Dash Cams and Privacy...Your thoughts?
Discussion
After seeing many videos posted and shared on here, Facebook and YouTube it got me thinking about how 'recorded' all of our day to day lives are. It started off with CCTV on ever other corner, then camera phones and no Dash Cams. Of course if you're not doing anything wrong there is nothing to worry about but on the other hand, if you were having a bit of foot down in the car and someone has a dash cam shares it with the world, or your getting a bit of sideways on a roundabout late on a Sunday night and Dave in his Zafira picks it up on his dash cam and loads it to Facebook.
Is it getting too much? Is there no where to enjoy your car anymore? Not even rural back roads are safe in the fear of someone having a dash cam.
Before it all kicks off, I'm not referring to dangerous driving and risking lives..I'm talking about the neighbourhood watch types who feel the police need a hand.
Are you concerned? Are you more cautious?
Is it getting too much? Is there no where to enjoy your car anymore? Not even rural back roads are safe in the fear of someone having a dash cam.
Before it all kicks off, I'm not referring to dangerous driving and risking lives..I'm talking about the neighbourhood watch types who feel the police need a hand.
Are you concerned? Are you more cautious?
I have front and rear dashcams in all 3 cars. They've helped 2 people as irrefutable proof in accidents. When you first have them installed you think about looking at every misdemeanour committed by other motorists. You can't be arsed to take the card out and download it. Now I forget about them unless someone has committed some extreme act.
Interesting thread. After being broken into the police recommended CCTV to be fitted. However, we live on the edge of a park and were told that the cameras can only record images that were on our property as to record people on public property was illegal.
We also have cameras fitted in our work vans, but on the rear of one we had an advert for rear view reverse cameras. We had a complaint from a road user who was quoting the data protection act demanding we handed over any footage recorded of his vehicle. We had none as he was behind the van but it does raise a question as to legality.
We have successfully used footage to prove our drivers innocence and it has never been challenged but not sure if to the letter of the law it is fully legal, especially for example if one was recording driving past a school for example.
No images are stored long term as the cameras are constantly over writing.
We also have cameras fitted in our work vans, but on the rear of one we had an advert for rear view reverse cameras. We had a complaint from a road user who was quoting the data protection act demanding we handed over any footage recorded of his vehicle. We had none as he was behind the van but it does raise a question as to legality.
We have successfully used footage to prove our drivers innocence and it has never been challenged but not sure if to the letter of the law it is fully legal, especially for example if one was recording driving past a school for example.
No images are stored long term as the cameras are constantly over writing.
Twice police have come to my house to look over my CCTV which covers the street
They said as long as I don't point it in to a neighbours bedroom it's fine, although they did say I need CCTV signs up which most cars won't have...
How else would they make TV programs in the street if you can't film in public
They said as long as I don't point it in to a neighbours bedroom it's fine, although they did say I need CCTV signs up which most cars won't have...
How else would they make TV programs in the street if you can't film in public
spaximus said:
Interesting thread. After being broken into the police recommended CCTV to be fitted. However, we live on the edge of a park and were told that the cameras can only record images that were on our property as to record people on public property was illegal.
We also have cameras fitted in our work vans, but on the rear of one we had an advert for rear view reverse cameras. We had a complaint from a road user who was quoting the data protection act demanding we handed over any footage recorded of his vehicle. We had none as he was behind the van but it does raise a question as to legality.
We have successfully used footage to prove our drivers innocence and it has never been challenged but not sure if to the letter of the law it is fully legal, especially for example if one was recording driving past a school for example.
No images are stored long term as the cameras are constantly over writing.
I think you've been given incorrect information. As I can stand next to your house videoing and taking photos of the park and the people completley legally. We also have cameras fitted in our work vans, but on the rear of one we had an advert for rear view reverse cameras. We had a complaint from a road user who was quoting the data protection act demanding we handed over any footage recorded of his vehicle. We had none as he was behind the van but it does raise a question as to legality.
We have successfully used footage to prove our drivers innocence and it has never been challenged but not sure if to the letter of the law it is fully legal, especially for example if one was recording driving past a school for example.
No images are stored long term as the cameras are constantly over writing.
vikingaero said:
I have front and rear dashcams in all 3 cars. They've helped 2 people as irrefutable proof in accidents. When you first have them installed you think about looking at every misdemeanour committed by other motorists. You can't be arsed to take the card out and download it. Now I forget about them unless someone has committed some extreme act.
Totally agree. I got my dashcam purely and simply because a lying b
d crashed into me then lied about what happened. If I'd had a dashcam fitted at the time then I wouldn't currently be wondering when, or even if, I'll get my £500 excess back!Blib and Marshphanton: agree. It's always sad to see people willingly eroding their own freedoms, but as they are doing it, never seeing the big picture and often reacting quite strongly when asked to think about what they are doing. Maybe, one day, dash cams will talk back to the government and the owner will get credits for being a sneak. Incremental...
Guybrush said:
Blib and Marshphanton: agree. It's always sad to see people willingly eroding their own freedoms, but as they are doing it, never seeing the big picture and often reacting quite strongly when asked to think about what they are doing. Maybe, one day, dash cams will talk back to the government and the owner will get credits for being a sneak. Incremental...
Agreed. It's the big picture view that worries me.spaximus said:
Interesting thread. After being broken into the police recommended CCTV to be fitted. However, we live on the edge of a park and were told that the cameras can only record images that were on our property as to record people on public property was illegal.
When I installed CCTV in my house about 8 years ago, I looked into the legalities and at that time what you saw was certainly the case. There's been a few changes.. Certainly a few years ago, this was explicitly the case, however, the ICO's Code of Practice for CCTV use (which is aimed primarily at businesses but is referred to in the domestic use sections on the ICO website) states that it can cover the area for which the data collection is relevant.
For domestic use the Information Commissioner now states : If the cameras are installed on residential property and are for personal domestic use, they are unlikely to breach the Data Protection Act. This is because the use of CCTV cameras for domestic purposes, for example, protecting a home from burglary, is exempt from the data protection principles, even if the camera overlooks the street or other areas near the house
(my emphasis)
FreiWild said:
Blib said:
This whole issue leaves me feeling rather uneasy. Using the populace to spy on each other feels wrong to me. Most societies lose their freedoms incrementally.
Bit late for that, no? CCTV and ANPR are already there.I am concerned. The penalties for driving offences are based on extremely low detection rates. Currently it seems fairly rare for police to take action, they tend to when something goes viral butwhen the dash cam brigade post videos on forms and say they reported to the police nothing ever comes of it, because i doubt they have the man power to follow up even a fraction of them if they want to. The problem with this situation is it is no longer equal. Lets suppose all our driving indiscretions were recorded by someone and the police had a copy sent of all of them. There would be enough there to ban almost anyone so anyone could be singled out.
FreiWild said:
MarshPhantom said:
CCTV and ANPR run by the police/councils/businesses, not the public.
And that is different because?All the info is on the ICO website, better have a read of that yourself rather than asking others for their interpretation of it.
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