Invest in a Dash Cam!

[ccurzio]

I got into an accident in my DeLorean this morning.

I was stopped at a three-way intersection with one car in front of me and one car behind me. There was a semi that came up from the right and wanted to turn left onto the street where I was sitting. While the semi was trying to make the turn, the girl in front of me started backing up a bit to try and get out of the way of the truck. She wasn't paying attention to see if anyone was behind her and smacked straight into the front of my car.

Understandably pissed off, I got out of my car and kept my composure and asked why in the world she didn't see that there was a car behind her, and then asked for her insurance information. (While there was no visible damage to either car, I wanted to make sure my bases were covered in case there was any damage I couldn't see.) Rather than provide that to me, she instead stayed put and called her mother and said "my mom is on her way so you're just gonna have to wait." I would hope that her mother coming to the scene would improve the situation, but her mother was instead more interested in being a completely unreasonable person - to the extent that she was going to call the police and accuse me of instead rear-ending her daughter rather than telling the truth about what actually happened. So she called the police. What she wasn't aware of is that I was recording her with my iPhone while she was threatening me with falsifying the police report and explaining how she would do it. Her story quickly reversed itself once I told her I had her on tape (she tried telling me "it's illegal to record conversations without consent" to which I replied that Georgia has a single-party notification law meaning that as long as one party in a conversation is aware it's being recorded, it's perfectly legal to do so), and she tried coming up with OTHER ways of making it out to be my fault. She got her daughter to change the story again to say that I was following way too closely and she only backed up two feet, but again technology comes to the rescue:

http://i.imgur.com/fmuZN.jpg

She was stopped at the white line. The location of her car in the photo is the point of impact. She backed up a hell of a lot more than two feet and I was stopped at a more than reasonable distance from her.

Long story short, the police still found her at-fault and nothing happened. But I was looking at dash-cams just last week for just such an occurrence, and I would highly recommend investing in one. The GoPro Hero 2 with LCD will run you around $450, but that's a small investment if you're ever confronted with a scumbag like I encountered this morning. You may not be as lucky as I was in this situation, so it's nice to have a digital eyewitness.

[Dangermouse]

Sorry to hear that Chris. Hope the car is OK

I was thinking of getting one also, though $450 was more than I was budgeting.


If you ever follow some of the Jalopnik stories of people trying to "falsify" accidents in other countries


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r2n96DQgxAk

[Michael]

A much cheaper alternative(and one that I use) is a simple phone mount for your windshield. Assuming that most everyone has a good quality video camera on their phone nowadays, simply put it in a suction cup style windshield mount and record your journey. Uneventfull trips can be deleted to save memory. 5-10 bucks for a decent mount using equipment most likely already in your possession.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Now there is an idea for a product that could make you rich. A very small camera with about a 1 hour "endless loop" type recorder. You never have to do anything except turn it off (or pull the memory card) after the accident.

I have a nice camera I use on my helmet when I ski. Has a 16 GB card, records 720 HD, wide angle lens (170 deg). I think I paid about $250 for it and the card was $50.

[ccurzio]

Sorry to hear that Chris. Hope the car is OK

I was thinking of getting one also, though $450 was more than I was budgeting.


Thanks.

There are cheaper options of course, but the camera I bought is a varied-use sports camera and it can be used for lots of other things. It comes with a bunch of different kinds of mounts and a waterproof housing (so you can mount it outside the car if you felt like it). The camera itself was $299, but I picked up the LCD screen for the back of it as well as a 16GB SD card.


A much cheaper alternative(and one that I use) is a simple phone mount for your windshield. Assuming that most everyone has a good quality video camera on their phone nowadays, simply put it in a suction cup style windshield mount and record your journey. Uneventfull trips can be deleted to save memory. 5-10 bucks for a decent mount using equipment most likely already in your possession.

Not a bad idea of course, but the problem with this is that A) you're limited by the space available on your device (my camera can get about 3 hours of recording on a 16GB SD card), and B) your phone becomes unusable for the time you're driving. I'd much prefer a dedicated solution, but if this works for you then it's absolutely a viable solution.

[Cory W]

I got one earlier this year. Just a bit pessimistic about the way people seem to drive or treat others.

I found a website that dealt with dashboard cameras for very reasonable prices, and it's been........ok.

It works, does what the company claims it should do for the most part, but I wouldn't specifically recommend them to anybody.

-They claim to be in and from Miami. I never knew Miami was in China.
-I'm on my second one (which they happily replaced with no questions or issues) after the first one started to melt when I installed its newly charged battery on its second day.
-Shipping took about 4 weeks each time.
-It generally just feels....cheap.

