Do You Have a Dashboard Camera?
@DeborahDiane (40055)
Laguna Woods, California
March 25, 2018 5:36pm CST
Occasionally on the news here in the United States, they show video clips of unusual auto accidents. The clips have often been taken by a dashboard camera in a car which was driving past the scene. Most of the time, the videos were shot in another country or by a police car dashboard camera.
However, among my American friends, I have NEVER known someone with a dashboard camera in their car.
I have taken photos from cars, such as the one above which I took of the St. Louis Arch while my brother-in-law was driving, but I have never taken video while I was driving.
I was recently chatting on MyLot with @LadyDuck about dashboard cameras. She lives in Switzerland and told me how much she enjoys their camera. She likes to look at the videos of the beautiful scenery they drive past.
I wondered how many people have dashboard cameras and what brands they like. I think it might be nice to have one.
What do you think about them?
14 people like this
14 responses
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@sallypup - I have a very new car, but never thought about adding a dashboard camera. However, it is an intriguing idea. I'm sure the driver of your car is NOT dumb! LOL
2 people like this
@sallypup (57902)
• Centralia, Washington
26 Mar 18
@DeborahDiane I fly by the seat of my pants or I guess I should say I drive by the seat of my pants. 2004 little car.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@sallypup - My VW Beetle was a 2004, too. I drove it until about 10 months ago. Then, it needed some major repairs and I had to get rid of it. I was able to get a very good deal on a plug-in hybrid Ford C-Max, which uses virtually no gas most of the time. I am happy with my new car, but I sure loved that Beetle!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
27 Mar 18
@DeborahDiane It's funny when you leave it on. Sometimes you see a cat jumping on the hood of the car to keep warm in winter.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@LadyDuck - That is amazing! I would think that everyone in the United States would want one, and yet I don't know anyone who has one. I thought it would be interesting to find out why people have such a different attitude about them in our country, since people have cameras here for everything else. I like the idea about being able to leave it on when you are not in your car.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@LadyDuck - Ha ha! I'm sure I would see some interesting videos in our area if I had a camera. It would be interesting to leave it on and see the wildlife that comes out at night.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111190)
• El Paso, Texas
27 Mar 18
I don't know anyone either @DeborahDiane but I am going to check out the web to find the price for one.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@rebelann - Yes, there must be some people who have them, yet I have never actually known anyone who has one. I think it could be very useful and, like you say, there are some amazing photos which they have captured.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@rebelann - That's a good idea. I think it is interesting that this is one piece of technology that is embraced by other countries, but ignored here in the US.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@rakski - I think it is interesting that people in other countries believe it is important to have a dashcam, but people in the United States do not. I wonder why there is such a difference? I thought it would be interesting to find out.
@mom210 (9036)
• United States
29 Mar 18
@DeborahDiane They make them with so many things now days, when it is time to change up I am going to be lost.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@mom210 - I drove my VW Beetle until it was worn out, so I tend to do the same thing. However, I have an almost new car now, and never even thought about getting a dashcam. I think having one would be useful.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Mar 18
@mom210 - It always takes me a while to adjust whenever I change cars. It seems like they change everything around, sometimes for no reason at all.
1 person likes this
@Essjayd (1568)
•
25 Mar 18
I've got one in my work van and I'm
intending on putting one in my car in
future.
I didn't see the point in them and objected
when our company started using them.
as we felt they would be used to spy on us!
In the end they've helped prove 2 of our drivers
weren't at fault. Their accidents would have
possibly been hard to determine who was at
fault due to the circumstances involved but
the camera footage showed exactly what happened
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@Essjayd - Ahhh! That is good to know. Yes, I can see how it would provide helpful proof of innocence in an accident. Thanks for your input.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
30 Mar 18
I now know with the things that hold phones in so the can video chat on Facebook live etc many now do this. Just not something that interests me
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
31 Mar 18
Yes, that makes our phone very convenient, even in the car.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@jstory07 - I tend to be cheap, too, but I think it might be handy to have one in some situations. I haven't bought one, but I thought it would be interesting to find someone in the US who has one. So far, I haven't found anyone.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
28 Mar 18
like you I have heard of them and seen some footage on youtube or the news... but do not have one... but I like what Anna says about reviewing scenery ect... that would be good...
