Do you leave LED screen on?

[Acker]

Will leaving the LED screen on cause issues with the dash cam? I guess with the screen on, it runs hotter so dash cam longevity might be reduced?

The dash cam's physical red LED is not as bright or big compared to what's shown on the screen, so I leave the screen powered on, so I can see that it's recording/working.

I've also experienced a situation where there was no power to the cam, but the cam never beeped or alerted there was an issue, obviously cause there was no power. So leaving the screen powered on helps assure that it's recording/working.

At night, drivers behind me can see there's a small screen of some sort in my car. Hopefully it might be a deterrent to tail gating/aggressive driving.

 

[DT MI]

You may run afoul of the law as some locales have prohibitions on video screens in view of the driver being on while the vehicle is in operation.

I doubt that having the screen on will deter other drivers as they are not likely to recognize it's a camera - and if they do they'll realize it's pointing the the opposite direction. Now if you could make it look like it's pointing at them that would be a totally different matter.

 

[CheckYourLights]

Will leaving the LED screen on cause issues with the dash cam? I guess with the screen on, it runs hotter so dash cam longevity might be reduced?

Depending on the weather conditions in your area this might be an issue. On hot days I have had some cameras stop working while parked up because they got so hot they turned off. My first JooVuu X even got so hot it ruined a Micro SD card. so leaving the screen on would make this happen more often because it generates more heat.

The dash cam's physical red LED is not as bright or big compared to what's shown on the screen, so I leave the screen powered on, so I can see that it's recording/working.

If the LED is an issue I would suggest a camera that you can turn the screen off and on with a button (A118 does this) so you can check it, and then turn the screen off.

At night, drivers behind me can see there's a small screen of some sort in my car. Hopefully it might be a deterrent to tail gating/aggressive driving.

Not only will most other drivers ignore this it might cause issues for your eyes at night adjusting to the darkness outside and the light from the screen inside. A lot of drivers won't even back off for a rear camera in the day time.

You may run afoul of the law as some locales have prohibitions on video screens in view of the driver being on while the vehicle is in operation.

This is the most important reason. Different states have different laws, but leaving the screen on all the time could get you a ticket in your state. This is the reason some stock in car screens have limited functionality while the car is in drive

For instance in my Subaru you can not type anything into the GPS screen while the car is in motion. While this is a pain as a passenger can not type a destination in while I am driving it is done so that a single driver can not be distracted by the keyboard.

 

[Acker]

Ah good to know abut the law. Didn't think about that. Hopefully I'm safe since I see people use gps units at night, and I haven't heard it being against the law at night, in my area. However, gps units are common. I think police let it slide. Small dash cam screen appearing in my car, might get cops attention, and they stop me.

What law would I check? How do I check? Problems with laws like tinting and such, I don't really know where to look up the official information. Or, I don't understand the legal mumbo jumbo. So I just do Google search and see what others say.

 

[Acker]

"If the LED is an issue I would suggest a camera that you can turn the screen off and on with a button (A118 does this) so you can check it, and then turn the screen off."

With the law in mind (not wanting to be stopped by a cop), I'll have it auto off the screen. Some of my dash cam the physical LED is much bigger brighter than the other cams, unfortunately.

"Not only will most other drivers ignore this it might cause issues for your eyes at night adjusting to the darkness outside and the light from the screen inside. A lot of drivers won't even back off for a rear camera in the day time. "

True. You would think it would deter them. I think it does for most, once they see it, they back off. Or maybe it's just my bias, cause most people will not tailgate and be assholes, so it has nothing to do with the rear dash cam. There are some who don't seem to give a rat. The crazies. Definitely don't engage, get out of their way. I have the rear cam for peace of mind.

 

[kamkar]

Testing cameras with a screen, then yes i leave the screen on all the time to generate as much heat as possible, i even turn on wifi too if its there.
But on my primary go to cameras i do off course not do that, i have plenty light from my 5.2" sized phone running a waze like app ( mounted off door ), and if its one of those drives the 7" tablet i use for navigation wedged in under the lid of my dashbord top storage compartment..

 

[DT MI]

...What law would I check? How do I check? ...

What state?

 

[Module 79L]

Hopefully I'm safe since I see people use gps units at night, and I haven't heard it being against the law at night, in my area.

