Does having a dash cam affect your driving?

Back to the original thread question... I have been driving with a dash cam for a little over a month now and have noticed one odd thing - I tend to look at the camera instead of my rear view mirror quite often. I leave the video on all of the time and have to mentally force myself to look at the mirror sometimes. As for behavior, I think that it hasn't changed my driving too much. It's nice to have the security of the camera so that I'm protected in case of an accident. I do find myself looking for 'events' that might be worthy of saving though.
 
Well i cant say that when i am stopped at a intersection and the traffic in the other directions get going i might mumble something about being ready to capture all manners of stupid.
For the most i might say " bring it on dumb asses i am here and i am recording"
But it seem that stopped like that the crossing traffic mostly seem to behave, its more when i am moving my cameras capture people going in the same direction or coming the other way that display stupid.

Maybe there is some scientific equation about viewing stupid at a 90 degree angle affect the measurement and so it dont seem so stupid.
 
Driving with a dash cam allows you to look on your driving from the other side. Definitely try it!
 
Back to the original thread question... I have been driving with a dash cam for a little over a month now and have noticed one odd thing - I tend to look at the camera instead of my rear view mirror quite often. I leave the video on all of the time and have to mentally force myself to look at the mirror sometimes. As for behavior, I think that it hasn't changed my driving too much. It's nice to have the security of the camera so that I'm protected in case of an accident. I do find myself looking for 'events' that might be worthy of saving though.

I only check the cameras when I start the car ..
I have no problems ignoring the cameras when driving ..
And when a camera falls of the window ( as they do from time to time ) , I dont notice the camera on the back window coming down until I have stopped and gotten out of the car ..
I now smear a little Tarzan grip on the suction cup , the cam stays on the window soooo much longer for it ..
All my front cams are now using sticky mounts ...
 
An unreliable dash cam affects your driving because you constantly need to get it working.

I bought a cheap second camera with dual cameras giving me a rear view. Very handy in a van, it's like having a rear view mirror with x-ray vision. But every few minutes it loses the feed from the back. I spend too much time fiddling with it even though I wait until it's safe.

On the lookout for a reliable dash cam with remote EXTERNAL camera and live display.

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Maybe an action cam with Wifi , and use your phone to keep an eye on it and have the phone plugged into a USB charger ..
+ The App for the phone allows remote control . Could even use the action cam as a reversing camera this way .

( ? )

When the weather cools , I'm going to put dual USB outlets for the back window ...
So I can run two cams .. + I will replace the suction cup mount with a sticky mount for the cam in the back window .

Suction cups have a lot of trouble holding on when the windshield gets really hot ( 60 to 70 deg C in summer = Direct sun light )
 
I know keeping suction cups perfectly clean is the proper way, but if one just won't stay fixed I've had luck smearing a tiny amount of vaseline-type product on it. Works better than spit!

If anyone tries this, I'd strongly recommend buying silicone grease, it won't harm rubber. You should have some anyway for o-rings and the like. I just used what I had to hand at the moment.

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I check my cams for operation occasionally, either when I'm stopped at red lights in town or on the highway when there are no other cars nearby. This is mainly due to some of them being temporarily mounted which has given problems before, and for one of them (a cheaper one) that shut down a few times before I tightened the USB connection.

Reviewing my vids, I'm the king of the 'rolling stop' in residential areas when there are no other cars around :rolleyes: Nothing serious with that, just not quite completely stopped unless there's a need to. And by legal definition I sometimes follow too closely even though I give far more space than anyone else around here does and I can always stop with room to spare no matter what :p Otherwise I haven't seen anything noteworthy about my driving as I've always been attentive even before I had cams and knew of these tendencies back then too. But I do think most folks will find a few surprises when they first see themselves from the dashcams's unbiased point of view ;)

Phil
 
...I leave the video on all of the time....
You might want to rethink that approach. In many states it's illegal to have any video screen on in view of the driver except for those that are considered to be 'driving aids' (like navigation units) and I'm pretty sure a dash cam would not fall into that category. As to why that's the case - you said it yourself.
 
You might want to rethink that approach. In many states it's illegal to have any video screen on in view of the driver except for those that are considered to be 'driving aids' (like navigation units) and I'm pretty sure a dash cam would not fall into that category. As to why that's the case - you said it yourself.
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. In any case, I'm getting more used to it and it's not a distraction now.
 
I check my cams for operation occasionally, either when I'm stopped at red lights in town or on the highway when there are no other cars nearby. This is mainly due to some of them being temporarily mounted which has given problems before, and for one of them (a cheaper one) that shut down a few times before I tightened the USB connection.

