Dashcams & the law

[Squid]

Drivers in the USA should be aware of this, but then I imagine it is against the law in most countries too. The relevance is that it may be illegal to drive around with your dashcam monitor on.

Fortunately most monitors have an option to switch themselves off after a short time. It is just something you might like to consider, e.g. if you are about to drive off (while your monitor has yet to switch itself off) and know there is a police officer behind you.

From the way the law is worded in the above article, it seems irrelevant if you can't see the monitor e.g. because it's an 0801 and is hidden behind your rear view mirror. The law quoted says it is an offence if the video monitor is 'operating'.

(On a separate issue, I imagine that unless the police officer gives evidence that he saw that the glasses were switched on, the woman will be able to successfully defend herself - but that is going off-topic).

 

[niko]

If start playing with words, then meaning "screen is operating" can be even applied to screen which does not show video , where camera keeps recording. Technically in this situation screen still works, especially those screens which can be activated by touch ( touch screen, for example panorama2 ). Good lawyer can find ways how to play with words. Law has to clearly specify meaning of "screen is not operating".

 

[kamkar]

Yeah i saw this a couple of days ago on some computer site, its proberly allso illigal here in DK.

To be honest i feel distracted even when i talk handsfree in the car, but thank god i only get 2-3 calls a week and those rarely happen when i am driving.

I would never place a call while i am driving, but i allso only make 2-3 outgoing calls a week so thats easy to manage.

I really really hate cellphones, and cant wait to i can ditch the one i have now.

 

[Squid]

If start playing with words, then meaning "screen is operating" can be even applied to screen which does not show video , where camera keeps recording. Technically in this situation screen still works, especially those screens which can be activated by touch ( touch screen, for example panorama2 ). Good lawyer can find ways how to play with words. Law has to clearly specify meaning of "screen is not operating".

I didn't mean to so much play with words as to say that an 0801 hidden behind the rear view mirror with the monitor on could possibly land you with a ticket if the officer was feeling mean.

The police in the UK have monitors with their dashcams (maybe they are kept separate & are plugged in when needed - no idea). I'm guessing (just that) that it's considered OK to have a monitor on a dashcam provided it is off while driving.

 

[kamkar]

Danish cop cars, or at least some of them have a monitor connected to ther dashcam / speed mesurment gear, but here in Denmark the police have or make ther own rules.

Every day around 17 - 18:00 you can see them in ther duty cars picking up pizza and sutch around town, and i am quite sure cop cars are not suppposed to be used for that.

Allso in Copenhagen, if you launch a complaint about a police man, in 95% of the cases the cop in questio can not be identified even tho it is no longer the police who investigate the police as it use to be untill a fjew years ago.

 

[BobDiaz]

No matter what the law says, we have to consider the distraction level for the driver. IF the driver is playing with some gadget they are NOT paying attention to the road in front of them.