I'm looking into getting a dash cam. But having never had one not to sure how they work.
I have a go pro on the bike and to record I have to actually press the record button.
Is this the same with a dash cam?
Also other than the 12v cig socket is there a closer ignition live for a hard wire kit?

Most car dash cameras work fine with a switched feed - it recieves power it starts to record

If the socket is a constant live a relay setup will be needed to cure this issue

Ziggy

If they are wired in you can select a parking mode that detects when the car is moving and shuts the camera off after a set period.

Also includes a motion sensor so if you car is disturbed while parked it will record for the set period as well.

The one I have records in VLC format so you will need to convert this to MP4 for sharing or burning to a disc.

Top tips.

1/ Most important. Make sure your camera does not impede your view. I tuck mine in front of the interior mirror where I can not see it from my driving position.

2/ Do not touch the camera whilst driving. It's tempting to hit the save button when you see something interesting but it's best to make a mental note of the time and find it later because as soon as you touch the camera it's a "Hand Held Electrical Device" and six points if you get caught.

3/ Get a cheap one. Cars are being broken into for cameras these days. Especially Roadhawk and other known brands.

4/ Just like old sat' nav's keep some glass wipes in your car to clean the suction cup circle from the glass whenever you park the car. Vehicles with cup marks are broken into and ransacked looking for tech'.

Liquid Knight II said:

2/ Do not touch the camera whilst driving. It's tempting to hit the save button when you see something interesting but it's best to make a mental note of the time and find it later because as soon as you touch the camera it's a "Hand Held Electrical Device" and six points if you get caught.

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This is absolute nonsense.

The very definition of a hand held device is that it is “Hand Held” something attached to the screen with a bracket is not hand held, neither are the wealth of screen mounted satnavs, and it is not against the law to use a mobile phone which is held in place with an appropriate bracket on the dash or the screen.

There was even a case of a female police officer getting off on a charge of using a phone while driving because it was in her lap and therefore not hand held.

So yes you can press a button on a dash cam to save a file.

To qualify all an electrical device has to do is distract the driver from the operation of that vehicle. No matter how momentarily.

For example; if the driver has to reach over, taking a hand off the steering wheel, leaning forward enough to no longer be in full control of the vehicle. This may cause a steering wobble, skip over the speed limit or panic brake after and would be enough to be pulled over at least.

For failing to drive to the standard expected of a competent driver.

If pursued at the road side (depending on the drivers attitude) instead of Driving Without Due Care and Attention it would most likely be reduced to the fixed penalty "hand held" offence.

If the fixed penalty were to be appealed it would be up the to the Magistrates to decide to uphold the fixed penalty and add court charges on top; or having heard the officers statement that the offense was reduced to the fixed penalty offense to save the accused and courts time; Due Care could be followed up.

Chances are depending in the circumstances and/or if the driver was apologetic and had the right attitude it would only go so far as a roadside conversation.


Just a heads up guys. They are clamping down on Vaping whilst driving.

About time they clamped downon that shouldn't be legal just like smoking and driving

Liquid Knight II said:

To qualify all an electrical device has to do is distract the driver from the operation of that vehicle. No matter how momentarily.

For example; if the driver has to reach over, taking a hand off the steering wheel, leaning forward enough to no longer be in full control of the vehicle. This may cause a steering wobble, skip over the speed limit or panic brake after and would be enough to be pulled over at least.

For failing to drive to the standard expected of a competent driver.

If pursued at the road side (depending on the drivers attitude) instead of Driving Without Due Care and Attention it would most likely be reduced to the fixed penalty "hand held" offence.

If the fixed penalty were to be appealed it would be up the to the Magistrates to decide to uphold the fixed penalty and add court charges on top; or having heard the officers statement that the offense was reduced to the fixed penalty offense to save the accused and courts time; Due Care could be followed up.

Chances are depending in the circumstances and/or if the driver was apologetic and had the right attitude it would only go so far as a roadside conversation.


Just a heads up guys. They are clamping down on Vaping whilst driving.

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Ok you need to look up what the law actually say, it does not make it illegal to use every and all electronic devices.
The law as it currently stands relates specifically to HAND HELD devices, and to narrow it down further, it states “a device, other than a two-way radio, which performs an interactive communication function by transmitting and receiving data”

Going back to your original point touching a dash cam does not make it a hand held electronic device, it’s not hand held it’s screen mounted so it’s absolutly fine, and you can even use your mobile phone if it is mounted on a bracket or the windscreen.

Secondly the law specifically states devices that are capable of two way radio communication.

There is no law that prevents you from pressing a button on a dash cam mounted on the windscreen.

Driving without due care and attention is a very different thing and not something you’re ever likely to get into trouble for, if all you do is press one button to save a file, which can be done without taking your eyes off the road and keeping one hand on the wheel and in full control.

I'm not going to get into a long winded copy and paste discussion about the interpretation of the Road Traffic Act. Although it is nice we're back on form Andy.

We agreed about something the other week and I still find that creepy.

Each constabulary and/or country have their own guidelines about various laws and practices and each officer has to interpret those. What may work in principle might not be applicable on the streets.

In many ways it's like people who buy cars based on performance figures. It may look good on paper but we drive on tarmac.

The likes of walkie talkies handheld devices are permissible while driving fact. The likes of pressing a button would be no more disallowed than pressing a button on a radio for instance. As long as a mobile phone is in no way part of the equation you are fine.

Yes,
as Andy and Jim say the "hand held device" rule specfically referes to communications devices but excludes "two way radios" An earlier version specified the cell phone frequency bands but the law was not keeping up with technology. The reason is that the original draft of the law would have prevented the police and other emergency services using their radios. You can still be prosecuted for dure care and attention, not incontrol of vehicle or dangerous driving whatever the device is. I'm a radio amateur and this question goes way back before cell phones, GPS etc were invented. I've been using hands-free on my radios since the early 1980's.
I think a smoking when driving ban would be a good idea. We are almost there. It's illegal to smoke in a work vehicle (not well enforced) or with children in the car. A total ban would be safer and easier to enforce.


Robert G8RPI

chris3234 said:

About time they clamped downon that shouldn't be legal just like smoking and driving

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A while ago a woman in a VW Golf nearly ran into the back of my yellow Bravo because the cloud of vape in her car was so bad she could not see my brake lights as I stopped at a level crossing.
I got out to see if she was okay as she looked a tad startled and it was then she filled her car with vape again and I could see the problem.
I told her about the American woman who had a vape pen in her mouth when her airbag was deployed and how it pushed the pen through the roof of her mouth and out the back of her head, killing the woman instantly.

While using a vape at the moment isn't illegal in itself making a vehicle unsafe due to reducing visibility comes under Dangerous or Careless Driving as it potentially increases the drivers culpability to do harm.

So if you drive along and chuck a load of steam out of your windows expect to be pulled over for it.

Liquid Knight II said:

Each constabulary and/or country have their own guidelines about various laws and practices and each officer has to interpret those. What may work in principle might not be applicable on the streets.

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There maybe some very slight variation, however no police force can get away with interpreting someone pressing a button on a dash cam as using a hand held mobile phone while driving.

AndyRKett said:

There maybe some very slight variation, however no police force can get away with interpreting someone pressing a button on a dash cam as using a hand held mobile phone while driving.

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But Officers can be lenient at the road side.

Instead of three to nine points for Due Care and Attention offer the fixed penalty instead. To save time, tax payers money and possibly help out the driver as the fixed penalty could be smaller than a fine based on their income (also not include court costs and the victim surcharge).

Post prosecution incidentals like insurance could be lower with CU80 instead of CD10 to CD30 on their license.

We should have the roadside ban system like they do in New Zealand. Get stopped, count your points and get your vehicle towed and you're getting the bus for a month. Superb.

Liquid Knight II said:

But Officers can be lenient at the road side.

Instead of three to nine points for Due Care and Attention offer the fixed penalty instead. To save time, tax payers money and possibly help out the driver as the fixed penalty could be smaller than a fine based on their income (also not include court costs and the victim surcharge).

Post prosecution incidentals like insurance could be lower with CU80 instead of CD10 to CD30 on their license.

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So how exactly would that pan out?

You touch the record button on you dash cam which takes no more attention that adjusting the heater controls or changing radio station.

A police officer sees you and decided to stop you. He gives you the option of driving without due care and attention.

The road side fixed penalty for driving without due car is £100 and 3 points, or sometimes the option of a driver awareness course.

Or in your world the police officer could offer the lesser ofence of driving while using a hand held communications device, which now carries a £200 fine and 6 points with no option for driver awareness training......

Obviously in this situation any sensible person would take the charge of using a mobile phone, have their day in court and when asked to give their account of what happened they can honestly say they pressed a button on a dash cam to record some footage, submit that footage as evidence and an audio recording of the interaction with the policeman from the dash cam video, then walk away completely Scott free with no fine or points as they were sent to court for an offence they did not commit. If you murder someone you can’t offer them the lesser charge of stealing, if they never stole anything.

You can’t send someone to court for driving while using a mobile phone if they have not driven while using a hand held mobile phone, especially when the main point here is that it is a. Not a mobile phone and b. Attached to the windscreen so not hand held.

On the point of driving without due care and attention, yes you can get in to trouble for that if you’re not doing what you should be doing. The very act of pressing the button is not driving without due care, unless for example you were swerving all over the road, speeding or driving some how erratically, or doing something else you shouldn’t be doing, the act of pressing the button is not in it’s self driving without due care, and is no different from turning on or off heating functions, adjusting a mirror or changing the radio station or skipping a track.

Finally insurance companies now take a very dim view of mobile phone use while driving so they are now absolutely slamming people on premiums or in some cases completely refusing to insure you if you have a conviction for mobile phone use.

You can try to argue this one all you like but what you’re saying is utter tosh..!

Liquid Knight II said:

For example; if the driver has to reach over, taking a hand off the steering wheel, leaning forward enough to no longer be in full control of the vehicle. This may cause a steering wobble, skip over the speed limit or panic brake after and would be enough to be pulled over at least.

For failing to drive to the standard expected of a competent driver.

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Quoting myself instead of repeating myself.

If you reach up and touch a button and it has no effect on your driving, no problem. If it causes a loss of control; however momentary and you are seen by the Police expect to be pulled over for it.

Personally I wouldn't and don't.

I'm featured in this clip at 1:58



If you look at the rest of it you will see the camera wobble as the "drivers" stop driving so they can be "camera operators" instead.

Liquid Knight II said:

If you reach up and touch a button and it has no effect on your driving, no problem. If it causes a loss of control; however momentary and you are seen by the Police expect to be pulled over for it.

Personally I wouldn't and don't.

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Ok now we're getting there, this is exactly what you said.

Liquid Knight II said:

2/ Do not touch the camera whilst driving. It's tempting to hit the save button when you see something interesting but it's best to make a mental note of the time and find it later because as soon as you touch the camera it's a "Hand Held Electrical Device" and six points if you get caught.

Click to expand...

And this is the BS i'm calling you on.

I'm also going to assume from your most recent comment you don't touch any other buttons in the car either, like the radio, turning on a window heater or using any other controls that require you to take one hand off the wheel momentarily

Hi,
Just to let you know that a number of our insurance schemes offer discounts for the fitment of a HD dash cam.
Regards,
Dan.