Dash Cam

[Dominic]

1. the assessors cannot see what led up to an accident; in one case, with a touchette, the other (faulty) driver was the wife of a notable - guess who lost?
2. the reason I bought a dashcam was that I was forced off the road by a white van that was overtaking a car with damage to my car caused by a bollard (€900, thank you!). No time to note the van no. and he whizzed off illico presto. If I had had a dashcam I could have identified him and possibly had him up for dangerous driving. Perhaps, in retrospect, I should have let him bash my car (and me?).
3. Not all accidents involve another vehicle (e.g., an animal). I once had a near miss with a stray goat on a country road miles from anywhere. If I had hit it, should I have waited for an assessor?

IMO, I think the extra for GPS is a worthwhile insurance.

Nobody is saying a dashcam isn't useful. What is being questioned is the validity of the statement that you also need GPS information.

[Firefly]

Dominic

I don't believe that insurance companies would insist on GPS, what on earth for ? You can prove where you were by the video when the accident happened. IF Devil knows otherwise, would he name the companies who insist on GPS please, as I will know which ones to avoid.

Jackie

[Devil]

Nobody is saying a dashcam isn't useful. What is being questioned is the validity of the statement that you also need GPS information.

1) It records your speed in the moments before the impact; the other party can accuse you of exceeding the limit, otherwise.
2) It records the exact trajectory of your vehicle before the impact, including your evasive movements.
3) It records the exact time and place of the incident (the other bloke may try denying he was there at that time, if he buggered off without stopping)

I maintain that GPS is worth the few extra €€€ for more peace of mind and may well make the difference between making or losing your case. The corollary is that if you drive like an idiot, then it could persuade your insurer that YOU were to blame!!!

[Firefly]

I think this is going over the top, and I don't intend to buy another which has GPS.

Jackie

[Dominic]

Peace of mind is a bit different from what you said previously though:

WARNING: Many of the models on offer do not record GPS data. Without this, insurance companies may not accept the videos as evidence in the event of a ka-boom!

You even used a different coloured font!

[Devil]

Peace of mind is a bit different from what you said previously though:

WARNING: Many of the models on offer do not record GPS data. Without this, insurance companies may not accept the videos as evidence in the event of a ka-boom!

You even used a different coloured font!

Note I said that they may not accept it. It is at their discretion to accept it or not but they are more likely to if you quote chapter and verse.

Is using a different colour font for emphasis illicit?

[Firefly]

Devil

How do you know that they "may not", which ones, may not ?

[Dominic]

This is an issue that frequently gets discussed in the geocaching community. It is especially relevent when it comes to placing a cache, as you have to supply coordinates to enable other people to find your cache. The standard rule of thumb is not to rely on one GPS reading. Instead, take a variety of readings, ideally on different days and times.

I did an experiement once, with a rather tasteful garden gnome we had in the back garden. I kept recording it's position for a couple of weeks, at different times of day. Without actually moving, the gnome appeared to go on a merry dance around the garden, according to the GPS at least. Had I put the gnome in woodland or by tall buildings, it would have been even more random.

[Firefly]

Now it's too deep for me

Jackie

[JimX]

Jackie, you will not need GPS when (hopefully never) you think your accident was another's fault, all you need is that SD card in the camera, should you have an accident then take the power cable out, and if possible just download to your PC for verification, then take the card to your insurers.

Easy way forward is next time you are in your insurance office just ask, this is what I did, You are getting here conflicting advice and not always about dashcams on this thread.

[Firefly]

Jim

That's my thought too. When watching Car Crash Britain, all the recorded incidents were shown and the results reported. No-one mentioned GPS.

Jackie

[PaphosAL]

Another issue. Many dashcams come WITHOUT the requisite Micro SDHC Class 10 card. You have to buy this seperately, fcs!

Has anyone got a link for their functioning card with Dashcam, please? As all the fleaBay sellers I've asked today have responded "Sorry, not compatible with dashcam"

So which one IS, for crying out LOUD?

Cheers- AL

[Josev]

I’ve used various types of dashcams when in Cyprus mainly for the off road driving we do.

The main problem with dashcams is heat from the sun.

If the dashcam has a battery then it will swell and fail when it gets hot. This is well documented elsewhere. The only reliable dashcams in hot climates are the ones which use a capacitor instead of a battery.

I now use a Viofo A119s and it fits behind the mirror. This also has GPS which is very helpful. There has been problems with the GPS mount on these so I do have the latest mount. However I do get a audio hum since I replaced the mount. I also have A CPL filter which helps prevent glare from the bonnet etc.

An excellent viewer of the video files is Dashcam viewer by Earthshine. You can overlay Google Earth and it also shows your route on the map.

What SD card to use can be a problem and this web site has helpful information which is kept up to date:
https://www.carcamcentral.com/guide/rec ... ltra-cards

[JimX]

Josev, this has already been mentioned further up this thread, but I do agree with you, inside cars can get to well over a 100F very quickly.

I have purchased several Dash-cams over the years, most come with SD cards that I have bought.