Who has a dashcam?..

[myvanrodney]

So, Im very interested in having a dashcam fitted. BUT..

Notwithstanding the 'peace of mind' element (which I actually think is worth its weight), in real life how many of you have seen a real pay back on your investment - insurance claims against 3rd parties?, successful police enforcement?, where its actually worked as a deterrent or saved you from something bad?.....

Just really interested in any real world stories.

Again, Im not trying to detract from the 'peace of mind' element (this will be my primary reason for buying).

Thanks everyone.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We have had a nextbase one for years.

Someone drove into the rear whilst we were indicating to turn into our driveway, car behind them shunted them into our van.
How would this help if you are hit from the rear?..It has an inbuilt GSensor is an accelerometer that registers values based on the amount of force applied during an impact So it was able to show that the impact was from the rear, as also records speed, position of the van using GPS - so footage shows live video, location, speed & graph at the bottom - sent footage to the insurers and the other drivers insurance company paid in full and was recorded as non fault.

Very easy to DIY fit, as can piggy back one if the heater fuses in the dash, and then run behind the glovebox, up the front pillar and then tuck the wire behind the headlining.

Would say that they are worth it. Ours is very old so records to a SD card, can also do via wifi bit its a faff. Newer ones are far easier to transfer.

 

[B J G]

Essential fit in my opinion.

Best if you never need it but essential if an independent witness view required.

remember that you're every drive can be recorded which makes you a more careful driver.

 

[RockinNRollin]

remember that you're every drive can be recorded which makes you a more careful driver.

I routinely cycle commute in Manchester city centre and observe a fair quantity of ludicrous driving on a daily basis, yet I have to admit it amuses me a good proportion have dashcams visible (installed next to the rear view mirror) - I wonder how many end up with the inverse situation, where an insurer/police obtain the evidence and end up turning the tables?

You're quite right though, in theory it should incentivise sensible driving.

 

[dspuk]

So, Im very interested in having a dashcam fitted. BUT..

Notwithstanding the 'peace of mind' element (which I actually think is worth its weight), in real life how many of you have seen a real pay back on your investment - insurance claims against 3rd parties?, successful police enforcement?, where its actually worked as a deterrent or saved you from something bad?.....

Just really interested in any real world stories.

Again, Im not trying to detract from the 'peace of mind' element (this will be my primary reason for buying).

Thanks everyone.

We captured two lorries racing down the M1, one of which cut us up on the inside lane and then tried to get out when the traffic stopped to be the hard man. Climbed back in when he realised I was just as happy to jump out and show him how we'd have dealt with twonks like him back in the barracks. Helped I was bigger than him.

All captured on the Blackvue. Shared with police and thanks to the 4K setup his face, numberplate and company very visible. Prosecuted and sacked for dangerous driving.

Up on the NC500 we were smacked by a weekend rider in a white whale who did not use the pass by lanes properly. Shared with the hire company he used and lost his deposit.

Worth the blood, sweat and tears to install front and back.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

No story about getting compensated. Fortunately no accidents myself.
I have the VW Kenwood DV 247 it's pretty rubbish by todays standards but still OK.

However I witnessed a cyclist in collision with a car and across the bonnet into the road and as such police were interested in my footage.
If I got there 3 seconds earlier and he'd have been under my wheels I think.
The cyclist was hurt (not seriously life changing injuries but more than cuts and bruises) after hitting the front wing of a car that was pulling out of a junction and without dragging up detail it was pretty much a 50-50 as both could of /should of averted the accident with a little more care.
The police did take the footage as I believe that despite the tears, concern and remorse shown all round at the scene, each party became more adamant that it was the others fault when the dust settled.

 

[lohr500]

Fortunately I have never needed the footage from either my front or rear dash cams. But I have fitted them in my past three vehicles and will be fitting them to our Cali when it arrives in March.

They aren't expensive to buy and are relatively easy to fit on a DIY basis.

In the event of a disputed collision they could prove invaluable in settling the claim in your favour.

 

[KevH]

I have a simple Nextbase suckered to the front screen and plugged in to the 12v for now, so if the OP is concerned about having to commit to hard wiring, you don't need to. When I am feeling a tad brave I will hard wire it...any advice would be welcome but probably for another thread.
Anyway, thankfully never had to rely on it but it is a good to know it's there. I bought it originally when the 'pull in and brake hard' shunt scam was rife.

 

[capt kirk]

I have a nextbase that covers front and back. got the feed from the camping module and fed a wire down the duct above the sliding door to the rear. nice and tidy..Its been in since i bought the van and has never been used in anger, but one word of warning check the recordings at intervals as i have had a few sd cards go wonky and need replacing. i would not of known if i hadnt checked it occasionally.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I have a simple Nextbase suckered to the front screen and plugged in to the 12v for now, so if the OP is concerned about having to commit to hard wiring, you don't need to. When I am feeling a tad brave I will hard wire it...any advice would be welcome but probably for another thread.

For when you get bored!...:

 

[Borris]

Having a dash cam is a double edged sword. Be sure to drive according to the law and the rules of common sense otherwise your dash cam might end up in the witness box dobbing you in.

On the other hand it could save you a lot of hassle. Assuming that you have obeyed all the rules of the road and have been driving in a calm and sensible manner then I'm afraid the reality is that the first thing the other driver will likely do after a prang, is to concoct a fanciful story, which at the very least, will will be designed to mitigate his/her actions but often try to lay the blame at your feet.

