Dangers of a dash cam...

[MiiHere]

I've watched a lot of videos, both posted by users and then those unknown. I've often seen illegal maneuvers and can't help but wonder how much of it was to capture the footage of the idiot driver on the road. At times it seems like dash cams can be more dangerous than helpful.

I'm curious to know everyone's thoughts.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Or maybe some of the dashcam owners are the idiots. Seems to be helping me correct some deficiences after seeing some idiotic driving on my part.

 

[TheRookie]

Funny you've said this. After reading some topics on this forum and seeing some videos on Youtube I can't help thinking that the rise of dashcams gave powers to an army of self-righteous twats who have nothing else in their empty lives but to complain about irregularities of others.

Someone changed lane without indicating? An army of wannabe crucifiers is out in full force.
Seeing someone overspeeding by 5 mph? Ohmygawd, this is a potential child killer out there - punish him/her now!
Did they undertake you when you were steadily driving 40mph in middle lane? Hang, drawn and quarter them! Now!
And so on and on and on.

I think if they would be given enough powers, some fellow citizens will do their best to turn society into Brazil-styled one (this is not the name of a country but rather the movie title - watch it, it is very powerful).
We don't even need to turn the country into aristocracy-driven police state - the ordinary citizens will be the police, judge and the executioner, all in one, just because their self-righteousness will tell them that they are the most moral people on the planet. These moral beacons will then try to force their view of society rules upon the rest of us (just what Grauniad, Independent and Daily Mail are doing).

I mean, dash cams are useful tools when dealing with road issues but is it really necessary to post videos each time someone made a slightly illegal maneuver?

Rant over.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Funny you've said this. After reading some topics on this forum and seeing some videos on Youtube I can't help thinking that the rise of dashcams gave powers to an army of self-righteous twats who have nothing else in their empty lives but to complain about irregularities of others.

Someone changed lane without indicating? An army of wannabe crucifiers is out in full force.
Seeing someone overspeeding by 5 mph? Ohmygawd, this is a potential child killer out there - punish him/her now!
Did they undertake you when you were steadily driving 40mph in middle lane? Hang, drawn and quarter them! Now!
And so on and on and on.

I think if they would be given enough powers, some fellow citizens will do their best to turn society into Brazil-styled one (this is not the name of a country but rather the movie title - watch it, it is very powerful).
We don't even need to turn the country into aristocracy-driven police state - the ordinary citizens will be the police, judge and the executioner, all in one, just because their self-righteousness will tell them that they are the most moral people on the planet. These moral beacons will then try to force their view of society rules upon the rest of us (just what Grauniad, Independent and Daily Mail are doing).

I mean, dash cams are useful tools when dealing with road issues but is it really necessary to post videos each time someone made a slightly illegal maneuver?

Rant over.

I agree with you rant or not

 

[2000rpm]

.....Did they undertake you when you were steadily driving 40mph in middle lane?.....

Undertaking on a multi-lane road is not necessarily illegal.

Consider these rules:

Rule 137
On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane when it is safe to do so.

Rule 138
On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the right-hand lane to overtake but return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe.

Rule 163
.......stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left.....

Rule 169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic.......


Therefore, someone driving at 40mph in the middle or outer lane when the inner lane is free is in breach of rules 137, 138 and 169.
Under rule 163, if you move to the left lane and wait for someone to come up behind the dawdler to create the slow/queue, my interpretation is that you may then carefully pass them on the left.

 

[ellis456]

I use my cameras soley for accident purposes, crap driving or cutting me up etc etc doesnt bother me its there for a purpose and thats proving whos at fault in an accident or to aid someone elses accident and then it sits there and forgotten about, some people let dashcams go to there heads.

 

[Witness Auto Dash Cam]

Funny you've said this. After reading some topics on this forum and seeing some videos on Youtube I can't help thinking that the rise of dashcams gave powers to an army of self-righteous twats who have nothing else in their empty lives but to complain about irregularities of others.

