Hit and Run on a Brand New 2019 Mazda 3

[jdct]

Maybe the hardwire kit sensed a battery voltage level lower than the set operating threshold and cut power to the dashcam prior to the damage event? Or that it was damaged at night without enough ambient light for the motion sensor algorithm to trigger a recording? It would be great if the A129 logged dates and times the dashcam is powered on, off, in to/out of parking mode, etc, so you could better know how to enhance the installation for longer parked recording times, if that is the case. If your son really is being targeted, then some alternate power source like a cellink might be necessary to catch the perp.

 

[Nigel]

You guys are NOT going to believe this. It's been 10 days since the first hit-and-run on my son's brand new Mazda 3 and now there's a second. What really has me pissed off is that the A129 Duo was on and in Event Detection mode using the new v1.7 firmware and it didn't capture anything. The police believe that somebody is targeting my son's car, but nobody knows why.

Unbelievable. I was hoping to nail this SOB.

Low bitrate parking mode - don't trust event detection on any camera.

If you don't have enough battery power due to low milage, think about using a USB powerbank charged at home for a while until the culprit is caught or the damage stops.

That is strange damage, even for a targeted attack, there might be another explanation.

 

[Yooshaw]

You guys are NOT going to believe this. It's been 10 days since the first hit-and-run on my son's brand new Mazda 3 and now there's a second. What really has me pissed off is that the A129 Duo was on and in Event Detection mode using the new v1.7 firmware and it didn't capture anything. The police believe that somebody is targeting my son's car, but nobody knows why.

Unbelievable. I was hoping to nail this SOB.

That damage on the hood and truck look identical, almost like it was imprinted with the same object (spacing looks to be identical). I'd agree with the Police that this looks like someone is targeting your son's car. Does the A129 have motion detection recording? I'd go that route (or time lapse if it has that option) to try and capture something. I've never been a fan of event detection, slight bumps may not trigger the camera.

 

[jdct]

That damage on the hood and truck look identical, almost like it was imprinted with the same object (spacing looks to be identical). I'd agree with the Police that this looks like someone is targeting your son's car. Does the A129 have motion detection recording? I'd go that route (or time lapse if it has that option) to try and capture something. I've never been a fan of event detection, slight bumps may not trigger the camera.

@Yooshaw, Those are two photos of the same trunk taken from different angles. Maybe best to hold off on taking your detective exam until next year!

@RavenManiac, I've used power banks to power the dashcams before too. Just be sure to choose wisely and be aware of the chance of damage triggered by temperature extremes (particularly in the heat). If you do choose that route, be sure select a good quality brand, and keep it out of the direct line of sunlight in the car. Most power banks that cause dangerous conditions do so while being charged, so best to avoid charging them in the car. Unfortunately, the best option for the dashcam are those expensive LifePo4 batteries -- temperature safe, fast automatic recharge cycle while car is on, and long power reserve while car is off. And as Nigel suggested, perhaps low bitrate parking mode is best in this case, at least while viofo's "parking mode 2.0" is still in beta.

 

[Yooshaw]

@Yooshaw, Those are two photos of the same trunk taken from different angles. Maybe best to hold off on taking your detective exam until next year!

Well, to my credit then, the pattern did look the same in both photos!

 

[Lola]

I very much feel your pain, I have experienced this type of situation myself! You might want to have your son put a reward notice on the school bulletin board.
Also don't let this eat to heavily into your mind, in case you find out who the person is, let the police handle it! If you blow up and hurt the person you will find yourself in more trouble then him/her.
Observation: That hit on the front of the vehicle was done by someone on purpose, with some sort of object, like a hammer or whatever. Just my opinion.

 

[TonyM]

I agree with @Nigel. Use low bitrate when parked for continuous recording with sound at all times.

Have you reviewed all the camera footage for any suspicious activity prior to the latest event?

 

[HonestReview]

I am so totally pissed. Last night, somebody backed into my son's 2019 Mazda 3 and trashed the bumper. He's a senior at James Madison University in Virginia. The police have been contacted, but this apartment complex has no video surveillance. The worse part is he was supposed to come home this past weekend so I could install a brand new A129 Duo that's been here for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, he decided to delay his visit until this weekend.

If anyone needs a reason to purchase a dashcam with parking mode, this is it.

Dash cam's have already saved my ass in 2 accidents. I've had people ask me why I want a camera in my car, and I explain that if someone hits me, there's no he said she said. It's caught on video and there's zero dispute as to what happened. In two instanced now, I have sent my videos to insurance companies, who are then backed into a corner on "fault". Thus, I never leave home without my dash cams rolling.

 

[HonestReview]

College aged kids often act irresponsibly and then lie to cover their tracks. There are excellent reasons why auto insurance rates are higher for them, especially males. Think back to your own time at that age and the kind of things you found your friends or yourself getting into. Of course the car may very well have been parked, but... he might just have backed into something himself. Only you will be able to decide which is more likely...

