Has anyone else heard of this?
Whilst at the hairdressers the other day an incident of idiotic driving was brought up in the conversation. The incident, which involved a car pulling out and across the road in front of another car causing him to brake hard and then the 'offending' car driving through a red traffic light. All of it was captured on dash cam. This included a very clear picture of the 'offending' car's number plate. Somebody at the hairdressers said that the dash-cam footage couldn't be used as evidence in a prosecution because "the offender was not told in advance that the incident was being captured on a dash-cam". I personally find this very difficult to believe. If it is the case (a) how do you advise the offender in advance and (b) what is the point of having a dash-cam at all if it is correct?
Has anyone else heard of this?
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I think it's wrong. On various police forces' websites you can report a traffic incident and you can upload any photos or dash-cam videos. I did this in July when coming back from the lakes a lorry was I assume annoyed at me driving at 40 mph when the limit was 50 on the twist single lane at the 'army tank' place on the A66 and drove very close with full headlights behind me. I uploaded the dash cam video I was then informed the police would be investigating the matter.
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In some countries their privacy laws won't accept dash cam footage as evidence as the offender was not aware of being filmed. I should also add that in some countries they don't allow the use of dash cams!
There is actually a website in the UK where you can upload footage of dangerous driving. What one has to be absolutely sure of before doing so is that the person filming wasn't also breaking the law. I can't imagine anyone doing this but if your own speed is recorded on the dash cam you have to be certain you didn't exceed the speed limit otherwise you will find the tables turned on you! Likewise if the police felt that the position of the dash cam was such it was blocking your view it could also open you up to more than you bargained for.
David
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Definitely not true. Maybe somebody was thinking of the requirement that there must be signs showing that there are speed cameras in the vicinity for the speed trap photos to be legally enforceable. Otherwise as David K says there are different rules in other countries because of privacy laws; of which we have very few.
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Corners wrote "... a lorry was I assume annoyed at me driving at 40 mph when the limit was 50 on the twist single lane at the 'army tank' place on the A66 and drove very close with full headlights behind me. I uploaded the dash cam video I was then informed the police would be investigating the matter. "
Can I deduce you have a rear facing dash cam in your caravan? Whilst having a forward facing one, I've wondered about the prudence of a second one facing the rear.
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yes we do, just on one car, we won it actually from the Jaguar's owners club a few months ago. I have it facing backwards for two reasons.
Firstly it was far easier to install and plug it into the 12V socket in the boot space and I didn't want any wires trailing on the front. Secondly twice in the past ( one 7 years ago and the other 18) the car behind me on a roundabout went into me when I was stationary. They both contested the fact I was stationary and one even tried to say I had reversed into them from being on the roundabout. Both were thrown out of course but on the off chance it happens again and I wanted to use the thing I put it into the rear.
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I have front and rear facing ones, but I discounted the need for a rear facing one in the caravan too. Most of what happens is to the front anyway.
Dashcam video is perfectly acceptable evidence for a prosecution, the police use their own video evidence in court and they have used video evidence to prosecute which I have provided them with.
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