Having dash cam footage can show insurance companies and the police what actually happened thereby saving you both money and lengthy drawn out hassle.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Anyone considering specifically a Viofo A119 Dashcam might find this post of interest:

THREAD FOR VIOFO A119 V3 DASHCAM USERS ONLY

The Viofo A119 V3 seems quite popular on this Forum and elsewhere (and well regarded) so I bought one and had it fitted by a mobile auto electrician* yesterday. The hardwire kit has a battery protector for parking mode with voltage option (I chose a 12.4V switch off) which impressed the auto...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Anthony1]

So, Im very interested in having a dashcam fitted. BUT..

Notwithstanding the 'peace of mind' element (which I actually think is worth its weight), in real life how many of you have seen a real pay back on your investment - insurance claims against 3rd parties?, successful police enforcement?, where its actually worked as a deterrent or saved you from something bad?.....

Just really interested in any real world stories.

Again, Im not trying to detract from the 'peace of mind' element (this will be my primary reason for buying).

Thanks everyone.

I am currently chasing a claim using dashcam footage - on another vehicle.
I also collect footage of dodgy driving - just for fun.

BTW dashcams are illegal in Portugal and Austria.

 

[Ethelred]

Hi yes we fitted a next base 622gw front and rear camera permanently on as such
when the van is bumped from the front and rear the camera comes on for 1 minute
and records front and back at same time very easy to fit peace of mind

 

[PeteS]

Having a dash cam is a double edged sword. Be sure to drive according to the law and the rules of common sense otherwise your dash cam might end up in the witness box dobbing you in.

On the other hand it could save you a lot of hassle. Assuming that you have obeyed all the rules of the road and have been driving in a calm and sensible manner then I'm afraid the reality is that the first thing the other driver will likely do after a prang, is to concoct a fanciful story, which at the very least, will will be designed to mitigate his/her actions but often try to lay the blame at your feet.

Having dash cam footage can show insurance companies and the police what actually happened thereby saving you both money and lengthy drawn out hassle.

I have a dash cam and whilst I have never had to use the footage it is a great piece of mind. They can be got from less than £100 and can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle. I have had might in my last three vehicles .
If I did something which caused an accident then I should to face the consequences. Equally if it was not my fault I would like the insurance companies and or the police to have the evidence.

 

[daveinbracknell]

Evidence from my dashcam was enough for the other driver's insurance company to admit full liability within an hour!

Worth every penny.

 

[Mase]

Hi yes we fitted a next base 622gw front and rear camera permanently on as such
when the van is bumped from the front and rear the camera comes on for 1 minute
and records front and back at same time very easy to fit peace of mind

Any issues with the Parking mode and the battery? I know it will pick up motion and start recording, worrying that if I get this one it’ll drain the battery

 

[dspuk]

Any issues with the Parking mode and the battery? I know it will pick up motion and start recording, worrying that if I get this one it’ll drain the battery

You need to pick how you want to run in parking mode. Most will have a cut off setting where they will stop recording once the battery hits a limit. Others you can buy a seperate battery that runs them in parking mode to get over this.

I even changed my MPPT for solar to try and charge the starter battery but it will not charge the starter as fast as it is draining, even on a red hot day.

 

[lohr500]

I fitted a 622gw with the rear camera to my Cali back in March this year. I have it powered with the OBD plug in adaptor and the camera is set to Park Mode.

I also have a tracker fitted which is constantly drawing a low current from the battery.

No problems with battery drain even if the Cali is stood for a couple of weeks.

I think the Nextbase OBD power supply has a built in cut off anyway to protect the battery if thevoltage falls below a certain voltage.

 

[Kimbo]

I have BlackVue 770x front and rear, the cut off voltage and timer can be adjusted to your needs on your starter battery or you can add a remote BlackVue battery to the camera. Can be a pain in the bum as it catches everything going past

 

[Maidment_Ocean]

I have a Nextbase front and rear camera powered from 12v socket on top of the dash. This socket is permanently live so similar to having it hard wired. Also have a tracker fitted. No issues with batteries, but I do drive the van on short journeys a few times a week when we are not travelling. Also like having the option of disconnecting the dashcam when we are camping or it registers movement in the van all the time.

 

[Trebor]

Thinkware front and rear has worked very well for many years .

 

[Agnes_Cali]

I've been using dashcams since 2014. Luckily never had to claim. I just move them between the cars, never hard wire. I used footage to make videos from some trips and also saved videos of interesting roads and places.

I sent one video to police website, after seeing driver doing ridiculous thing. It prompted me to upgrade my camera to get better footage in future.

I also watch videos from time to time, to understand what happened on the road or check some situations. Recently, driver cut in front of me near Gatwick and I wanted to see exactly what happened. BTW, driving around airports is higher risk, considering all the drivers who are unsure where to go, just rented the car or mini cab drivers in their hybrids, slowing down traffick.

 

[Mase]

I fitted a 622gw with the rear camera to my Cali back in March this year. I have it powered with the OBD plug in adaptor and the camera is set to Park Mode.

I also have a tracker fitted which is constantly drawing a low current from the battery.

No problems with battery drain even if the Cali is stood for a couple of weeks.

I think the Nextbase OBD power supply has a built in cut off anyway to protect the battery if thevoltage falls below a certain voltage.

Is it easy enough to turn parking mode off?

 

[Hawthorn37]

We’ve got a Blackvue front and rear camera. Apart from observing really bad driving, we’ve so far been fortunate in not needing to recover footage. TBH I should check that the memory card is still okay more often. We had one fail early on.