Perhaps after you get the A129 installed, you may occasionally want to view how responsibly or irresponsibly your son is choosing to drive -- if only for his own well being. So many young drivers are killed in vehicle accidents every year. Here is a link to the mortality statistics at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers

Males 16-24 are the highest risk categories to insure. That's why many rental car companies won't even offer a car until you hit age 25. 16-24 Males are new drivers, lack driving experience, make poor choices, and are thus at a higher risk for accidents.

 

[JohnnyMnemonic]

I feel for your son, I had a brand new 2018 Escalade ESV Platinum parked on a military installation Christmas Day 2017 and had a fellow military member back into my truck Christmas morning while checking out of the hotel and drove away like nothing happened. It was a hard as heck hit from a Chevy Suburban with his tow hitch going through my Escalade's front bumper, my truck wa literally one month olf. Thankfully, my dashcam got his plate and he had to pay for the repairs but nothing happened to him/his driving record etc etc which to this day bugs me.

This is why I never trusted parking mode, motion detection etc etc and have had all my dashcams powered independently off a separate power pack recording constantly. My current A129 is powered off a Cellink Neo with two expansion modules providing me more then enough recording time before I use the truck and everything recharges again. May want to consider one as well with expansion modules if necessary.

 

[HonestReview]

And also, even a video recording taken from the perspective of inside the car which successfully captures the relevant details of the other vehicle, does not guarantee adequate proof that the claimed damage was not already present before the recorded incident and then only present afterward because it would be out of frame. Most people will probably admit responsibility after being confronted with a video recording of them doing what they did, and perhaps especially so when confronted by 'authority' figures, but if they still deny it and no other evidence is available then you're possibly stuck in the very same place that you are now.

The real value in a dashcam is being able to prove another driver was responsible for a major accident involving injuries and/or fatalities, which might levy substantial liabilities upon you otherwise. And for parking mode to catch everything you're hoping for, you'll probably also need to install an auxiliary power source because a standard car battery simply can not supply enough power for continuous dashcam use -- which of course is why the A129 hardwire kit includes a low voltage cut-off circuit. (At some point the power supply will turn the camera off so you can start your car when you return.)

You're arguments are flawed:

1. If the video captures impact in a certain area, the assumption becomes that the damage is fresh. Insurance companies aren't going to argue over what was pre-existing and what was new if the signs are obvious:

A. Paint rub off on the area of the car matching the color of the car that hit you
B. Area where you were hit on video has damage corresponding to the area of impact.

Only exception might be if you are hit and your car is rusted out. You can't go on to claim that this damage "caused your car to rust".

2. Set the Voltage Cutoff to 12.2 (50% battery). If your battery isn't old as heck and no longer holds a charge, this will record for quite a while. before shutting off. So put it in low bitrate park mode and you're good to go with the 3 wire hardwire kit.

 

[HonestReview]

I feel for your son, I had a brand new 2018 Escalade ESV Platinum parked on a military installation Christmas Day 2017 and had a fellow military member back into my truck Christmas morning while checking out of the hotel and drove away like nothing happened. It was a hard as heck hit from a Chevy Suburban with his tow hitch going through my Escalade's front bumper, my truck wa literally one month olf. Thankfully, my dashcam got his plate and he had to pay for the repairs but nothing happened to him/his driving record etc etc which to this day bugs me.

This is why I never trusted parking mode, motion detection etc etc and have had all my dashcams powered independently off a separate power pack recording constantly. My current A129 is powered off a Cellink Neo with two expansion modules providing me more then enough recording time before I use the truck and everything recharges again. May want to consider one as well with expansion modules if necessary.

Hardwiring it to the fuse box via the 3 wire hardwire kit allows for low bitrate recording in park mode. If set to 50% you'll get several days worth of recording before the battery cuts off. This assumes your battery isn't aged many years and weak.

Never use motion detection. Low bitrate lowers the bandwidth but records real time video as opposed to being trigger during an event. Which motion detection on the A129 doesn't currently have a buffer mode (I believe) to capture the event prior to the impact.

 

[JohnnyMnemonic]

Hardwiring it to the fuse box via the 3 wire hardwire kit allows for low bitrate recording in park mode. If set to 50% you'll get several days worth of recording before the battery cuts off. This assumes your battery isn't aged many years and weak.

Never use motion detection. Low bitrate lowers the bandwidth but records real time video as opposed to being trigger during an event. Which motion detection on the A129 doesn't currently have a buffer mode (I believe) to capture the event prior to the impact.

Yes, Thank you, I'm aware of all of that but I do it the way I mentioned because it is simply the way I prefer it to be. I don't want my vehicles battery powering my dash cam at all while the vehicle is off. Doesn't matter if there is a low voltage cut off and all that, I prefer a separate battery pack(s) powering the cam. I also personally don't ever want the cam recording in low bitrate mode. I do agree with no relying on motion detection at all. Again, this is all my personal preference and I was sharing how I prefer things.

I've shown pics and provided links in the past, but I rigged mine with an in-line on/off switch right before the power cable enters into the camera so I can easily power the cam off while it is parked in my garage or in my driveway and then just flick it back on when leaving.