In short, you get what you pay for. I was a little over $100 with accessories for a night vision 8GB setup. It's no GoPro, though, and that's where I'll be looking when I want to be more serious about it in the future.

Here's the site, just in case anybody wanted to know:
http://www.carcameradirect.com/

One more thing: Be prepared to meet new people in Law Enforcement if radar detectors are illegal in your jurisdiction. It's about the same size and shape, and some get curious.

[Chris4099]

I have this in my daily driver for just this reason:
http://dod-tech.com/product.php?cat_1st=4&cat_2nd=14

It starts recording when the car starts and stops automatically too. There's GPS and accelerometer data recorded as well! The only drawback is the firmware sucks. There are times where it just won't turn on and you either need to cycle the power a lot or press the reset button. Since it uses a suction cup, I've transferred it over to my D for long drives.

[1batt4u]

That sucks!! Sorry to hear!!!

I actually been looking for something like that!! Seen alot of video clips like that. People backing up hitting cars or jmuping infront of a car!! Crazy stuff!!

[DL4567]

Holy shit Chris! Really sorry to hear that too. I'm glad you were at least able to use another piece of technology to deal with the situation.

People are scum. I've heard many similar stories where the person at fault completely tries to turn it around and blame the innocent one. Like having your car messed up when you did nothing wrong isn't bad enough already. Very glad to hear your car looks undamaged.

[Dangermouse]

I have this in my daily driver for just this reason:
http://dod-tech.com/product.php?cat_1st=4&cat_2nd=14

It starts recording when the car starts and stops automatically too. There's GPS and accelerometer data recorded as well! The only drawback is the firmware sucks. There are times where it just won't turn on and you either need to cycle the power a lot or press the reset button. Since it uses a suction cup, I've transferred it over to my D for long drives.

How much??

[Chris4099]

I paid about $280 late last year, but I'm now seeing them as cheap as $200 on eBay. If you get one, just make sure to mount it in a spot out of the way, but still be able to check the recording light every now and then. Otherwise it may not be recording when you think it is (only drawback which may be fixed in later firmware).

[ccurzio]

A (scaled down) example of my camera's capabilities:

http://i.imgur.com/ycIIq.jpg

Mounted:

http://i.imgur.com/ZTLJz.jpg


Holy shit Chris! Really sorry to hear that too.

Thanks man. It was indeed a bad situation, but it could have been a lot worse. (I may not have thought to start recording, the car could have been damaged, lots of shit.)

[DavidProehl]

Chris - Is that a GoPro? I just picked one up this week for use when scuba diving. GoPros have suction cup mounts and would be nearly perfect for this type of setup. The main drawback though is that you need to remove the camera from the enclosure to charge it every so often. It isn't the kind of thing you can just leave in the car and forget about, but the wide angle and high resolution make them attractive for this type of use.

Edit: I see now in your first post you say it is a GoPro. My bad.

[ccurzio]

Chris - Is that a GoPro? I just picked one up this week for use when scuba diving. GoPros have suction cup mounts and would be nearly perfect for this type of setup. The main drawback though is that you need to remove the camera from the enclosure to charge it every so often. It isn't the kind of thing you can just leave in the car and forget about, but the wide angle and high resolution make them attractive for this type of use.

Edit: I see now in your first post you say it is a GoPro. My bad.

It's actually the GoPro Hero 2.

I have no problem with taking the camera out for charging. It's not something I'd want to leave in the car anyway. :)

[Michael]

The wide angle or "fisheye" is definately the way to go, lets the viewer see off the sides of the fenders somewhat.

[StainlessSteelDream]

Not in my DeLorean .. but I installed a BlackVue DR400.. they are popular in Korea and Europe.. I had to ebay mine to get it in North America, but I liked its low profile (doesn't scream "steal me") has GPS etc. and works while parked.


Here's the UK website for info

http://blackvue.co.uk (http://blackvue.co.uk)

[LEVY]

I do have a couple of police dash cameras, if anyone interested. those have one camera pointing at front, one inside and one more facing back (outside).

When you turn them on, the camera will go back one minute, so if you witnessed someting up to one minute before, turn it on and it will be there.

Since those are police, those things are bulky and will record on a s[pecial DVD enclosed in a bullet proof box. Not for a Delorean


LEVY

[Nicholas R]

Those with an iPhone or iPod can buy the app. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dashcam/id396087757?mt=8

I'm considering it just to see what it's like. It says you can still use the ipod function while it's recording.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I have the Drift X170. Not bad but if I was looking to keep one in the car, I would get the tiny remote camera and a remote recorder.

