Dashcams - who is running one? Opinions?

[geotex1]

Folks, I've had my absolute fill of lousy, self-absorbed drivers swooping in front of me when there's simply not enough room when traffic is coming to a stop or diving in to make a turn they didn't plan suitable for. Had one occurence last year with the camper where my only choice was to curb my TV or slam into them, and that cost me an alignment and new tire. Towing the new 5er this Fall had plenty of knuckleheads compromising my safe following distance. Today I had my "37 in the car hauler in tow and a fool jumped in front of me as we were coming to a stop and I had to step on the brakes hard, and got everything stopped with maybe an inch before impact!

I feel I need to protect myself, and have been looking at dashcams over the last year. I want good features, great video, and a minimalist form factor, and have arrived at Blackvue. I was going to pull the trigger on the 750, but then they put out updates that fixed the 900's bugs.

Any members running a Blackvue 750 or 900 series? If so, what are your thoughts? Any other suggestions for a minimalist design? I definitely do not want another screen in front of me.

[phonemannn]

My 2017 ford has a forward facing dash cam, only accessible to law enforcement in case of a accident. AND two inside cameras as well, facing both driver and passenger! No way to get the feed, just a code law enforcement uses.
Some will say I'm wrong, but I am not....

[SmallBoxMaker]

Any other suggestions for a minimalist design? I definitely do not want another screen in front of me.

I can't comment on the units you are looking at, but agree completely about the need to have a dash-cam. We bought a SGZC12SG back in 2016 (for the same reasons you mentioned) and I wouldn't feel comfortable driving without a dash-cam.

We have it mounted high up on the windshield on the passenger side. Since the display is turned off while driving it isn't distracting. But it comforting to know that it is recording the idiots that are out there sharing the road with us. And it captured some fascinating footage while driving though some wild fires when we were out west in 2017.

FYI, I mentioned the model number only to show what we bought. I'm sure there are much better units out there since that one is 3 years old.

[backtrack2015]

My 2017 ford has a forward facing dash cam, only accessible to law enforcement in case of a accident. AND two inside cameras as well, facing both driver and passenger! No way to get the feed, just a code law enforcement uses.
Some will say I'm wrong, but I am not....

Sounds like you have an interesting story to tell... and I need to reconsider my "all clothing is optional" policy in the truck.

[livinthelife]

Folks, I've had my absolute fill of lousy, self-absorbed drivers swooping in front of me when there's simply not enough room when traffic is coming to a stop or diving in to make a turn they didn't plan suitable for. Had one occurence last year with the camper where my only choice was to curb my TV or slam into them, and that cost me an alignment and new tire. Towing the new 5er this Fall had plenty of knuckleheads compromising my safe following distance. Today I had my "37 in the car hauler in tow and a fool jumped in front of me as we were coming to a stop and I had to step on the brakes hard, and got everything stopped with maybe an inch before impact!

I feel I need to protect myself, and have been looking at dashcams over the last year. I want good features, great video, and a minimalist form factor, and have arrived at Blackvue. I was going to pull the trigger on the 750, but then they put out updates that fixed the 900's bugs.

Any members running a Blackvue 750 or 900 series? If so, what are your thoughts? Any other suggestions for a minimalist design? I definitely do not want another screen in front of me.

We installed a forward facing camera (on the windshield, not the dash). About 2 days after we put it in (while not towing) we witnessed a rear end accident next to us. The footage was extremely helpful to the person who was rear ended.

Since then, we've managed to capture several attempts to cut us off (while towing), most notably a mustang that seemed to think it would come out better than we would if it hit us.

We have a Rexing. We like so much we bought another one and installed it in our regular car. It's mounted behind the rear view mirror to the driver. The only person who can see the screen while in motion is the passenger.

[phonemannn]

Sounds like you have an interesting story to tell... and I need to reconsider my "all clothing is optional" policy in the truck.

The inside cameras are on the roof console. Facing the rear. and left, right. They are there, look at your ford....

[RVRunners]

Not sure about the brand you are considering but we run a dash cam as well. Mounted to windshield high in front of the rear view mirror. Great to have as people rarely seem to believe in accountability anymore and will lie after an accident to avoid responsibility for the idiotic driving. The footage is a great thing to have and will shut all of that garbage down very quickly. A lot of the Class 8 trucks are running dash cams as some of the trial lawyers have been going after cases where four wheelers are involved in accidents with big trucks.

[Likes to tow]

Big question about dash cams and the legality of using them in court. Has anyone actually used the recorded video proof in an accident investigation???? It seems some people are saying dash cams are illegal in some states or their use in an investigation or litigation is not allowed as evidence!!! Is this true??? It seems logical since many times during a law suit incriminating evidence is not allowed. What are some opinions on this from those who have experienced an accident.

[bertschb]

I started using a dash cam a year ago after binge watching dash cam crash videos on Youtube one day. I typically leave quite a bit of distance between myself and the car ahead. Of course, that is exactly what idiot drivers are looking for so a lot of people cut in front of me.

As for the Blackvue - I'm a gadget nut and typically opt for all higher end stuff. But, I wasn't really sure if I would like having a camera on my windshield so I opted for a less expensive alternative (Vantrue T2 - about $170 with the GPS module) and it works fine. It has a super capacitor rather than a battery so it should last longer in the high temps experienced attached to a dash.

Good luck with your research. LOTS of options out there!

[geotex1]

Big question about dash cams and the legality of using them in court. Has anyone actually used the recorded video proof in an accident investigation???? It seems some people are saying dash cams are illegal in some states or their use in an investigation or litigation is not allowed as evidence!!! Is this true??? It seems logical since many times during a law suit incriminating evidence is not allowed. What are some opinions on this from those who have experienced an accident.

Not a concern for me. Completely legal in the state where I am licensed and my vehicles are tiitled and registered. PA has a few specific requirements, which I will be conforming to, that pertain to mounting location and footprint, audio recording with the video, and notification to passengers informing of recording. The latter is why all major makers have an audible announcement of recording state, but that little notification sticker is all that's needed. Here in PA, personal dash cam footage from conforming installations has been accepted into evidence - number of LEOs are friends and I've been getting their opinions too.

Reality is, unless there's severe personal injury or property damage outside of the vehicles (say a traffic signal pole), you're not seeing the law involved. You're dealing with insurance companies, and I think it good odds footage in those "swoop in" events will change the default blame or the following driver.

To all, glad to see others are of like mind! Keep your thoughts coming.