In-car camera: Legal? Any recommended model?
Hi all,
I have been a bit interested at the thought of getting an in-car front-facing camera to record journeys. This is for insurance reasons etc.
I was just wondering if anyone had experience with these. I'm assuming there aren't any legal issues involved. What I ideally would like is something that could record ~30 mins HD footage, no need for audio, and would perhaps overwrite old footage automatically. Obviously you could just attach a camera to your dashboard, but that's a bit cumbersome. Something designed specifically for this job would be ideal.
I have been a bit interested at the thought of getting an in-car front-facing camera to record journeys. This is for insurance reasons etc.
I was just wondering if anyone had experience with these. I'm assuming there aren't any legal issues involved. What I ideally would like is something that could record ~30 mins HD footage, no need for audio, and would perhaps overwrite old footage automatically. Obviously you could just attach a camera to your dashboard, but that's a bit cumbersome. Something designed specifically for this job would be ideal.
Scroll to see replies
I use this:
http://www.diaryofanadi.co.uk/?p=1608
Records in full HD. It doesn't overwrite, but memory cards are so cheap you can easily get round that.
Seeing as it isn't a dedicated car camera, you can use it for all kinds of other things. Look at Contour's contributed videos:
http://contour.com/
http://www.diaryofanadi.co.uk/?p=1608
Records in full HD. It doesn't overwrite, but memory cards are so cheap you can easily get round that.
Seeing as it isn't a dedicated car camera, you can use it for all kinds of other things. Look at Contour's contributed videos:
http://contour.com/
(edited 12 years ago)
I heard Keychain Camera's arent bad but someone said you have to get the right model and i think it can record 720p, all for somewhere from £10-50.
I am also looking for a dashcam for insurance but £250 is rather steep!
How about £100? You can get alternatives:
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/
You'll be hard pushed to get one much less. And you really need HD if you want to pick up registration plates if they're not right in front of you.
I've experimented with bullet cams but there are too many wires - remember that: the camera needs power, and it needs a recording device (HDD or memory card device) which also require power. I had an inverter in the car for all this at one time, but it was a real messy solution. Until I found the Contour.
The latest ones have GPS, which is also potentially quite important if you're using it for legal purposes.
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/
You'll be hard pushed to get one much less. And you really need HD if you want to pick up registration plates if they're not right in front of you.
I've experimented with bullet cams but there are too many wires - remember that: the camera needs power, and it needs a recording device (HDD or memory card device) which also require power. I had an inverter in the car for all this at one time, but it was a real messy solution. Until I found the Contour.
The latest ones have GPS, which is also potentially quite important if you're using it for legal purposes.
(edited 12 years ago)
You can usually get a cheaper chinese clone on ebay for about £60. These days they are just as good quality, just dodgy translated instructions LOL.
Theres loads of different systems out there. some clip on the mirror, some suckers on screen etc.
only id disagree with doaadi is the need for GPS. Its just not needed to prove anything. Our roads are well enough marked and unique to pinpoint locations from scenary and anything other than a minor scrape, your both going to be stopped anyway so the location is not going to be in doubt.
there are no legal evidentiary standards to be followed with these kind of systems. Even if you had an approved system the police use, installed in your car it wouldnt be considered the same simply because its not a police car.
but then video footage from civilian cars is almost always only needed for insurance purposes/fact finding of which any of the cheap HD ebay systems are adequate for that. As long as you can see the plate or clearly recognise the vehicle, no moron will get away with denying being involved.
Theres loads of different systems out there. some clip on the mirror, some suckers on screen etc.
only id disagree with doaadi is the need for GPS. Its just not needed to prove anything. Our roads are well enough marked and unique to pinpoint locations from scenary and anything other than a minor scrape, your both going to be stopped anyway so the location is not going to be in doubt.
there are no legal evidentiary standards to be followed with these kind of systems. Even if you had an approved system the police use, installed in your car it wouldnt be considered the same simply because its not a police car.
but then video footage from civilian cars is almost always only needed for insurance purposes/fact finding of which any of the cheap HD ebay systems are adequate for that. As long as you can see the plate or clearly recognise the vehicle, no moron will get away with denying being involved.
http://shop.omejo.com/productsshow.php?id=118 - clearly would never be used for anything dodgy.
