In car camera ......... careful as we go !

[Nigel Worc's]

Hello chaps.

Following being accused of hitting another car a few years ago (long story, was proved innocent eventually), I bought a cheap dashboard camera, I posted some stuff on here, people took the piss out of my driving ... some fun was had.

Fast forward to now, the little camera is ok, but I decided to do it properly, so I've upgraded to one of those roadhawk jobbies.

It is a very impressive little piece of kit, and is much better, especially in the dark, than my original one.

But OMG, prove you innocent ? Well yes I suppose it would if anything happened and you were, but grass you up ? ........ does it !

You wouldn't want that checking by the scamera mob !

Even the smallest offences (like sitting at 80 on the motorway) look hideous on it.

Edited by Nigel Worc's on Thursday 16th February 00:39

[Darkk]

Which camera did you buy?

[Nigel Worc's]

I think it's called a DC1 ..... I only wanted it pointing outwards .... I didn't want it watching me smoke, pick my nose, etc etc etc

edit

It is called a DC1 : http://www.roadhawk.co.uk/roadhawk-dc-1-car-black-...

Edited by Nigel Worc's on Thursday 16th February 00:48

[T0nup]

I have a small camera with a mini SD card I purchased for less than £30... Have it in the windscreen and use it every trip... Records for about 3 hours before batery or disk is full, so plenty of time.

When I got this, I thought it's picture quality would be rather suspect, but it really very good. Bike riders and cyclists use them as helmet cams apparently.

[gforceg]

I may be being a bit dim but how does it record what the driver is up to? Is there a second lens facing into the car? Where do you have it mounted?

I gues it calculates speed via GPS readings?

I have considered something like this but haven't done my research yet.

[MC Bodge]

You could edit the footage and produce a monthly "Great Drives" compilation.

[Darkk]

MC Bodge said:

You could edit the footage and produce a monthly "Great Drives" compilation.

More than having the objective of being some "Sir-hypocrite-knight that will report everything" as suggested, I use mine and I'm looking to upgrade to a Roadhawk for safety (in case I have some dubious accident as happened before)...



...but a monthly great drives/monthly idiots compilation will be in order....

[craigjm]

Why bother? the chances of you needing to use it to "clear yourself" must be remote and just as likely is the chance you will be stopped for a potential offence and then your camera will be seized and the footage used to prove your guilt. I would rather take my chances on having to clear my name without camera evidence on balance.

[Nigel Worc's]

craigjm said:

Why bother? the chances of you needing to use it to "clear yourself" must be remote and just as likely is the chance you will be stopped for a potential offence and then your camera will be seized and the footage used to prove your guilt. I would rather take my chances on having to clear my name without camera evidence on balance.

Anyone ever heard of the camera being siezed, or a copper stopping you and decideing (having noticed you have one) to review it and then report you for any offences it shows ?

No ?

Thought not !

I hope you never have to prove your innocence, it always happens to someone else, but when it does happen to you, and there are several witneses to support the allegations ........ it's a bit daunting.

[Darkk]

craigjm said:

Why bother? the chances of you needing to use it to "clear yourself" must be remote and just as likely is the chance you will be stopped for a potential offence and then your camera will be seized and the footage used to prove your guilt. I would rather take my chances on having to clear my name without camera evidence on balance.

It's just a simple exercise of pure math, and risks you are willing to take.

I drive 40k miles a year, in London, and have been involved in a few bumper to bumper scratches (not one being my fault) and the camera pays itself in the first 2/3 months if needed.

The first one that made me get the camera, someone reversed into me, and automatically challenged to prove otherwise. With the camera, will be easy. But the same way, when I was having a rant back in the office about it, and automatically had a large group of witnesses ready, the other party would easily do so (as was suggested when he said "good luck with that innit? Lot's of witnesses around yeah!").

Unfortunately, I do not make enough money to take the risk of "What if?", if the accident is something more serious, and the damage is quite significant, so, was a no brainer!

But, I'm not a saint (quite far from it) but I'm fairly confident that anyone could check all the footage that I have in any given moment and I would get away with absolutely nothing. The same way I don't make enough money to fix damages, paying for stupid things as traffic offenses makes me drive everywhere under the speed limit!

[Jon999]

Simple really. Remove micro sd card snap it then push it under the seat carpet. If you properly stacked it though (and weren't in a fit state to remove said card) I can see how it could incriminate you.

At first my driving changed probably for the better but give it a few months and I forget the camera is even there.

[stevensdrs]

I have the same camera as the OP. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks IMHO.

[MagicalTrevor]

The road hawk can be pin protected I thought? Is that not an option on yours Nigel?

[Nigel Worc's]

MagicalTrevor said:

The road hawk can be pin protected I thought? Is that not an option on yours Nigel?

It can be password protected Trevor, I assume that's what you mean.

I haven't done it as I can't honestly see Elroy blue or any of his mates bothering.

IF they did bother, could I refuse to give them the password ?

I imagine it is beatable, by contacting roadhawk in their official mode, and I'd imagine you'd be in for a kicking if you refused to give it, and the media was shown to contain evidence.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Nigel Worc's said:

MagicalTrevor said:

The road hawk can be pin protected I thought? Is that not an option on yours Nigel?

It can be password protected Trevor, I assume that's what you mean.

I haven't done it as I can't honestly see Elroy blue or any of his mates bothering.

IF they did bother, could I refuse to give them the password ?

I imagine it is beatable, by contacting roadhawk in their official mode, and I'd imagine you'd be in for a kicking if you refused to give it, and the media was shown to contain evidence.

if the BiB took it you would have to tell them the pin, you get jailed if you dont

[Nigel Worc's]

Dave Hedgehog said:

if the BiB took it you would have to tell them the pin, you get jailed if you dont

Is that actually a rule ?

[craigjm]

Nigel Worc's said:

Is that actually a rule ?

yeah its called perverting the course of justice.

[Nigel Worc's]

craigjm said:

yeah its called perverting the course of justice.

Ah I see, thanks, so when all the criminals are arrested, and they fail to tell the Police everything they know about what they have been arrested for, they all get charged with pcoj .......

[Efbe]

Nigel Worc's said:

MagicalTrevor said:

The road hawk can be pin protected I thought? Is that not an option on yours Nigel?

It can be password protected Trevor, I assume that's what you mean.

I haven't done it as I can't honestly see Elroy blue or any of his mates bothering.

IF they did bother, could I refuse to give them the password ?

I imagine it is beatable, by contacting roadhawk in their official mode, and I'd imagine you'd be in for a kicking if you refused to give it, and the media was shown to contain evidence.

much easier than this, is there an easy way to remove the SD card (if it uses one)

I have a cheapo ebay effort in my car, have also looked at upgrading, but like this for the moment. anyhow, it's a two second job to remove the SD card. I would just tell the BIB it wasn't on.

[craigjm]

Nigel Worc's said:

Ah I see, thanks, so when all the criminals are arrested, and they fail to tell the Police everything they know about what they have been arrested for, they all get charged with pcoj .......

not at all but if the police have reasonable belief that there is evidence on a camera, computer, phone etc they can seize it and in reality you probably wouldn't get charged with PCJ because they would be able to access the data even without the passwords its just more likely that if you provide the passwords you will get a more lenient sentence as you will be viewed as being cooperative.