Are dashcams actually worth it?
Discussion
Blaster72 said:
Another thing to consider is where you live and your normal driving routes, I live close to Heathrow and regularly drive all over London hence my choice to fit a dash cam. I guess if you live at the back of beyond and don't encounter the same kind of driving standards it might not be worthwhile investing in one.
There is a pack dislike of them on here, mainly I think fuelled by adenoidal knob ends posting minor traffic mishaps you see everyday on the roads on youtube and trying to make something out of it. Mine is installed with the hope I'll never have to look at any of the footage let alone use it to protect myself but it's there just in case all the same.
Yeah good point, I drive near Belfast. I live just outside it. Driving standard just seems normal to me. Not mega bad but still mishaps. You seem less likely to have psycho road rage events here. It’s more the standard people pulling out on you, car parks are a nightmare for getting clipped, same as everywhere. Misses got hit by a crash for cash scammer last year though. There is a pack dislike of them on here, mainly I think fuelled by adenoidal knob ends posting minor traffic mishaps you see everyday on the roads on youtube and trying to make something out of it. Mine is installed with the hope I'll never have to look at any of the footage let alone use it to protect myself but it's there just in case all the same.
I looked on 911uk forum and they seem more receptive to dash cams there than here. I can’t stand those heroes of any type who post on cam footage on YouTube. The so called vigilante cyclists in particular make my blood curdle with rage. There’s just something, I don’t know, yucky about people getting a sick hobbyist pleasure of handing footage into police, only to dress it up as being for some sort of greater good. I guess I see through the emporer’s New clothes. It gives them a kick, that’s the real reason. I think the police should be discouraging this sort of thing, not encouraging it, but what do I know.
But back to the cameras. Is it a risk having them stolen? I mean, do people actually pinch these things? The ones I’ve seen have various lights on which I could see would be some sort of visual deterrent if someone say were to key your car. But then they may just knick the camera too
Buggyjam said:
...But. After reading about the way the insurance system doesn’t reward not at fault makes me wonder if all it’s doing is doing the insurers Donkey work for them. You’ll still pay more in premiums regardless.....
Almost two years ago, someone reversed into my then-two-year-old car in a car park, causing £2.5k of damage. Without a dashcam it would have looked like I rear-ended them and at best I would have got a 50/50 outcome, if not my insurer just rolling over and accepting the probabilities were that it was a rear-ending rather than being reversed into.The following day my insurer had viewed the dashcam video declared me to be not at fault and put a 'no fault' claim on my record.
A few weeks later my insurance was up for renewal and there was negligible difference from the previous year.
Out of curiosity, I priced-up online quotes just to see the difference between 'no fault' and 'at fault'. My insurance was about £375 for 20k per year but would triple if the claim had been 'at fault'.
Our household runs multiple cars (usually three or four) so that would have worked out to between £2000-£2500/yr more in total for insurance. Over the four-year declaration period that could have been close to £10k more for insurance.
So a dashcam potentially saved me a fortune (policy excess and four years of higher premiums on multiple cars). It also saved my sanity because it would have been horrible if I had been blamed for something I didn't do.
As for telling tales on other drivers, I do that maybe once every two years (40k miles).
In 2014 I reported a taxi for dangerous driving (nearly had a head-on with them as they came charging round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road).
In 2016 I reported an HGV for trying to run me off the road.
Edited by Ron99 on Sunday 17th December 23:08
Ron99 said:
Almost two years ago, someone reversed into my then-two-year-old car in a car park, causing £2.5k of damage. Without a dashcam it would have looked like I rear-ended them and at best I would have got a 50/50 outcome, if not my insurer just rolling over and accepting the probabilities were that it was a rear-ending rather than being reversed into.
The following day my insurer had viewed the dashcam video declared me to be not at fault and put a 'no fault' claim on my record.
A few weeks later my insurance was up for renewal and there was negligible difference from the previous year.
Out of curiosity, I priced-up online quotes just to see the difference between 'no fault' and 'at fault'. My insurance was about £375 for 20k per year but would triple if the claim had been 'at fault'.
Our household runs multiple cars (usually three or four) so that would have worked out to between £2000-£2500/yr more in total for insurance. Over the four-year declaration period that could have been close to £10k more for insurance.
So a dashcam potentially saved me a fortune (policy excess and four years of higher premiums on multiple cars). It also saved my sanity because it would have been horrible if I had been blamed for something I didn't do.
As for telling tales on other drivers, I do that maybe once every two years (40k miles).
In 2014 I reported a taxi for dangerous driving (nearly had a head-on with them as they came charging round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road).
In 2016 I reported an HGV for trying to run me off the road.
This is exactly the kind of thing I was wondering, thanks for sharing. So, it does look like the benefits stack up. The following day my insurer had viewed the dashcam video declared me to be not at fault and put a 'no fault' claim on my record.
A few weeks later my insurance was up for renewal and there was negligible difference from the previous year.
Out of curiosity, I priced-up online quotes just to see the difference between 'no fault' and 'at fault'. My insurance was about £375 for 20k per year but would triple if the claim had been 'at fault'.
Our household runs multiple cars (usually three or four) so that would have worked out to between £2000-£2500/yr more in total for insurance. Over the four-year declaration period that could have been close to £10k more for insurance.
So a dashcam potentially saved me a fortune (policy excess and four years of higher premiums on multiple cars). It also saved my sanity because it would have been horrible if I had been blamed for something I didn't do.
As for telling tales on other drivers, I do that maybe once every two years (40k miles).
In 2014 I reported a taxi for dangerous driving (nearly had a head-on with them as they came charging round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road).
