USA Market Adoption of Dash Cams

[Themistocles472]

I've been using a dash cam since late 2013 in the United States. I don't know anybody else that uses one, and the reaction most people have is along the lines of "WHY?!".

Mostly I think people just aren't very good at thinking critically and are, generally, sheep who follow the majority. Since nobody else has one, they don't see commercials for them, and nobody has ever suggested that they might want one...they won't even consider the fact that it might be a good idea.

Take this FWIW.

I recently had an in-depth conversation with a criminal defense lawyer about an auto accident. Her mindset was "why on earth would an average person have a camera in their car?". She believed that presenting evidence by someone who had footage of an accident would be viewed negatively by a jury in a trial... assuming the camera footage was admitted in the first place. She went on to say that someone who had a camera in their car was just "looking for trouble".

I don't agree with her viewpoint, but it does illustrate a cultural barrier that will need to be overcome before dash cams can become mainstream in the U.S.A. Perhaps when U.S. vehicles begin to come equipped with them as original equipment things will begin to change.

That is just plain stupid.

But a lot of people think that way, or similarly. God help you if people find out you legally carry a concealed firearm. Oh my word. Some people simply believe that if you prepare for something you are either looking for trouble or are paranoid, be it a dash cam, keeping water in your house, carrying a gun...makes you wonder why those people have fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and seat belts/airbags.

I haven't had my dash cam very long, but already I don't like to leave home without it - sort of like how we got used to mandatory seat belt laws, once you get used to having that added peace of mind in place, you miss it when you don't.

Yes. I'm the same way. My wife's car doesn't have one and when I drive it, it just feels "missing" and I feel somehow exposed or at risk. As of this weekend I'll have multiple and she'll have one though.

The attorney knows that their services will not be needed anymore because a picture (video) tells a thousand words.

Possibly.

A couple of side effects of having a dash cam that I've noticed (and might have anticipated) are that I am very conscious of my own driving (because I know it's being recorded, and might need to use the video in my defense, I don't want to do anything that might inculpate me), and I am using a lot of windshield washer fluid as I try to keep the windshield clean in our Canadian winters...haha

Absolutely. I'm about to install one with GPS so I'll probably be driving even slower now (though on many streets I think it looks like I'm going faster than I am so I'll feel better about that, and generally I am confident in the way I drive, I believe it is far far more likely a video would help me than hurt me)

 

[Deleted member 46308]

I've been using a dash cam since late 2013 in the United States. I don't know anybody else that uses one, and the reaction most people have is along the lines of "WHY?!".

Mostly I think people just aren't very good at thinking critically and are, generally, sheep who follow the majority. Since nobody else has one, they don't see commercials for them, and nobody has ever suggested that they might want one...they won't even consider the fact that it might be a good idea.

I totally agree with this post. Camera footage is accepted in court everyday from cameras hanging from poles, and from those installed in homes and businesses. One of the first things the Police ask about is any cameras in the area of whatever incident they are investigating. Unfortunately, accountability is missing in most people, so we need cameras such as DashCams to protect our interests. Great post @Thermistocles472

 

[DT MI]

Why is the US lagging so far behind many other countries in the adoption of dash cams, and is this beginning to change?...

The change may be starting.

At the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) Toyota announced today that the new Tacoma will have GoPro mounts in all vehicles. While this is mostly for the 'action cam' group it's a small step from there to using them as a true dash cam.

 

[rjk]

Be careful showing your video to an adjuster or jury or anyone else. I recently had an accident and the insurance company told me they might assign "some" of the blame to me because I was speeding. I had a green light and the person that caused the accident turned left in front of me.

That is why I think any timestamping and speed displays should be added in postprocessing, and not burned into the video when it is being written.

 

[M---]

hey might assign "some" of the blame to me because I was speeding

Yep, same concern applies here in Canada. Even if you had the right of way, your speed will have increased the likelihood of a crash occurring, and will have increased the amount of damage that resulted, even if ever-so-slightly. Even if you were just "keeping up with the flow of traffic," as most drivers normally do.

I have a dashcam for *my* benefit. It's not there for the other party. I don't want the evidence that I present to be damaging to me. For that reason, no GPS for me. Not even GPS in a separate file. Other than being "neat to know," or *possibly* providing a check against my own speedo's accuracy, I don't think it provides me with any benefit. The video alone should be sufficient.

 

[jokiin]

I have a dashcam for *my* benefit. It's not there for the other party. I don't want the evidence that I present to be damaging to me. For that reason, no GPS for me. Not even GPS in a separate file. Other than being "neat to know," or *possibly* providing a check against my own speedo's accuracy, I don't think it provides me with any benefit. The video alone should be sufficient.

your speed can be determined by video alone, GPS isn't needed for that

 

[Street Guardian USA]

yup, pretty easy for them to calculate speed on video alone. FPS and object motion etc.

 

[country_hick]

You should be able to offer still frames instead of a complete video.
Still frames would not show mph.
10 still frames will not show that you were driving fast but would show the other person hitting you.

Think back 20 years. Almost no one had a cell phone. No cell phone had a camera in it.
Today cell phones with cameras are common.

I suspect most people do not even realize an affordable and reliable dash cam even exists.
Those who may have heard about it do not see the advantage of having one.

If every insurance company offered a dash cam for $10 and showed why it would be a good idea to have one at renewal time I suspect almost every car and truck would have one installed.
If insurance companies offered a discount for having a dash cam they would also gain more acceptance.

I suspect once people get used to the idea of cameras being everywhere they will want a cam in their car maybe to protect them from a cam on the light pole.

 

[M---]

your speed can be determined by video alone, GPS isn't needed for that

Yep, but it's an extra step, which most insurance adjusters won't bother with unless the crash is really serious. They'd have to go to the crash scene, measure the distance between landmarks, etc. GPS displayed on-screen makes it too easy for them.

@country_hick: if you offer still frames, they (insurance) would be in their rights to ask for the video. And if it went to court, you can bet the other party would ask for the rest of the frames, the assumption being that you've got something to hide if you're not showing everything. And if it's a GPS-equipped camera, with GPS data in a separate file/feed, they'd also be within their rights to ask for it as well.

 

[rjk]

Also consider that GPS from a random non-certified device such as a dashcam likely does not have judicial notice in court, so I wouldn't expect it to be useable as evidence against you.

 

[kamkar]

Isn't there something about giving evidence against yourself in the constitution ( fifth amendment )
But offcourse if the logged gps speed in a video is to be disregarded, then the other side will proberly argue that so should all of the footage be.

Here i am sure that if the Speed is a little above the legal limit it will not render the value as evidence in a insurance claim or court case mute, it might land me a speeding ticket, but thats allso it.
I doubt a lawyer will argue that if i had stayed at or below the speed limit i would not have been at the site of the accident when it happned, allso i dont think a lawyer would claim that me doing the usioal +10 km/h all Danes do was the sole reason for a accident.

PS. my sole knowlege of US law come from movies and newspapers, so my perception is somewhat washed out.

 

[USDashCamera]

I tried reaching out to cobra to get review units to no luck but oh well. I bought an escort radar detector over cobra, so take that cobra!

 

[Deleted member 46308]

PS. my sole knowlege of US law come from movies and newspapers, so my perception is somewhat washed out.

Not really, how often art imitates life..

 

[grnbrg]

Isn't there something about giving evidence against yourself in the constitution ( fifth amendment )
(...)
PS. my sole knowlege of US law come from movies and newspapers, so my perception is somewhat washed out.

My knowledge is similar.

That said, I believe the fifth amendment prevents you from being compelled to give evidence against yourself. But if you've freely offered it, the prosecution is not barred from using it against you. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you blah blah blah...."



grnbrg.

 

[country_hick]

You have the right to remain silent.
The question remains if you actually have the ability to remain silent.
Many people simply can not keep quiet.

You can see each of the bill of rights and what it means here.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/billofrights

 

[rjk]

I went to court yesterday, and showed the prosecutor and defense attorney my video. It made the whole process fast and easy, and I was out of there in no time. PRO TIP: I didn't bring the video on DVD or SD card, I brought it on my phone. They were happy to watch it on my phone and did not request a copy, and this is a good thing because the screen on my phone is too small to read the speed at the bottom of the video!!

 

[Camille13]

I have a Chinese license too

------------
etui google nexus 9
kit pieton iPhone 6 Plus

 

[Gibson99]

I went to court yesterday, and showed the prosecutor and defense attorney my video. It made the whole process fast and easy, and I was out of there in no time. PRO TIP: I didn't bring the video on DVD or SD card, I brought it on my phone. They were happy to watch it on my phone and did not request a copy, and this is a good thing because the screen on my phone is too small to read the speed at the bottom of the video!!

i'm being called as a witness for a wreck i was involved in back in november. i haven't called the courthouse to see how they want me to bring the video since the trial is in june but i may just do that as well. i don't have GPS info on mine since I didn't buy the addon for the A118. however, i DID edit the video to make it pause for a few seconds to point out each of the SIX different signs and painted street markings the at-fault driver ignored before he drove into the side of my car. the guy admitted fault to the responding officer at the scene, so the footage wasn't needed at the scene. but now he's trying to plead not guilty for the ticket he was given. i don't want that to happen, in case he or his insurance tries to come after me or my insurance for damages, after the fact.

 

[Dashmellow]

i'm being called as a witness for a wreck i was involved in back in november. i haven't called the courthouse to see how they want me to bring the video since the trial is in june but i may just do that as well. i don't have GPS info on mine since I didn't buy the addon for the A118. however, i DID edit the video to make it pause for a few seconds to point out each of the SIX different signs and painted street markings the at-fault driver ignored before he drove into the side of my car. the guy admitted fault to the responding officer at the scene, so the footage wasn't needed at the scene. but now he's trying to plead not guilty for the ticket he was given. i don't want that to happen, in case he or his insurance tries to come after me or my insurance for damages, after the fact.

I've had a similar experience with a different sort of criminal matter that I've documented with video and still photos and have needed to show to law enforcement and others. I found that an iPad (a mini in my case) worked very well because it is big enough to show better detail than a phone and can be easily viewed by several people at the same time.

 

[Gibson99]

my phone only has a 4" screen (samsung galaxy S relay) but maybe i can just bring in my wife's 7" tablet - it's got a microsd card slot so i can easily put the video on an old 2gb microsd card and go. either that or i can bring in my work laptop, since i don't own a personal laptop. I work for a big international law firm (as an IT guy)... would it be bad if i asked for a big sticker with the law firm's name on it to put on my laptop? right now the only sticker on it aside from the stuff Dell puts on all laptops is a tiny little asset tag sticker on the bottom with a barcode, number, and the name of the firm.

still, i should probably call the court and find out if that's OK first. i know some govt offices are really strict about electronic devices. i certainly have the ability to burn it to dvd but do they have a dvd player/monitor/projector?