Do you have any recording device in your vehicle?

lordrobs · 25 Sep 2011 at 11:30

I've got a pen and notepad in the glovebox. TBH That is all the recording devices that I'd need or want!

Kenai · 25 Sep 2011 at 11:44

[TW]Fox;20145571 said:
It's quite amazing how many people these days are falling over themselves to record the evidence for the prosecution. The CPS must love it...

Remember, we all make mistakes. Want yours on video?

Does anyone know the legalities surrounding this?

For arguments sake, lets say you had a camera set up in your car and it showed you straight up, no bones about it, causing an accident through sheer negligence, 100% your fault.

However without the video, there's no real proof either way and it could be interpreted as 50/50 or their fault if you were to be less than honest about the circumstances in a your word vs their word situation.

Is there anything that means you would have to supply the video evidence to an insurance company or something?

I would guess almost certainly not for a minor accident with no injury where both parties are fine and drive away but say you caused a major smash and hurt someone - could the police seize that video?

I wonder also if it could be used effectively against you in court, to portray you as a 'street racer' who likes to film his outrageous driving to post online.

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 11:56

If you are dumb enough to mention that you recorded yourself committing a crime then the police will have the right to seize it.
On the same side of the coin if you were caught destroying it, it could be classed as tampering with evidence or whatever the proper word is.
Highly dodgy ground.

If you drive like a tool and record it, you are a bit dim and deserve to be caught.

Highly unlikely for me to be portrayed as a street racer in a 106 diesel with 55bhp

Al Vallario · 25 Sep 2011 at 12:06

Kenai · 25 Sep 2011 at 12:17

Scubascorpion said:
If you are dumb enough to mention that you recorded yourself committing a crime then the police will have the right to seize it.

If you drive like a tool and record it, you are a bit dim and deserve to be caught.

Well this is kind of the point, it would probably be fairly obvious if you have a camera attached to your dash/headlining so even if you didn't mention it, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to see it and as Fox says, it's not about driving like a tool, everyone makes mistakes, you don't have to be driving like a ******* to end up causing an accident.

Al Vallario said:
A quick search turns up the following

An interesting post.

It's the sort of thing i'd prefer to know the ins and outs of before fitting my car with such devices as whilst it could be invaluable in the case of an accident you didn't cause, if as Fox alludes to earlier there is potential for it to be used against you then it strikes a slightly different balance.

Al Vallario · 25 Sep 2011 at 12:47

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:10

So what you are saying is essentially you wouldn't want to fit one, in case YOU caused the accident.
If you caused the accident shouldn't you be responsible enough to pay for the damage done!!

You can't have your cake and eat it springs to mind

Blackhawk47 · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:11

Al Vallario said:
It's definitely something to consider. I don't think I'd install a device that records automatically whenever the engine is on, like a Roadhawk, unless its existence and use was plausibly deniable. It's not so much an issue when a dispute is only between yourself and another road user, but if the police get involved things have the potential to go downhill very quickly.

Personally I have one of the cheap keyring cameras that I use occasionally if I'm driving on unfamiliar roads. I don't bother with it for general driving around town, where I know most of the danger areas and potential accident causes, etc.

I understand the plus points and say, if you are 100% not at fault and you can prove that on video. However what if by not having a video and you would argue 50/50 in case of an accident/insurance etc even if you were 100% at fault.

I suppose that there is a moral line somewhere, it just depends how far you want to cross it.

Kenai · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:15

Scubascorpion said:
So what you are saying is essentially you wouldn't want to fit one, in case YOU caused the accident.
If you caused the accident shouldn't you be responsible enough to pay for the damage done!!

You can't have your cake and eat it springs to mind

You have further factors to consider, such as not necessarily being wholly at fault but the video implies you may have been speeding and so you get strung up on a technicality etc. (just an example for the sake of discussion, I know it's hardly a bulletproof example)

What i'm saying is that'd i'd prefer to understand what level of control I have over the data before I would want to fit something like that to my car that could feasibly be used against me.

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:20

Then it would go 50/50 as it rightfully should

Al Vallario · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:21

[TW]Fox · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:26

Scubascorpion said:
If you are dumb enough to mention that you recorded yourself committing a crime then the police will have the right to seize it.

So you decide to give it a bit of beans and you make a mistake whilst travelling over the speed limit in your performance car. The mistake causes you to crash and you are sadly pulled from the car unconcious by the emergency services and rushed to hospital. The police accident investigation team notice your video camera..

Open and shut case where previously you'd have a battered ego...

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:29

[TW]Fox;20148168 said:
So you decide to give it a bit of beans and you make a mistake whilst travelling over the speed limit in your performance car. The mistake causes you to crash and you are sadly pulled from the car unconcious by the emergency services and rushed to hospital. The police accident investigation team notice your video camera..

Open and shut case where previously you'd have a battered ego...

If I was on the public road in the BMW going for a blat (and yes I do) then I would categorically not have the camera installed / turned on.
It's not my personal race track and to record myself treating it as one would be pretty dimwitted

Blackhawk47 · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:47

Scubascorpion said:
It's not my personal race track and to record myself treating it as one would be pretty dimwitted

I thought you said you had a Peugeot diesel? I don't think anyone will be thinking that you're a boy racer.

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 13:56

That's my daily commute car, I have others. The BMW for a start which you appear to have snipped out of my previous comment!

Al Vallario · 25 Sep 2011 at 14:11

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 14:19

I seem to be able to manage it driving to work every single week day, morning and night.
Why is it not feasable for everyone else.
It's rush hour, why would I even TRY to drive fast or not be courteous? It wont get me there any quicker in that sort of traffic.

[TW]Fox · 25 Sep 2011 at 14:19

Scubascorpion said:
It's rush hour, why would I even TRY to drive fast or not be courteous? It wont get me there any quicker in that sort of traffic.

So at no point in your journey do you ever, accidently or otherwise, exceed a posted speed limit?

Fuzz · 25 Sep 2011 at 14:24

[TW]Fox;20148637 said:
So at no point in your journey do you ever, accidently or otherwise, exceed a posted speed limit?

Not when the camera is in it no.

It's actually a very good way to help you watch your speed and be courteous to other road users as you know it's being recorded.

NathWraith · 25 Sep 2011 at 14:44

Scubascorpion said:
Not when the camera is in it no.

It's actually a very good way to help you watch your speed and be courteous to other road users as you know it's being recorded.

Your language says otherwise