Someone changed lane without indicating? An army of wannabe crucifiers is out in full force.
Seeing someone overspeeding by 5 mph? Ohmygawd, this is a potential child killer out there - punish him/her now!
Did they undertake you when you were steadily driving 40mph in middle lane? Hang, drawn and quarter them! Now!
And so on and on and on.

I think if they would be given enough powers, some fellow citizens will do their best to turn society into Brazil-styled one (this is not the name of a country but rather the movie title - watch it, it is very powerful).
We don't even need to turn the country into aristocracy-driven police state - the ordinary citizens will be the police, judge and the executioner, all in one, just because their self-righteousness will tell them that they are the most moral people on the planet. These moral beacons will then try to force their view of society rules upon the rest of us (just what Grauniad, Independent and Daily Mail are doing).

I mean, dash cams are useful tools when dealing with road issues but is it really necessary to post videos each time someone made a slightly illegal maneuver?

Rant over.

Totally Agreed with your critical comment.

 

[TheRookie]

Undertaking on a multi-lane road is not necessarily illegal.
Therefore, someone driving at 40mph in the middle or outer lane when the inner lane is free is in breach of rules 137, 138 and 169.
Under rule 163, if you move to the left lane and wait for someone to come up behind the dawdler to create the slow/queue, my interpretation is that you may then carefully pass them on the left.

I agree with you, however when I was undertaking someone in similar situation (when I can't overtake them for some reason), they usually do one of the following:
1. Flash their lights at me
2. Speed up, hurl an abuse and then return to their steady 40 mode
3. Honk
4. Trundle along totally oblivious of what just happened.

Needless to say it is 1,2,3 or a combination of thereof that most people do.

 

[ThePro]

Funny you've said this. After reading some topics on this forum and seeing some videos on Youtube I can't help thinking that the rise of dashcams gave powers to an army of self-righteous twats who have nothing else in their empty lives but to complain about irregularities of others.

As one of those twats. Thank you, I feel loved.

I do those vids because it's a good use of free time. Gives me video editing practice, and helps me vent when I would otherwise rage at them.

 

[MiiHere]

When I watch those videos where the person with the dash cam is the one doing the honking when they weren't involved in the "incident" it makes me ponder the dangers. Along with those people who are running red lights/stop signs etc. A dash cam might make someone who might not be a rubbernecker turn into one, though I believe most drivers are already rubberneckers.

Watching the movie nightcrawler made me think to post this thread. How addicted he gets to filming.

 

[Rajagra]

Funny you've said this. After reading some topics on this forum and seeing some videos on Youtube I can't help thinking that the rise of dashcams gave powers to an army of self-righteous twats who have nothing else in their empty lives but to complain about irregularities of others.

True that. Unless you're referring to me.

I've seen a couple of videos where people have clearly left their planned route to follow a bad driver, in the hope they would do something shocking for the camera. And have themselves driven aggressively in the process. It's motorised vigilantism.

Here's one that stuck in my mind. At 1:45 one of them says "I reckon if we stay up her ass we might get her doing something dodgy." They are getting incredibly excited at the prospect of a crash and follow her. It's ugly behaviour IMO.

But dashcam owners are nothing compared to the cyclists with head-mounted cameras who pick up on the most trivial things and start arguments while riding alongside a vehicle, facing the driver (to point the camera) and not looking where they are going. Putting their lives in danger, just to get in a slanging match over something far less important! Some cyclists love to get worked up over stationary drivers texting, for example. Seriously - putting your life in danger over that??? Facepalm.

 

[2000rpm]

I agree with you, however when I was undertaking someone in similar situation (when I can't overtake them for some reason), they usually do one of the following:
1. Flash their lights at me
2. Speed up, hurl an abuse and then return to their steady 40 mode
3. Honk
4. Trundle along totally oblivious of what just happened.

Needless to say it is 1,2,3 or a combination of thereof that most people do.