Reviewing my vids, I'm the king of the 'rolling stop' in residential areas when there are no other cars around :rolleyes: Nothing serious with that, just not quite completely stopped unless there's a need to. And by legal definition I sometimes follow too closely even though I give far more space than anyone else around here does and I can always stop with room to spare no matter what :p Otherwise I haven't seen anything noteworthy about my driving as I've always been attentive even before I had cams and knew of these tendencies back then too. But I do think most folks will find a few surprises when they first see themselves from the dashcams's unbiased point of view ;)

Phil
At least you are honest :)
 
On the area here the law are sort of the same, you cant have a headunit or TV screen in view of that driver that have a TV signal or a movie running.
But it is okay to have a NAV unit going with satellite maps, or maybe a graphical EQ going on your headunit, or your phone or tablet running what ever social media you are addicted to / wasting your life with.

Not least the social media we know how addicted those are, and what mayhem is often the result when people need to check it with 5 minute intervals.

The day before yesterday a car again "for unknown reasons" deviated into oncoming traffic, this time it was no biggie as the young girl was alone in the car, and she decided to use a full size 30 ton truck as a brake. :rolleyes: but you will not get me to put in a sad smily, unless we start to talk about the trucker.
 
I read that differently. It specifies that television receivers are not allowed but gives a long list of items related to driving the vehicle which the rules don't apply. Several of them could be loosely interpreted as having to do with the operation of the vehicle. ;)
Further investigation will have to be done to find the definition of 'television receiver', but sub-section 8 specifically mentions video monitors/screens and moving images in the list of exclusions - thereby implying/inferring that their use is otherwise prohibited. Not going to be my citation so I really don't care, but if I were a betting man I'd put my money on the state in this case.

8. A television receiver, video monitor, television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a moving image,...

And sub-section 8.B:

B. Except for displays explicitly authorized in subsection A, no driver of any motor vehicle shall view any motion picture or similar video display while driving.
 
I think you can have whatever going, as long as your driving is not erratic a cop should have no reason to pull you over.

I know here the law about not having stuff on your windscreen ( pretty much at all aside for MOT stickers ) is not something the police uphold, at least not judging by local cop programs on TV and the number of cars that have stuff stuck to the windscreen or dangling from the mirror.

I would assume American cops are just as complacent or should i say lazy.

I have made a video, where the footage is graphics just as the police have on their console in the cars, i have yet to get a cop to pull me over due to me seemingly having the same system on my tablet as they have on theirs. :D its just me messing with their brains a little.
But so far my tablet on top of my dashbord have not resulted in any cop taking the bait, and i do think at least once i passed slowly past a undercover cop car wit that video going on my tablet.
But the guy was probably half asleep.

Danish police car computer look like this
143167
 
Yeah, there's a big difference between what the law is and how it's enforced. Here's an example I caught yesterday. Best I can tell this guy has at least 5 devices either on the dash or windshield (windscreen) in addition to a box of tissues. Also happens to be the first ever dash cam I've caught on video in another vehicle - looks to be a DVR-207/DVR-007/DVR-027 or variant of one.

Frame 2017.03.23 11-36-57 (0-07-30.378).jpg Frame 2017.03.23 11-36-58 (0-07-31.572).jpg Frame 2017.03.23 11-37-01 (0-07-34.744).jpg
 
Further investigation will have to be done to find the definition of 'television receiver', but sub-section 8 specifically mentions video monitors/screens and moving images in the list of exclusions - thereby implying/inferring that their use is otherwise prohibited. Not going to be my citation so I really don't care, but if I were a betting man I'd put my money on the state in this case.

8. A television receiver, video monitor, television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a moving image,...

And sub-section 8.B:

B. Except for displays explicitly authorized in subsection A, no driver of any motor vehicle shall view any motion picture or similar video display while driving.
I was looking at these.
1. Electronic displays used in conjunction with vehicle navigation and mapping systems, or as part of a digital dispatch system;

4. Visual displays used to enhance or supplement the driver's view forward, behind, or to the sides of a motor vehicle for the purpose of maneuvering the vehicle;
 
I was looking at these.
1. Electronic displays used in conjunction with vehicle navigation and mapping systems, or as part of a digital dispatch system;

4. Visual displays used to enhance or supplement the driver's view forward, behind, or to the sides of a motor vehicle for the purpose of maneuvering the vehicle;
Just my opinion but a dash cam will not fit into the first category and it would be a real stretch to put it in the second.
 
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