On topic, there are a lot of restrictions on the cameras you put on your house when it comes to filming the street and neighbors property - it seems a little weird there would be none covering these cameras.
On topic, there are a lot of restrictions on the cameras you put on your house when it comes to filming the street and neighbors property - it seems a little weird there would be none covering these cameras.
What's the benefit of having a forward facing camera in insurance claims? Surely in any accident that's not your fault the other vehicle is likely to come from behind or the side. Wouldn't the only thing this records be evidence of you causing an accident?
Original post by maturestudy
What's the benefit of having a forward facing camera in insurance claims? Surely in any accident that's not your fault the other vehicle is likely to come from behind or the side. Wouldn't the only thing this records be evidence of you causing an accident?
its not as good as all round cameras but considering the nature of most accidents you will capture a lot of useful info as it is pointing in the direction of travel. Sure it wont show motorway side swipes or rear enders but you being steady in your lane or showing as stopped at lights/braking when your impacted (which will show on even a forward facing camera as it shakes about ) will be enough to ascertain fault. And thats all it is for.
Original post by mabrookes
On topic, there are a lot of restrictions on the cameras you put on your house when it comes to filming the street and neighbors property - it seems a little weird there would be none covering these cameras.
no there are not lots of restrictions. If the camera is for crime prevention/protection of property then you can have it. Obvously such a camera by default would not be pointing directly into a nieghbours bedroom on high zoom....... same with your camera filming the highway or overlooking nieghbours property, as long as your motivation is clearly crime prevention/protection of property then a nieghbour would have a hard time proving privacy as a justification to remove camera.
however business's using CCTV have a whole load more rules to follow
Original post by warrenpenalver
no there are not lots of restrictions. If the camera is for crime prevention/protection of property then you can have it. Obvously such a camera by default would not be pointing directly into a nieghbours bedroom on high zoom....... same with your camera filming the highway or overlooking nieghbours property, as long as your motivation is clearly crime prevention/protection of property then a nieghbour would have a hard time proving privacy as a justification to remove camera.
however business's using CCTV have a whole load more rules to follow
however business's using CCTV have a whole load more rules to follow
The police didn't agree with you (or maybe something has drastically changed since 2004, I don't know). My dad set up cameras in the back garden and covering the front door due to quite stereotypical "neighbors from hell" (parties and music all night, threats if you spoke to them, throwing rubbish into his garden and sneaking in to break things, people coming and going etc).
When he set them up, after two attempts to break them (caught on the camera even though they tried to hide themselves), they called the police who came out specifically to check if they were ok.
In the back garden he had the slightest edge of their garden in the side of the shot (you couldn't see anything at all, he wasn't filming their garden or anything like that and it was difficult to tell he had even made the mistake at first) and he had to readjust to make sure none of their garden was in the shot and the house across was not in at all either. In the front garden they told him to adjust so he didn't film people walking up and down the street unnecessarily (there was a small path to the door so this was possible). They made it clear these are required and left leaflets detailing the laws and what he needed to stick to.
Personally I think it is a stupid way to think regardless of what the law is. I mean seriously, privacy is not a good enough excuse to not film other peoples private property, yet your claims of "I can film any parts of your property, or the public, for 'crime prevention'" is valid? It is a laughable and disturbing way to think.
There is virtually never an excuse to set up a camera that films beyond your property or onto anyone elses (the adjustments my dad had to make were tiny to comply, but he still had to make them).
I personally would not care what your "motivation" was, if I found you had set up a camera overlooking my property, especially if I had a family, I would do anything to make it clear it was not appropriate.
(edited 12 years ago)
There's a guy on youtube who reviewers them all and does recommendations, includes in car footage and comparrisons, normally the price is between £10-30.
This guy:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Techmoan
Look for his latest on mini cameras.
This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj26JjSiazQ&hd=1
This guy:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Techmoan
Look for his latest on mini cameras.
This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj26JjSiazQ&hd=1
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by mabrookes
The police didn't agree with you (or maybe something has drastically changed since 2004, I don't know). .....
I personally would not care what your "motivation" was, if I found you had set up a camera overlooking my property, especially if I had a family, I would do anything to make it clear it was not appropriate.