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Mar 18
@sueznewz2 - I think it would be a lot of fun to look at the video after I took a nice drive.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118452)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Apr 18
I've been told that in many countries dashboard cameras are almost a necessity to protect against corrupt authorities, con artists, or crooks. Many insurance companies in those countries encourage or require dashboard cameras. Just like you, I don't know anyone in the United States who has dashboard cameras, although I'm sure there are plenty of people who do. But I can see them as something that will catch on in the future, especially to offer up video evidence in the event of auto accidents. I, for one, am not a big fan of them, because they can also be used against you if you were in the wrong in an accident.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118452)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Apr 18
@DeborahDiane It may not necessarily be pressure that the insurance companies put on their customers, but it may be more in the form of giving discounts to drivers who install dash cams.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Apr 18
@moffittjc - Ahhh! Yes, I can see insurance companies doing that ... giving discounts to drivers who install dash cams. We'll see what happens in the future!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
4 Apr 18
@moffittjc - The same thought occurred to me ... could it be used against me if I had an accident? No point in buying something that could create problems for me. However, I can see why insurance companies might pressure people to have them in the future.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Mar 18
I have never even really thought about having one really, but it is not a bad idea. By the way, I am using WAZE on my phone (as you suggested) with these many trips to Portland and it is great!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Mar 18
@DeborahDiane It really is interesting. I did not know they were available for "civilians" really.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@JamesHxstatic - I did not know it, either. I have seen videos made by them on the news, but usually only from other countries or from a police car dashcam here in the US. I can see real advantages to having one, but I find it interesting that no one I can find actually has one. I never thought about them until Lady Duck brought up how much she enjoys her.
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 18
@JamesHxstatic - I'm glad you are using WAZE. We have found it very helpful in getting around in California! I never thought about having a dashcam, either. In fact, until @LadyDuck mentioned hers, it was not even on my list of "wants." However, I agree that having one would not be a bad idea. I thought it would be interesting to find out what people think of them. So far, other than LadyDuck and someone from the Philippines, no one from the United States has mentioned here that they have one. Isn't that interesting?
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@DianneN - My car has a backup camera, but not a dashcam. I think installing one might be a good idea. I thought there might be people here on MyLot who could tell me about them, but no Americans have said they have one ... only people in other countries. Isn't that interesting?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Mar 18
@DianneN - I don't know where to start, either. That is why I wrote this post. I thought I would get lots of responses from people who have one. However, I was surprised at how rare they are in the US.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246904)
• United States
27 Mar 18
@DeborahDiane That is unusual. Let me know if you get one. I wouldn't know where to look for one.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Apr 18
@JudyEv - That is interesting. They seem to be very popular in Europe, but I do not know anyone with one in the United States and you do not know anyone with one in Australia. I wonder what caused them to become so popular in Europe?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
1 May 18
@JudyEv - Ah, good memory! I actually took that photo with my cell phone while I was horseback riding. I do that sometimes. I just hold the phone and take a bunch of photos. When I get off the horse, I discard the ones which turned out weird ... shots of the ground, the horse's back, my knee, etc. Then, I keep a few of the good shots! LOL It might be fun to mount a camera on my riding helmet. I'll have to give that some thought.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 May 18
@DeborahDiane Some of the endurance riders have cameras on the helmets and might take short bursts of film while they're riding. I think you did too once didn't you or was it just a photo? I remember seeing your horse's ears. 
1 person likes this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
28 Mar 18
I don't have a car, so I don't have a dashboard camera. But as far as I know people here use dashboard camera. I have a relative that also have one.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Mar 18
@anikoonline - Almost everyone who has said here that they have a dashcam or know someone with one, lives in another country. They are very rare in the United States.
1 person likes this
