[Technology] Dash cams,yes or no ?

[worthingseagull123]

Yes. With ever increasing idiot motorists and cyclists on the road, a dashcam is your best defence.

 

[Since1982]

I've not looked at brand new cars recently but do manufacturers offer dashcams as an optional extra these days?

It’s surprising if they don’t. My car has front and rear cameras to tell me what the speed limit is, warn me if I am about to hit something etc etc but I still have to add an extra market dash cam.

 

[Icy Gull]

Wrong thread

 

[Gabbafella]

Has anyone got a rear dashcam in a convertible?
If so, do they attach easily enough to the back of a headrest? I'm guessing with something like a 3M sticky pad?

 

[Brian Potter]

Master criminal minds at work

 

[bluenitsuj]

Yes. Its the only way to catch all those naughty cyclists and bikers.

 

[strings]

I have not had a dashcam before; if I am honest I think I was swayed by a bad driver I know "there are so many idiots on the roads" - the common factor was the fact that he was on the roads every time there was an idiot...

Nevertheless, having read this thread, I think we are getting to the point where they are an almost essential thing to have. I am hoping to upgrade both my car and my wife's once the price of second hand cars drops to something more reasonable. When I do upgrade, I'll look to put in dash cams.

Question for those with dashcams - how easy were they to fit and were they able to be fitted without trailing wires?

 

[PeterOut]

I have not had a dashcam before; if I am honest I think I was swayed by a bad driver I know "there are so many idiots on the roads" - the common factor was the fact that he was on the roads every time there was an idiot...

Nevertheless, having read this thread, I think we are getting to the point where they are an almost essential thing to have. I am hoping to upgrade both my car and my wife's once the price of second hand cars drops to something more reasonable. When I do upgrade, I'll look to put in dash cams.

Question for those with dashcams - how easy were they to fit and were they able to be fitted without trailing wires?

It depends so much on the car, and whether you want it hardwired into the fusebox, or are happy for it to be powered from a 12V socket (such as what used to be called a cigarette lighter).

Bearing in mind that on most cars the dashcam needs to be fitted to the left of the mirror, so as not to be obstructing the driver's view, that often means that the wire has to go left, down the passenger A post, and then back under the dash to the driver's side fusebox. That can be really easy, or very tricky, depending on the car.

Alternatively, it may be possible to run the cable from the left of the mirror, across the top of the windscreen, but that depends a lot on what is in the centre console fixed to the underside of the roof lining, and whether you can thread the cable through there or not.

Another alternative is to plug it into a 12V socket, which should not be at all difficult to run the cable, but then you have lost a socket.

I did call a mobile auto electrician, just out of interest - he quoted a £60 'booking fee' (whatever the hell that is), plus £50 per hour after that. It was a short conversation

Sorry to give an answer like 'it depends' - but in this case, it does

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how to run a particular model of camera through a particular model of vehicle - these are of varying quality, but it is generally quite straightforward, bearing the points above in mind.

 

[Motogull]

Question for those with dashcams - how easy were they to fit and were they able to be fitted without trailing wires?

Pay a fitter. Shelling peas for them.