I struggle to understand why some people have a problem with dashcams being a bit visible or hanging down a bit below the RVM when in many cases they stick the GPS's/dumb phones right in the middle of the windshield, blocking the view much more than a tiny dashcam could ever block!
I don't know about the US but I see a lot of that over here and the authorities don't care.

The GPS's screen needs to be on all the time for obvious reasons and if it's allowed I'm sure having the dashcam screen always on, to which you'll only glance occasionally, won't be a problem.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

What law would I check? How do I check? Problems with laws like tinting and such, I don't really know where to look up the official information. Or, I don't understand the legal mumbo jumbo. So I just do Google search and see what others say.

That would be your first mistake.

 

[DashcamDPR]

Mine are set to go off after 10 seconds, legally here they can't be left on but I'm fairly certain the police either don't care, or don't notice and I don't know of anyone ever being pulled over here for having the screen on

 

[Dashmellow]

What law would I check? How do I check? Problems with laws like tinting and such, I don't really know where to look up the official information. Or, I don't understand the legal mumbo jumbo. So I just do Google search and see what others say.

Every state in the country publishes their motor vehicle statutes online and it is easy to look up the laws that apply in your jurisdiction. Motor vehicle statutes are generally written to be clear, simple and easy to understand by the majority of motorists without much in the way of "mumbo jumbo".

There are also many other excellent resources online for finding the basics of various motor vehicle laws as they apply in each state.

For example, here is a AAA digest of laws in all US states (and Canada) as they apply to visual telematics in motor vehicles. In many cases it seems to come down to how each state defines a "video display visible to the driver". Sometimes the best approach is to look up the law in your state and then simply ask a cop about enforcement practices. For example, where I live the law forbids any object other than a rear view mirror to be attached to your windscreen except for a small area in the lower right hand corner but the statute was written long before everyone started using GPS receivers, radar detectors, toll transponders, dash cams, etc. The fines for this violation are quite steep but I've learned that the law is rarely if ever enforced nowadays.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/telematics/

 

[kamkar]

but I see a lot of that over here and the authorities don't care.

Same here, and the police dont care the least i am sorry to say, which then turn me towards the law giving assembly here, cuz why have laws if so many choose to disregard them.
I do get it if it was only a few and the police was on that ball, but that's not how i feel it is here.

I do think it is okay to have the screen on a dashcam on here just like you can have a NAV unit on and a phone, but you cant have a film or a TV station running on a devise the driver can see, that is not legal.

Other than that it is not legal to have anything on your windscreen obstructing the view, so no dangling wires - no air freshener dangling from the RVM - no phones or NAV units blocking view ( mount low on windscreen or on dashbord )
No religious doodah dangling from the RVM, pretty much nothing blocking view.

I think all my dashcams are okay as i can barely see them for my RVM, and what i can mostly see of them are above the RVM and i dont think that little slit of view are what the law consider blocked.

I am as a Danish citizen very worried about the police not doing their work when they are doing actual police stuff, and i am worried the law giving assembly have stretched the police so thin with laws and other jobs like border patrol ( we do not have customs as in the old days when we had manned borders, that job are temporarily being filled by cops - civil guard and there is talks about using the military too )

I swear every day i wake up and feel like i am the only one here with half a brain

 

[SawMaster]

Here in SC USA, LCD and other electronic viewing screens which are visible from the driver's position are prohibited unless they are driver's aid such as GPS, or a factory-type dash-gauge system. Technically LCD radio or head units are illegal, but there's no enforcement on them What our law was intended to do was prevent the viewing of movies and videos by the driver when the vehicle was in operation. Yes, we actually had lots of idiots doing just that even as stupid as it obviously is Welcome to SC where our schools always rank low and our highway death toll always ranks high

My side-cams are technically illegal until the screen-saver kicks in, and the minimum setting for that is 3 minutes so that's where I set them. They cannot be turned off, only delayed. I'm not worried about it as I can still see the recording LED if I look. Mt rear cam isn't visible to me save for a small part of the screen. The only indication I have from it is it's 15 seconds of LCD when it boots- after that I go on faith Mine's not a permanent set-up yet so these issues will be rectified eventually

Phil

 

[Acker]

Every state in the country publishes their motor vehicle statutes online and it is easy to look up the laws that apply in your jurisdiction. Motor vehicle statutes are generally written to be clear, simple and easy to understand by the majority of motorists without much in the way of "mumbo jumbo".

