviewed and turned over to the local authorities for further action.

it goes both ways

[1492]

I personally believe that dashcams can be very useful. I once met a Class A owner, who works for a well known Tiffin dealer. He mentioned that some time ago when driving his Class A, a lady with her kids in her vehicle, cut him off making a sudden left turn. He couldn't stop in time, and ended up rear ending her car.

The driver was uninjured and joking about incident, while the children were playing as kids often do while waiting for police to arrive. However, as soon as authorities arrived, the driver and her children began holding their necks complaining of pain. You can pretty much guess what happened next.

The driver ended up filing a suit against him. Ultimately, the judge saw through their scheme, and she was awarded $1. in damages.

Nonetheless, from then on, he has had a dashcam installed in his Class A.

[Johno02]

More and more responsible, safe truck drivers are using dash cams, as well as ones that see both sides of the truck. For them, it is just a method of self-defense. As many drivers do not recognize the size and handling abilities of a big truck, carefree and careless drivers tend to get the trucks into difficult and/or disasterous situations every day. And with less than scrupious lawers,out there, trying to get a settlement out of anything, Truckers need all the help they can get. That said, truckers can and are recording and reporting more and more drivers doing stupid and illegal things. With a camera capable of recording time, speed. location and time, all the driver has to do is turn in the SD card at the next weigh station, where it can be reviewed and turned over to the local authorities for further action.

[debaets]

I'm not saying anyone should lie. Very often our perception of what happens in the seconds before an accident isn’t always completely clear or accurate. It’s quite natural not to want to be the person that caused an accident and to blame someone else.
Often bad habits, of any kind, become ordinary and we don’t even notice them. Most of the time those bad habits that we have and the bad habits of the other driver don’t result in an accident, sometimes they do.
The post about using the camera to be a better drive is a good one. The camera would be a good tool to show us what bad habits we have so we could correct them.

[JN_B]

just me wrote:
The dash cam might help you to be a better and more cognizant driver. It has also helped to determine others accidents in front of you.

Oddly enough.. This is very true.. Many of the people I know (myself included) have changed their driving habits since installing a dash cam (for the better).

[Iraqvet05]

I suspect most of the hype around dashcams in their use to prove one’s innocence started in Europe. From what I’ve read, the Russians have been using them because of rampant police corruption and false claims by other drivers….fortunately for the US, we don’t have those problems on that level.

[mich800]

I guess if you are going around running red lights and stop signs spending the money on a dash cam to prove your innocence is probably not a wise investment.

[just_me]

The dash cam might help you to be a better and more cognizant driver. It has also helped to determine others accidents in front of you. If your kid was to take the car this would be a great teacher as to the kids faults in driving. As a parent I'd want to know the facts.

[Bumpyroad]

dahkota wrote:
So, you're telling me that you would lie to get out of responsibility for an accident you caused?

not being stupid is different from telling a lie. assuming that my dash camera had it on a SD card, if I was at fault, that SD card would immediately disappear.

bumpy

[bucky]

The insurance companies tell us to not say anything but name rank and serial number. He didn't say he would lie. I just noticed you post from DC, the lie capital of the country :).