 

[HonestReview]

Yes, Thank you, I'm aware of all of that but I do it the way I mentioned because it is simply the way I prefer it to be. I don't want my vehicles battery powering my dash cam at all while the vehicle is off. Doesn't matter if there is a low voltage cut off and all that, I prefer a separate battery pack(s) powering the cam. I also personally don't ever want the cam recording in low bitrate mode. I do agree with no relying on motion detection at all. Again, this is all my personal preference and I was sharing how I prefer things.

I've shown pics and provided links in the past, but I rigged mine with an in-line on/off switch right before the power cable enters into the camera so I can easily power the cam off while it is parked in my garage or in my driveway and then just flick it back on when leaving.

There's no harm in using a battery pack. It'll save your vehicle's battery from the extra strain of a backup camera, which does shorten a battery's life by some. Only negative about your setup is it records "Normally" at all times. Meaning while you're parked for school, work, what have you, the memory card fills up fast. So if there were an event to take place, it could be overwritten. Which would necessitate you having a large memory card to prevent this from happening. I.E. 256GB or 400GB

 

[JohnnyMnemonic]

Yep, I have a 256GB card so it's not an issue for my use scenarios, I thought all of that out beforehand.

 

[RavenManiac]

Hello everyone. Thanks for all your feedback and empathetic responses.

Yes, Nigel recommended that I use low bitrate mode, but I was too hard-headed to listen. That's actually how we have the A129 set up now until I can do some additional testing with the Viofo v1.7 firmware. My son is a homebody and often leaves his car parked for days at a time, so I believe, as others have suggested, that the low-voltage cut-off switch, which is set at 12.2v, activated and turned off the dash cam.

As a result, I'm considering an alternative power supply but I have no idea which brand or model to purchase for the A129. Since all of the wiring had to be done in the engine bay, I would prefer a backup battery that can be mounted there. Any advice and/or suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Hello everyone. Thanks for all your feedback and empathetic responses.

Yes, Nigel recommended that I use low bitrate mode, but I was too hard-headed to listen. That's actually how we have the A129 set up now until I can do some additional testing with the Viofo v1.7 firmware. My son is a homebody and often leaves his car parked for days at a time, so I believe, as others have suggested, that the low-voltage cut-off switch, which is set at 12.2v, activated and turned off the dash cam.

As a result, I'm considering an alternative power supply but I have no idea which brand or model to purchase for the A129. Since all of the wiring had to be done in the engine bay, I would prefer a backup battery that can be mounted there. Any advice and/or suggestions are much appreciated.

Are you using V1.7 now?

 

[RavenManiac]

Are you using V1.7 now?

Yes

 

[jdct]

You're arguments are flawed:

1. If the video captures impact in a certain area, the assumption becomes that the damage is fresh. Insurance companies aren't going to argue over what was pre-existing and what was new if the signs are obvious:

A. Paint rub off on the area of the car matching the color of the car that hit you
B. Area where you were hit on video has damage corresponding to the area of impact.

Only exception might be if you are hit and your car is rusted out. You can't go on to claim that this damage "caused your car to rust".

No one was talking about proving damage to the insurance company. With comprehensive insurance in force, they're on the hook for paying the damage in nearly all cases except those specifically carved out in the contract. The point was to hold a specific individual accountable for his actions, even if he insists upon denying any or all responsibility. Certain video angles can only provide circumstantial evidence. One or more video angles capturing the undamaged car, the responsible individual, and then the damaged car without any gaps or supposition become indisputable hard evidence. And no one is going to pay for the use of a mass spectrometer and a professional to analyze and compare paint samples in the case of a parking lot incident.

2. Set the Voltage Cutoff to 12.2 (50% battery). If your battery isn't old as heck and no longer holds a charge, this will record for quite a while. before shutting off. So put it in low bitrate park mode and you're good to go with the 3 wire hardwire kit.

Overreliance upon a lead-acid car battery to provide power a dashcam in parking mode will have some affect upon the lifetime of that battery. The lower the voltage cutoff that is set for the dashcam power supply, the greater that negative effect will be. While there are many other variables associated, one should consider the sooner cost of a new car battery if they are employed in this manner. And in RavenManiac's specific case, "quite a while" is simply not enough.

 

[jdct]

Hello everyone. Thanks for all your feedback and empathetic responses.

Yes, Nigel recommended that I use low bitrate mode, but I was too hard-headed to listen. That's actually how we have the A129 set up now until I can do some additional testing with the Viofo v1.7 firmware. My son is a homebody and often leaves his car parked for days at a time, so I believe, as others have suggested, that the low-voltage cut-off switch, which is set at 12.2v, activated and turned off the dash cam.

As a result, I'm considering an alternative power supply but I have no idea which brand or model to purchase for the A129. Since all of the wiring had to be done in the engine bay, I would prefer a backup battery that can be mounted there. Any advice and/or suggestions are much appreciated.

Unfortunately I believe most auxiliary battery devices designed specifically with dashcams in mind are not well suited for the engine bay. (Engine heat, precipitation, etc.) You will likely have to wire one inside the cabin. As you already know, they cost more than the dashcam, and you should probably consider whether it's even worth trying at all as your son can leave the car parked for days at a time, and even that auxiliary battery device without an expansion battery pack may not power the dashcam for a time long enough for your needs.