DASH CAM.....PARANOIA?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I suspect we experience the same insanity on the road as every other Prevost owner. So far we have avoided trouble but I fear the day will come when we will wish we had proof someone pulled in too close and spiked the brakes, or played with us as the fool did when returning from Kerrville.

So I am 90% sure I am going to install a dash cam. Research shows they range from simple cheap devices that just video what they are pointed at, to sophisticated devices that display forward views, interior views, and are GPS equipped so in playback they not only show the two views, but your exact location on a Google map along with your speed. They record sudden events such as hard braking.

We have come close to hitting people in the rear when it appeared they intentionally (or stupidly) cut in too close and then slowed suddenly. I guess we want a record of what really happened if we are involved in a situation that is not of our own making.

What say you? Are we paranoid? Is $60 to $290 too big of an investment for something that might protect us?

[Charles Spera]

Jon,
Although the idea of having a record it desirable, when do you turn the dash-cam on to ensure it?

[Coloradobus]

No
We have talked about doing that very thing. There have been several incidents when either of us have been at the wheel, where we about "Ate" a stupid motorist!

[merle&louise]

Jon,

How much storage does the camera have? Louise and I sometimes will drive 9 or more hours in a day.

I am sure that the video camera is digital - does it start over automatically or do you have to reset it when the storage card is full?

As far as the price, I would say that it is cheap insurance if it proves that someone caused you to rear-end them intentionally. You could save a bunch in attorney's fees for sure!

My advice would be, "If it makes you happy, buy it!"

[Alek&Lucia]

In case somebody did not see, here is a copy of my post from last month about few dash cameras:

Here is one link:

http://thevideocopilot.com/

model VC-100 looks interesting

or this one:

http://www.spytechs.com/spy_cameras/...FVB95QodW0T9LA

one more:

http://www.spytechs.com/Car-Cameras/dual-view-cam.htm

Model SCI-DR200

Alek

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The cam would come on as soon as we moved and would remain on. Depending on the memory it would record XXX hours and then start recording over earlier video. All I would care about is the last few minutes, including the accident or incident. Most have a memory stick.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Jon, I think your idea is very sound.

A digital recording of what is happening in front of you while driving down the highway could be priceless. JUST look at the number of Police cruiser tape videos that have been put to good use these days.

Keep us informed of what you find out there as I am very interested in this too.

Thanks

Gary S.

[rfoster]

Get the one that is sheep activated after dark.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Alek beat me to it with his links. They are places I have been looking and right now I am leaning toward the GPS equipped cams because they are date and time stamped, show locations and speed and are likely to hold up well under scrutiny from an opposing attorney.

I think it is sad we even have to think along these lines, but in the 20 years we have been driving we now see truckers driving as stupidly as the car drivers. BTW I get a sense a lot of commercial vehicles are being equipped with these dash cams, likely for the same reason as I am considering one.

I like this one: http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/vo...ps-logger.html

[HarborBus]

I think it's a good idea, it's cheap insurance that you only have to pay for once. It is a daily occurrence where someone will squeeze into my "safe following distance" space in front of us while going through a town making it necessary to brake to regain that space, but it is that few seconds between when they close the gap and I regain the separation that I am vulnerable. I have always thought I would be arguing until I'm blue in the face trying to convince a judge that it was just seconds before that the other driver closed the gap because ofcourse the other driver would insist he had been there for many minutes or for that matter all along. So you see it doesn't have to be a vindictive idiot with some axe to grind, it just has to be someone (of which there are many) who doesn't understand the space necessary for us to stop 50000 lbs. It's a good idea, if there's enough interest maybe we could get a volume discount.