There are also many other excellent resources online for finding the basics of various motor vehicle laws as they apply in each state.

For example, here is a AAA digest of laws in all US states (and Canada) as they apply to visual telematics in motor vehicles. In many cases it seems to come down to how each state defines a "video display visible to the driver". Sometimes the best approach is to look up the law in your state and then simply ask a cop about enforcement practices. For example, where I live the law forbids any object other than a rear view mirror to be attached to your windscreen except for a small area in the lower right hand corner but the statute was written long before everyone started using GPS receivers, radar detectors, toll transponders, dash cams, etc. The fines for this violation are quite steep but I've learned that the law is rarely if ever enforced nowadays.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/telematics/

Thanks.
motor vehicle statutes
I have keywords to Google.
I found my state's statutes.
I actually need to look something else up too.
Thanks for the aaa link, interesting.

I haven't narrowed the statutes down to dash cams yet.
The statutes have topics on cell phones, it seems.
I'll see if I can find something regarding, "video display visible to the driver"

Google search motor vehicle statutes state dash cam does turn up dash cam discussions for my state. The discussions have the exact statute too, and link, so hopefully that'll get me closer.

I think I have to know more about dash cams for my state in general, such as video and audio recording, so I cover my arse.

 

[Module 79L]

Other than that it is not legal to have anything on your windscreen obstructing the view, so no dangling wires - no air freshener dangling from the RVM - no phones or NAV units blocking view ( mount low on windscreen or on dashbord )
No religious doodah dangling from the RVM, pretty much nothing blocking view.

Hahaha, you should see what I see everyday!
Suction cups wider than the GPS units, dumb phone mounts permanently mounted without any phone attached to it, air fresheners, CDs (yup, some people never left the 00's...), key straps, rosaries, you name it!

 

[sone983]

Hahaha, you should see what I see everyday!
Suction cups wider than the GPS units, dumb phone mounts permanently mounted without any phone attached to it, air fresheners, CDs (yup, some people never left the 90's...), key straps, rosaries, you name it!

In my car on my job my boss put big rosary. About LED screen ON,During using Yi dashcam at first LCD screen was ON all the time,but I get so annoying people asking me What is this? Is this a camera? Woooow that's usefull, especially kids notice qiuckly, so I turn ON screen saver and questions stopped.

 

[Module 79L]

In my car on my job my boss put big rosary. About LED screen ON,During using Yi dashcam at first LCD screen was ON all the time,but I get so annoying people asking me What is this? Is this a camera? Woooow that's usefull, especially kids notice qiuckly, so I turn ON screen saver and questions stopped.

I don't usually transport people other than the ones that already know I have a camera but when I occasionally have new passengers what I do is put the sun visor down and hide the camera. That way I avoid the questions.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Hahaha, you should see what I see everyday!
Suction cups wider than the GPS units, dumb phone mounts permanently mounted without any phone attached to it, air fresheners, CDs (yup, some people never left the 00's...), key straps, rosaries, you name it!

Keeping it simple

 

[Rajagra]

I like to stay within the law. So if I want to watch a movie while driving I set up a cine projector and screen. Because it isn't "video".

Now while I doubt that's a common problem, I do wish law writers would pause a moment to think about precisely what they want to forbid, then use precise wording to do the job.

And while I appreciate they want to keep it succinct (good thing) they shouldn't make it vague (very, very bad thing in a law.)

I think for now we have to accept these laws are open to some interpretation, so we should aim to follow the spirit of the law.

My only dash cam that concerned me in this respect was one with a 4 inch display, my only one big enough to realistically view from a driving position. But that served as my rear view (in my van) so I had that screen on permanently. That most definitely fell into the driver aid category.

A thought : all those unwanted features like LDWS - they may be useless, but they are certainly attempts at being driver aids. Might they not be a get out in Regards to these laws? Maybe they have a use after all!


Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[DashcamDPR]

I don't usually transport people other than the ones that already know I have a camera but when I occasionally have new passengers what I do is put the sun visor down and hide the camera. That way I avoid the questions.

I think here even that is a grey area. although maybe taxi/uber drivers of the UK can correct me... It might be a requirement to tell passengers you have recording equipment in the car if they're gonna be a passenger. I don't know exactly what classification a cab can fall under, public place, private property, business workplace...?

I tell my passengers I have dashcams if they don't already know, if they don't wanna be recorded they can find alternative ways to travel