Dash Cam?

[VanBlanc]

I don't particularly like them or want one but a few recent events and incidents have got me thinking. Like this one;

Got to test mine out last night too! Driving home from work a car pulled out and I knew he was going to pull out as they always pull out fro this particular industrial estate but usually go speeding off as its a 40 mph single carriageway just before a big island. he was in front of me and about 3 car lengths away when without warning he stops dead! No break lights! ( it was a 2014 car too!) and I mean 40mph to zero! No reason! I slammed on my breaks as hard as I could and just before impact (I would have hit the back of him no doubt!), he suddenly speeds off! I slammed my horn on and as we both reached the island I intended highlighting what had just happened, but he sped round the island at speed! When I got home, I looked at what the damage was from what had been flung from the back to the front of the van and the camping chairs I had left in have taken several layers of paint off my inside wheel arches! Not happy. No idea why he stopped but if he hadn't have moved I would have hit him! Tyres screeched and everything! Amazed how quickly I was stopping though in the circumstances so I was impressed with std!

I have been cut up or had to avoid some right twats recently and each time I keep thinking about the problem of getting my converted van back to where it was. I protect my NCD each year but there is a limit, there is the excess and there is market value.

So is a dash cam something to consider? If so which one and how to fit without a mess of wire?

 

[VanBlanc]

Which camera have you got @chriscroft ?

 

[chriscroft]

Which camera have you got @chriscroft ?

I've tried to copy the thread below, if you put " thinkware" into the search box, it should bring it up. Went for the 770 from the RAC shop with a professional home install, very similar to the photos from David Cudbertson.
You control it from your smart phone via an app, using a wi-fi link. Sees to work very well, and also has a rear cam as well.

 

[Roadrunner]

After nearly getting wiped out by and idiot in a Nissan Juke who pulled out of a sliproad on the A34 right in front of me I have decided to get one. Been looking at the Nextbase 402 pro

 

[VanBlanc]

This link - F750 | THINKWARE Dash Cam or this F770 | THINKWARE Dash Cam

What is it like for videoing / still shot your journey?

 

[Pauly]

I have the f750 front and rear in mine and really like it, the extra features are quite annoying and I turned them off but video is good with good playback software that tracks on a google map and records speeds etc
Verdict - bit of a fiddle setting it up the way I wanted it but overall very pleased
It's worth noting I replaced the memory card for a larger one and only certain makes/models of cards are accepted by the unit

 

[Loz]

I have the F770 sat on the shelf at home ready to go into mine this weekend. Also purchased the hardware kit for overnight recording.

 

[chriscroft]

I have the F770 sat on the shelf at home ready to go into mine this weekend. Also purchased the hardware kit for overnight recording.

I was there when mine was fitted, getting the cable into the tail gate through the hinge grommet/sleeve, was a bit of a pig, even with two of us. Other than that pretty straight forward looks really tidy when installed, it is pretty much hiden behind the rear view mirror(keep it as high as possible so that the lens is just below the black dots on the wind screen. My rear view is slightly different position to David Cudbertsons's (who went on top of the wiper motor, I went to a bit lower and to one side).

 

[VanBlanc]

I can see a small problem with the rear camera in the tailgate window and the blinds

 

[chriscroft]

I can see a small problem with the rear camera in the tailgate window and the blinds

ahhhh, maybe front only then?

 

[Loz]

I can see a small problem with the rear camera in the tailgate window and the blinds

I'm glad you have mentioned that...

 

[VanBlanc]

Actually the way @swellshades Dave fits the tailgate blind around the wiper motor I suspect it will be possible to fit it low down.