Here is something I ran across.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZqXldNcfp4

[Kenny_Z]

Not in my DeLorean .. but I installed a BlackVue DR400.. they are popular in Korea and Europe.. I had to ebay mine to get it in North America, but I liked its low profile (doesn't scream "steal me") has GPS etc. and works while parked.


Here's the UK website for info

http://blackvue.co.uk (http://blackvue.co.uk)

I found them on new egg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1FJ0C88755

[StainlessSteelDream]

I found them on new egg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1FJ0C88755


That's the 350.. looks like the have the 400 now too .. (the 400 is full HD etc.)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1FJ0C88756&Tpk=dr400

[nkemp]

Not to rain on our stainless...

Remember that the video can also be used against you in the event that you are at fault or partially at fault. They could also go back on the recording to analyze your driving behavior and possibly use it against you. So be careful ... or ditch it in the event that you do something stupid :-)

[Notifier]

Not in my DeLorean .. but I installed a BlackVue DR400.. they are popular in Korea and Europe.. I had to ebay mine to get it in North America, but I liked its low profile (doesn't scream "steal me") has GPS etc. and works while parked.


Here's the UK website for info

http://blackvue.co.uk (http://blackvue.co.uk)

Looks like the biggest complain about these is that they tend to overheat. Any issues with yours with that? I guess there is an updated "version 2" that addresses the overheating but can't find it available other than through the manufacturer.

This unit looks promising and just doing a quick search you can find it through ebay, amazon, and a couple other online sites, but it appears to be the old version. It also seems like one of those things you should purchase from an "authorized retailer" in case you ever have a problem.

As far as using it against you if YOU caused the accident, guess that's the price you pay. But then again one would be buying this to protect yourself from the other guy who is trying to embellish what happened. If you caused the accident, hopefully you accept what happened and are truthful to begin with. What I would worry about is this scenario: You're driving down the road, going 56 in a 55. There is an intersection ahead where the cross traffic has the stop sign. A guy not paying attention or drunk blows the stop sign and t-bones you. His lawyer finds out about your camera and subpoenas your camera and the data. Finds out you were "speeding" so now the accident is your fault! Moral to the story, smash the hell out of SD card!

[dmc6960]

Need something with software for a "controlled" export then. You export the relevant part of the clip for your issue, you pick your own timeframe. You can enable or disable GPS/accelerometer data with the export so it is either included or excluded. Nobody has to know it is available if its not included (unless your dead and someone else finds and hands over the recorded info). Now that export becomes your official evidence and the original information is happily recorded over again and again. Recorder should be a small reinforced "black box" mounted in the car, with small remote wide-angle cameras for both front and rear viewing. Rear camera can do double duty as a backup camera with a video out to an internal display.

Anyone know of anything exactly like this?

[nkemp]

FWIW ... modern car vehicle computers contain a fair amount of information up to a crash and can be used in the investigation. Fender benders (or as was the case here... fender no-bender) would not justify querying the ecu but more significant accidents do warrant such investigation.

And with regard to a system out of control, there was a case where a car crossed the centerline, killing one daughter and causing permanent damage to the other. The insurance company for the driver that crossed brought in an expert that said that the driver of the car crossing the line had a heart attack and was dead before impact. The insurance company then declared it does not insure dead people and as such the family of the two girls was on their own. So, yes, the 56 in a 55 could seem plausible in this screwed up environment.

[ccurzio]

You're driving down the road, going 56 in a 55. There is an intersection ahead where the cross traffic has the stop sign. A guy not paying attention or drunk blows the stop sign and t-bones you. His lawyer finds out about your camera and subpoenas your camera and the data. Finds out you were "speeding" so now the accident is your fault! Moral to the story, smash the hell out of SD card!

...except in most (if not all) jurisdictions, speedometers can have a +/- 10% margin of error. So no, that's not really a reasonable scenario.

And yeah, the whole point behind this thread is that if you did something wrong, own up to it. Don't be a dick and try to get out of it.

[Notifier]

From what I understand GPS based speedometers are fairly accurate. I know between the three vehicles I drive, I move the GPS between them, the GPS speed and car speedometer are never the same. One is dead on, the other is one MPH below, and the last is two MPH below! So I would hope most courts would take into effect that 10% difference that you talk about. But then again, someone gets that "good lawyer" who knows. I just hear about those stories where the burglar breaks into the house, slips on the stairs, and sues the homeowner for their medical bills!

Yea, forgot about those event data recorders. Glad my DeLorean doesn't have one!

