Gentlemanly Driver Ahead

[rohan]

I'd go a step further than Alex and say that it won't be too long before car manufacturers offer an option for all round video recording to a central storage point ... personally I'd welcome this with open arms depending on the quality of the images and the focal length of the lenses used.

... I have to say that I find the idea of having a dash-cam a little.. well.. odd...

I would tend to agree with you but for the way that driving standards are going through the floor. With more and more vehicles on the road, an increase in the number of uninsured vehicles, drivers who can't be bothered to even take the driving test and drivers who are either arrogant or just plain stupid, I want any opportunity to have evidence that an accident was not my fault for my insurance company. And having watched some of those clips on the police TV series, do you really want to risk suddenly being part of someone else's accident ? Especially when insurance companies keep increasing their premiums even when you've had a blame free claim.

Many years ago I learned to drive defensively but, as I said in my earlier post, at least once a week I have to take avoiding action at Sainsbury's. "You know it makes sense".

ATB,
Ro

[DaveB]

You may be right about these things becoming another 'insurance hoop' for us to jump through. My daughters partner has some sort of device fitted in his VW Polo which, should he change insurance companies will cost him £80 to have removed!! Having just re-insured my motorbike.. the clauses with it are so ridiculous they're almost unworkable. If my bike is stolen or damaged within something like 50 meters of my home address.. they won't cough up because it wasn't garaged. However.. I can have it stolen or damaged at work.. I actually asked her to make sure I dread to think what would happen if it didn't have an alarm and immobiliser fitted. They'd probably not insure it at all!

ATB
DaveB

[Nigel H-J]

have to say that I find the idea of having a dash-cam a little.. well.. odd. OK

I think that goes with the person who has one Dave.......me!!

Seriously though manufacturers have already started installing reversing cameras and I don't think it will be too long before they provide at extra cost, a forward facing unit.

What does annoy me though is that the insurance companies should allow discounts for motorists who have dash cams fitted as an incentive for better driving and also takes away time consuming negotiations with the other parties insurance company in trying to prove who was in the right or wrong of a crash. Many times as a C.C.T.V operator I was asked by officers to review footage for a RTC at traffic lights as both parties had insisted that the lights were in their favour. Equally, just think of the amount of time that would be saved by traffic officers investigating a serious or fatal accident if the incident was caught on dash cam even though they may still want to carry out their own investigation a lot of time could be saved.

Equally when asking the insurance company do they make allowances for those who have an Advance Driving Certificate they replied that they do not take that into consideration!!! having taken seven Ministry Driving Tests on various classes of vehicles passing them all first time and driven professionally I just tend to wonder why insurance companies offer certain rates for new drivers along with restrictions or black boxes yet for those of us with many years experience with no endorsments or penalty points as they are now known etc are not acknowledged for preferential rates.

At the end of the day there will be many who will question the need for cameras in cars and whether or not they infringe on peoples privacy or lives but, when out in public view there can be no privacy that only occurs when at home or sat on the bog!!

Regards
Nigel.

[Filonian]

I have crystal balls

Amazing accessories Alex, what will they think of next?


Graham

[DaveB]

It's all a bit of a slippery slope I think.

With regard to CCTV's fitted just about everywhere now, surely the whole point of having them is to 'resolve issues'. If they're there just to spot drunks on a Friday night, they might as well be pulled down now as the drunks will still be there. If on the other hand, they can help catch a thief.. I don't see why they can't be used to resolve an RTA. If they're there.. then justify their expense in fitment and manning by using the darned things

I love these TV ad's which boast 'Insurance from £149'. I think the only folk who qualify for that are those who don't have a car!
ATB
DaveB

[Airspeed]

Nigel,
Apologies for my ignorance of your connectivity limitations.
Hopefully it won't happen again, though you know, of course that my poke was in jest.

As far as being free of electronic surveillance in the home, that's down the toilet, too.
There are apparently monitoring devices in modern TVs that actually enable remote listening to any conversation in the vicinity.
I'll try to find a link. If I do, I'll do an edit.
EDIT:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-10/s ... rs/6082144

Who knows if this applies to those frightening refrigerators that place on-line orders when it finds that you're running low on something.
Next time I fit a dunny roll, I'll check it for microchips.

[Nigel H-J]

Nigel,
Apologies for my ignorance of your connectivity limitations.
Hopefully it won't happen again, though you know, of course that my poke was in jest

Hi Mike, no need to apoligise mate, it would take a lot more than that to upset.

Regards
Nigel.