 

[mopardave]

I was nearly wiped out by a tw*t in a white transit high roof yesterday.....came round a bend on a country lane in my lane! I was convinced , at the very least, I was going to wreck my passenger side suspension and lose my drivers door mirror! How I got away unscathed, I will never, ever know! I was so angry and shocked, if I'd had room to turn around without causing other road users an issue, I would have given chase.....which would have ended badly for one of us. Then this morning, three cars overtaking a bus coming towards me....the last car was determined to squeeze through....again, I had to swerve! 10 minutes later, a spotty, hoody wearing yoof, chopped me up at some lights! On both occasions, had I damaged my van with my avoiding action, I'd have had no one to claim against because they would have just kept going. My question is, and maybe PukkaT6 could answer this.....would my insurance company have pursued on the evidence of a dash cam? Anyone got any up to date recommendations on dash cams? I think I'm just going to go for a forward looking one as I don't want to disturb the back of the van now that it's been lined out. Strange couple of days! There are some proper w*nkers out there!

 

[PukkaT6]

After nearly getting wiped out by and idiot in a Nissan Juke who pulled out of a sliproad on the A34 right in front of me I have decided to get one. Been looking at the Nextbase 402 pro

I work on A34 - how many miles away are you from Manchester lol

 

[chriscroft]

If it fits within your budget, then thinkware, are very well reviewed. I have the 770, as to quite a few on here. Very good bit of kit, and now even better.

F800 PRO | THINKWARE

 

[PukkaT6]

I was nearly wiped out by a tw*t in a white transit high roof yesterday.....came round a bend on a country lane in my lane! I was convinced , at the very least, I was going to wreck my passenger side suspension and lose my drivers door mirror! How I got away unscathed, I will never, ever know! I was so angry and shocked, if I'd had room to turn around without causing other road users an issue, I would have given chase.....which would have ended badly for one of us. Then this morning, three cars overtaking a bus coming towards me....the last car was determined to squeeze through....again, I had to swerve! 10 minutes later, a spotty, hoody wearing yoof, chopped me up at some lights! On both occasions, had I damaged my van with my avoiding action, I'd have had no one to claim against because they would have just kept going. My question is, and maybe PukkaT6 could answer this.....would my insurance company have pursued on the evidence of a dash cam? Anyone got any up to date recommendations on dash cams? I think I'm just going to go for a forward looking one as I don't want to disturb the back of the van now that it's been lined out. Strange couple of days! There are some proper w*nkers out there!

Dash cam evidence is the best evidence you can get - on claims like head on collisions which typically settle as 50/50 a dash cam can prove you were not at fault. There is a reason I have one - but also a reason it can be removed ha

Just to add -if you can get one that shows speed thats an extra brucie bonus. Example hit in rear accident always go in favour of the car thats been rear ended. However if for example the car rolls back into you its almost impossible to not be held at fault if the driver in front says you drove into back of him - unless you can prove you were stopped.

 

[chriscroft]

yep, it could easily shoot you in the foot!!!!

 

[PukkaT6]

yep, it could easily shoot you in the foot!!!!

We have had dash cam footage from people who sent it in thinking they were not at fault and all the footage did was incriminate them ha

 

[mopardave]

Dash cam evidence is the best evidence you can get - on claims like head on collisions which typically settle as 50/50 a dash cam can prove you were not at fault. There is a reason I have one - but also a reason it can be removed ha

Just to add -if you can get one that shows speed thats an extra brucie bonus. Example hit in rear accident always go in favour of the car thats been rear ended. However if for example the car rolls back into you its almost impossible to not be held at fault if the driver in front says you drove into back of him - unless you can prove you were stopped.

Surely if a car rolls back in to you, and the driver claims you ran in to him......it's easy to prove you're not at fault......you'll see from the dash cam footage that you were still stationary and that it was the car in front that reversed in to you.....or am I missing something?

 

[PukkaT6]

Spot on you are not missing something its late and i should be in bed but either way it helps ha

Sometimes its really hard to tell if someone has stopped or if the reason they stopped is due to contact, i think its more a belt and braces approach, the more the better.

People are weary of the black boxes (telematics) that monitor driving however they are brilliant as determining liability. They record g forces speeds and triangulate positions and so make it really easy to draw a picture of what happened before during and after. They also act like an emergency service. After an impact a notification is sent and from that you could potentially see the vehicle has left the road at high speed and rolled several times and is now in a field out of sight on its roof. You could then contact emergency services to attend the scene potentially saving someones life. Add to that the security aspect, they are often used to provide details to police when vehicle has been stolen.