[nkemp]

I have some recollection that speedometers, possibly by design, are a bit slow over 55 and a bit fast under 55. That said I don't recall where or why I got that info. And I don't know if it is the same with electronic speedos as the old mechanical. But since my brain's hard drive is getting fuller I may have applied a lossy compression algorithm to the data.

[SIMid]

Bought one of these yesterday, will see if it's any good.

http://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/Car_Accessories/Car_DVR/Dual_Camera_DVR_Black_Box_GPS_Logger

[Spittybug]

Bought one of these yesterday, will see if it's any good.

http://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/Car_Accessories/Car_DVR/Dual_Camera_DVR_Black_Box_GPS_Logger

It looks cool, I'd really be interested in hearing what you think of it. Easy to tap to power from the overhead light and run it to the unit so that you don't have to have a cable down to the dash. If you can tuck it up kind of behind the passenger side of the rear view mirror it might not be too obtrusive.

[SIMid]

It looks cool, I'd really be interested in hearing what you think of it. Easy to tap to power from the overhead light and run it to the unit so that you don't have to have a cable down to the dash. If you can tuck it up kind of behind the passenger side of the rear view mirror it might not be too obtrusive.

This was a lot cheaper than others I had seen for sale. Probably made to the price, but if it does the job, thats what counts. Maybe I shouldn't had bought the touch screen version, but will see how long it will last.

Good idea about tapping the interior light, but I wont make it permanent as I do want to transfer it to other cars. Where I work, I really need it in my daily drive. But I will do a write up once I get it and test it out for those interested.

[TTait]

Here is one mounted into a rear view mirror

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0YX08C4599

[thirdmanj]

I'm amazed DMCVegas hadn't opined on this yet.

But I think it's a damn good idea. Like Accipiter said, it's not there to allow people to get away with anything, but to keep people honest. Eyewitness testimony really isn't all it's cracked up to be you know?

[StainlessSteelDream]

Looks like the biggest complain about these is that they tend to overheat. Any issues with yours with that? I guess there is an updated "version 2" that addresses the overheating but can't find it available other than through the manufacturer.


Never had an issue while driving ... but if I leave it parked facing the sun for a full work day, I've had it over heat .. but then again the seats were broiling hot...




As far as using it against you if YOU caused the accident, guess that's the price you pay.


Exactly, when I screw up, I man up and accept responsibility.

[nkemp]

Exactly, when I screw up, I man up and accept responsibility.

It is not so much a problem about manning up. The bigger problem is when the other side (lawyers, claims adjusters and the like) is looking for any excuse to not pay or to shift/share blame. It is like some court cases where they attack the character in attempt to sway the decision in their favor even though the character attacks are only remotely relevant to the case. Don't get me wrong... I like these dash cams & may get one. But, like fences that keep things out as well as keeping things in, there are two sides to logging all actions.

[nkemp]

When cost is no object ... try one of these: http://www.race-technology.com/content.php?pcat=8&cat=7557

It allows for 4 cameras. You could permanently watch your front suspension with one of these. I have not checked out the rest of the site much but it looks like there are lot of other fun toys. Since "cost is an object" I look forward to someone else's review :-)

Nick

[Notifier]

I've heard stories of cops pulling up to fender benders, not even interested in getting one side or the other, writing both drivers tickets, and saying "go fight it out in court". At least something like this can serve to get you out of a wrongfully written ticket, or if your honest get the other driver out of their ticket.

A couple of years ago I got pulled over for running a red light. I admit I was going through a yellow light but never saw a red. In the state I was in the law was your front tires had to be behind the stop line when the light was red to make it an offense. Even if it turned red while you were in the intersection directly under the light, as long as you cross the line before red you are ok. I went back and drove through the intersection again and you can still see the signal after you pass the stop line. So I know the cop gave me the ticket in error - after I ran the yellow I even said to myself I saw no red. Again, wonder if a camera like this would keep cops honest too!

[StainlessSteelDream]

It is not so much a problem about manning up. The bigger problem is when the other side (lawyers, claims adjusters and the like) is looking for any excuse to not pay or to shift/share blame. It is like some court cases where they attack the character in attempt to sway the decision in their favor even though the character attacks are only remotely relevant to the case. Don't get me wrong... I like these dash cams & may get one. But, like fences that keep things out as well as keeping things in, there are two sides to logging all actions.

Sorry, I'm Canadian .. things are a bit less litigious here; but from what I understand for the US they'd still need a warrant/subpeona/whatever to get the footage from these; so the camera might not have been recording properly at the time :)