Dashcam: do you have one fitted in your vehicle?

AlecEiffel

I shall be getting one soon (though after the horse has bolted). Got hit by a van recently which didn't stop. Got the reg but no witnesses who stopped and the driver hasn't responded to inquiries from my insurer yet (waiting on the police too).

sparrer

Yes - I fitted it

My son fitted a front/rear camera after a vehicle swerved over to my side of the road (possibly drunk/on mobile?), hit my wing mirror which, as my window was wound down, embedded itself in my face/neck, and of course didn't stop. I don't necessarily feel safer but at least I'll have a record of the next idiot who causes an incident.

SouthLondonUser

taximan1234 wrote: »

Got a blackvue front and rear camera, after a week some idiot smashed my other cars window to steal a wallet, unluckily for him my taxi was parked in front and the Blackvue caught it all, He was in court last week and I have been awarded damages, so the camera has paid for itself already.
By the way fitting was easy.

It was recording even if the engine was off?
How long can it record with the engine off?

leslieknope

i'd like a dashcam but so many options. any recommendations? nothing too expensive

leslieknope

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

It was recording even if the engine was off?
How long can it record with the engine off?

some dashcams come with motion detection i believe so it would record when a car or person was within a certain distance.

Nilrem

Yes - I fitted it

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

It was recording even if the engine was off?
How long can it record with the engine off?

Depending on how they are wired in some can be powered all the time (same as the alarm, locks etc), most of the better dashcams can be "hardwired" in this manner and have a setting that turns them off if the voltage drops below a certain level to prevent them running the battery flat if the car isn't used for a while.
A lot also record at a lower frame rate when the ignition if off to lower the power consumption (going from 30fps to something like 1-5fps)

Given the current draw of the average dashcam it could probably record for weeks before reaching that point if the car battery is in reasonable shape.

Some also have a battery pack you can wire inline so they can run off that when the ignition if off, and it'll charge when the ignition is on (a good compromise between hardwired and not).

interstellaflyer

Yes - I fitted it

I think a dash cam is essential these days, mine paid for it's self last month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY07CKY66Eo

Threewheeler

Yes - I fitted it

Hi, have a dash cam, vehicle went passed me in Scotland and smashed my drivers mirror, did not stop and return to me Dash-cam evidence sent to insurance after getting reg details from video from Police as it was not reported by other party. Insurance eventually paid up as no fault claim.
Still have to list it every year on renewal, some ins companies will not insure me now, most disturbing.

TadleyBaggie

Yes - I fitted it

Nilrem wrote: »

Given the current draw of the average dashcam it could probably record for weeks before reaching that point if the car battery is in reasonable shape.

Not my experience, I had a dashcam plugged into the always live socket. After coming back from a 10 day holiday the car battery was completely dead. 6 month old car, so battery should have been near perfect state.

AlexMac

xpf wrote: »

Not got one but wish I had ....

Me too- I've only had one incident in the past 20 years or so, but it was a classic;

...a driver, late for the school run, in Kimikaze mode, who stopped unexpectedly in front of me, then reversed 10 metres or so (to park or turn?) , biffed me, then, after getting home decided to lie, revise their memory, and contact their insurer to accuse me of driving into them!

My insurer said that without witnesses, it wasn't even worth me invoking my legal protection to force her to lie in court... GRRR.

What really hurt more than the damage was that, as they weren't returning my calls (we exchanged names and telephone numbers but I didn't get their address), I googled 'em; to find that they had so comprehensively laundered the truth that they were now slagging me off on facebook as

... an "old git in a hat" (actually, a rather stylish trilby) who had driven into them. Lots of sympathy... " the ones in hats are the worst!

Last laugh? Their claim exceeded their excess by £19 and I bet they lost their no-claim! I had a gazillion years of protected no-claim so no lasting impact on premium in my case; Roll with the blows, smile and move on.