I personally would not care what your "motivation" was, if I found you had set up a camera overlooking my property, especially if I had a family, I would do anything to make it clear it was not appropriate.
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/cctv_code_of_practice_html/3_covers.html
the police are not applying the right guidelines clearly as you will see in the code of practice above that all the restrictions you mention are not applied to domestic cctv.
the key text is:
The use of cameras for limited household purposes is exempt from the DPA. This applies where an individual uses CCTV to protect their home from burglary, even if the camera overlooks the street or other areas near their home. Images captured for recreational purposes, such as with a mobile phone, digital camera or camcorder, are also exempt.
Go PRO HD. The best by far, although you do pay for it. Used by sports events, professional camera crews etc.
Although what happens if you record yourself breaking the rules? These dash cams are fine, as long as your a perfect driver. And lets face it - nobody is a perfect driver....
Although what happens if you record yourself breaking the rules? These dash cams are fine, as long as your a perfect driver. And lets face it - nobody is a perfect driver....
They certainly are legal, some car rental companies now put 2 cameras in their cars, one facing forwards and one facing the driver, to prove whether or not it was you who did that damage to the car.
Also, if you get one, your insurance company may lower your premium, as video footage makes court proceedings a hell of a lot easier. Just make sure its not your fault if you crash
Also, if you get one, your insurance company may lower your premium, as video footage makes court proceedings a hell of a lot easier. Just make sure its not your fault if you crash
(edited 12 years ago)
Off topic I know but there is a cyclist who has a camera attached to his helmet and has successfully screwed over a few drivers for bad driving lol. It was an article on BBC news.
Original post by zigzog7
Also, if you get one, your insurance company may lower your premium, as video footage makes court proceedings a hell of a lot easier. Just make sure its not your fault if you crash
very common in the USA but as yet no private motor insurance offers a discount for a camera system and as such there are no "insurance approved" systems as no criteria has been set.
However in commercial vehicles it is slightly different and yes it is recognised over here.
Just to point out, the Roadhawk doesn't record in 1080p - and even in the highest resolution mode it only records at 5fps.
It's great for accident evidence:
http://www.diaryofanadi.co.uk/?p=5552
But the Contour I mentioned earlier - particularly the one with GPS - can produce far better results if it is the quality that matters to you:
http://contour.com/products/contour-gps
Look at some of the video clips. The additional info from GPS is easily comparable to the Roadhawk, but the video quality is light years ahead.
It's great for accident evidence:
http://www.diaryofanadi.co.uk/?p=5552
But the Contour I mentioned earlier - particularly the one with GPS - can produce far better results if it is the quality that matters to you:
http://contour.com/products/contour-gps
Look at some of the video clips. The additional info from GPS is easily comparable to the Roadhawk, but the video quality is light years ahead.
Original post by warrenpenalver
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/cctv_code_of_practice_html/3_covers.html
the police are not applying the right guidelines clearly as you will see in the code of practice above that all the restrictions you mention are not applied to domestic cctv.
the key text is:
the police are not applying the right guidelines clearly as you will see in the code of practice above that all the restrictions you mention are not applied to domestic cctv.
the key text is:
Plus rep for this info, it's very relevant to a situation I have at home, thanks.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- What phone is best?
- what phone should i buy?
- temporary traffic lights
- New Idol models -London
- "Caught" Using my phone whilst driving 4 months ago...
- Polo gti 1.4l as first car
- Choice Model Management
- No Entry penalties
- Dash camera removal - cut wires
- Computer science project
- First Car 18 year old
- Car Modifications
- BMW Maintenance Costs Advice
- Motorway speeding threshold
- M56 speed camera
- i feel like i failed
- Ran a red light due to junction - is this a red light camera?
- Cameras on roads
- Is the BMW series 1 a good first car?
- Speed Camera Flash or Headlight Flash?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 5 months ago
Where is my car parked during the day? Advice for first car insuranceLast reply 7 months ago
Will paying £1,900 a year for insurance as a new 21 year old driver be a lot?Trending
Last reply 5 months ago
Where is my car parked during the day? Advice for first car insuranceLast reply 7 months ago
Will paying £1,900 a year for insurance as a new 21 year old driver be a lot?