I generally gradually close up behind and sit at a sensible distance for a few seconds. If they haven't moved aside after a reasonable amount of time to notice me and move from the overtaking lane to the cruising lane, I'll flash them (just a couple of flashes as a 'I'm here' - not a dozen aggressive flashes implying 'Get out of my way') - and about half the time it works.
If not, I'll then try flashing them again but that's usually a waste of time if they ignored me the first time.

So then I move to the inside lane and close up the gap, since in theory I don't need as much stopping distance because I'm not behind anyone in my lane (and they should signal if they want to come into my lane, and I'm half expecting them to change lane) and also I'm not breaking any rule because I haven't undertaken them yet. Half the time, simply moving to the inside lane and closing the gap works; they move to the inside lane to stop me passing. So I can then signal to overtake and pass them.

Only about a quarter of the time the car refuses to move out of their incorrect lane. But my next tactic is to sit behind and to the side of the offender and wait for a black BMW 320d to arrive in the fast lane, who will inevitably point-blank tailgate the car and intimidate them out of that lane. Once the BMW has intimidated the car into the correct lane I can then overtake the dawdler.

Only very rarely do I have to proceed with an undertake. That's maybe once every couple of thousand miles.

On a couple of occasions I've had a car deliberately keep changing lanes to block my progress. On a few other occasions the car attempts to match my speed as I pass, forcing me to either slow down and drop behind again, or go well over the speed limit to complete the overtake/undertake.

 

[chas kirk]

As with everything there are good and bad, i could spend every minute of my spare time posting videos of bad driving!
but sometimes they are a real boon, this van driver claimed i cut into his lane, sent a link to the insurance company and the claim was settled in less than ten days!

 

[efoo]

At times it seems like dash cams can be more dangerous than helpful.

I am not sure if your wording is wrong but it sounds like you are blaming dash cams for creating danger on the road, but that is false. Dash cam is just there to capture video footage, it has no what so ever influence on how the drivers going to drive. The stupidity and bad driving is entirely up to the drivers, it has nothing to do with the dash cam.

 

[jokiin]

camera or not some people drive like they own the road

 

[MiiHere]

I am not sure if your wording is wrong but it sounds like you are blaming dash cams for creating danger on the road, but that is false. Dash cam is just there to capture video footage, it has no what so ever influence on how the drivers going to drive. The stupidity and bad driving is entirely up to the drivers, it has nothing to do with the dash cam.

I'm certainly not blaming dash cams as I don't believe a lot of folks have them and yet bad driving occurs often. It may not have influence on how YOU drive, but videos have shown that it does influence how some people drive; dash cam videos are out there to prove it. To say it has NOTHING to do with a dash cam is ignorant, which is why YouTube is riddled with so many bad driving videos. Mine included, though I didn't go out of my way to get them.

 

[jokiin]

I see a GoPro on a sportsbike and too often that spells attitude so there are cases where things are done for the camera, sure the same type of person might behave the same on 4 wheels as they do on 2, for a dashcam I would say that is very much in the minority though

 

[MiiHere]

I see a GoPro on a sportsbike and too often that spells attitude so there are cases where things are done for the camera, sure the same type of person might behave the same on 4 wheels as they do on 2, for a dashcam I would say that is very much in the minority though

I'm torn about agreeing with you. It could be that I had a bike and having a cam on a bike for me would be much more important than having one for a car. I think what it all boils down to is the person and driving conditions. It'd be nice if we all just drove reasonably.

 

[jokiin]

I'm torn about agreeing with you. It could be that I had a bike and having a cam on a bike for me would be much more important than having one for a car. I think what it all boils down to is the person and driving conditions. It'd be nice if we all just drove reasonably.

I've been a rider for many years and for sure would have a camera on the bike for the right reasons, the types of guys that have it for the wrong reasons are easy to spot as they generally wear very little in the way of safety gear, here we refer to them as 'Temporary Australians'

 

[2000rpm]

....... the types of guys that have it for the wrong reasons are easy to spot as they generally wear very little in the way of safety gear, here we refer to them as 'Temporary Australians'......

We refer to them as organ donors.