In 2016 I reported an HGV for trying to run me off the road.
Edited by Ron99 on Sunday 17th December 23:08
I think I'm going to get one this year.
I do about 15K a year for work, and I just feel it's becoming necessary. I've had about three near misses in as many months. Two of which were on quiet roads with no witnesses.
If it had actually come to an impact I could have exonerated with a forward facing dash cam in all instances. I drive in an overtly legal and considerate manner at all times when driving for work so the footage wouldn't self incriminate.
For the sake, of £150 (or whatever) it would lead to a great deal of piece of mind in the event of an accident.
I've zero interest in reporting other people's misdemeanors however, I simply don't have the time or interest. Live forever, die tomorrow, I really don't give a s
t.
I do about 15K a year for work, and I just feel it's becoming necessary. I've had about three near misses in as many months. Two of which were on quiet roads with no witnesses.
If it had actually come to an impact I could have exonerated with a forward facing dash cam in all instances. I drive in an overtly legal and considerate manner at all times when driving for work so the footage wouldn't self incriminate.
For the sake, of £150 (or whatever) it would lead to a great deal of piece of mind in the event of an accident.
I've zero interest in reporting other people's misdemeanors however, I simply don't have the time or interest. Live forever, die tomorrow, I really don't give a s
t.Dash cams don't need to cost a lot of money and you can set them up in about 15 minutes, you forget its even there after a short while. For me its all about peace of mind. I commute in and out of Edinburgh every day and there are a lot of idiots out there if one of those idiots hits me I will have some evidence of what happened. I find it sad I have got to the point where I feel I needed to get one but at least its there if I need it.
I've got a camera in both cars after being involved in an accident that was a complete ball ache to sort out and went to court. Without any witness evidence I unfairly lost!
However, I did post one incident on Youtube of a cyclist going "full on mental" at a car driver in front of me. The video was picked up by a media company and sold to various publications and TV shows. The money I have earned has paid for both the cameras 10x over and the money keeps coming in
However, I did post one incident on Youtube of a cyclist going "full on mental" at a car driver in front of me. The video was picked up by a media company and sold to various publications and TV shows. The money I have earned has paid for both the cameras 10x over and the money keeps coming in
I've had one in every since I was significantly cut up by a western power van on a roundabout. I had to mount the island in the middle or hit the van wrecking my wheel in the process. The van driver flicked me the bird and drove off.
I don't review the footage checking for other people's mistakes on every drive it's just there to act as a witness in the event of an accident.
I don't review the footage checking for other people's mistakes on every drive it's just there to act as a witness in the event of an accident.
Bungleaio said:
I've had one in every since I was significantly cut up by a western power van on a roundabout. I had to mount the island in the middle or hit the van wrecking my wheel in the process. The van driver flicked me the bird and drove off.
I don't review the footage checking for other people's mistakes on every drive it's just there to act as a witness in the event of an accident.
^This.I don't review the footage checking for other people's mistakes on every drive it's just there to act as a witness in the event of an accident.
When you first have a dashcam, you will act a little DCW-ish. I fully expect to be cut up half a dozen times on my commute. Sometimes people have to pull cheeky moves to get out in rush hours. You soon learn to forget pressing save for every incident. It's a faff getting the MicroSD card out, finding the SD adaptor, downloading and remembering to put the card back in the dashcam. So for everyday infringements you don't bother.
If something serious happens then you don't need to press save. You'll pull over anyway. I've recorded one accident which helped an innocent driver who was being shouldered with the blame. If anything I mainly download comedy driving moments of people doing stupid things.
Blaster72 said:
Buggyjam said:
Keep calm. I was joking about the rosey glow . Just used to highlight i was struggling to work out the benefits when looked at in detail.
As for worrying about it being used against me. Well, I’d like to think I’m quite a careful driver. But wouldn’t we all say that? Perhaps the difference between me and the next man is I admit I’m human and make mistakes.
I’m not anti at all. You’ve taken this out of context and over the top, it’s a discussion about pros and cons. If one can’t talk the pros and cons of something then what’s the world come to?
Fair enough, you can't however fit a device to protect you against poor drivers but not expect it to be used in cases where you might make similar mistakes.. Just used to highlight i was struggling to work out the benefits when looked at in detail.As for worrying about it being used against me. Well, I’d like to think I’m quite a careful driver. But wouldn’t we all say that? Perhaps the difference between me and the next man is I admit I’m human and make mistakes.
I’m not anti at all. You’ve taken this out of context and over the top, it’s a discussion about pros and cons. If one can’t talk the pros and cons of something then what’s the world come to?
If you struggle to see the benefits are looking in detail at dashcams then probably you don't need one.
Here's one example of how they can be useful
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-ne...
Sorry if I misconstrued the intent of your original post, I read it as yet another attempt to denigrate everyone who chooses to fit a dashcam.
Edited by Blaster72 on Sunday 17th December 21:28
I have one in most of my cars - need to get around to fitting one in the final car. It's just peace of mind really.
Only time it's really been useful is when I was following the g/f in her Boxster, and she spun it in the rain and totalled it against a crash barrier at the side of a dual carriageway. Made for amusing viewing!
Only time it's really been useful is when I was following the g/f in her Boxster, and she spun it in the rain and totalled it against a crash barrier at the side of a dual carriageway. Made for amusing viewing!
p1esk said:
I'm not defending the red light jumper for a moment, but it looked as if the van driver started on the red/amber, didn't react to the car that really was intruding on his space, and continued into a collision that I felt could have been avoided. Have I seen it wrongly?
Exactly! You have seen what really happened.Gassing Station | In-Car Electronics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff