Growing
use of dashcams
One of the most popular dashcams is the Nextbase
402G Professional available from Halfords and currently on offer online at £119
but note you will need to buy an SD card on top of that. A 32GB HD card will be
anywhere between £20 and £30 depending on your source. A key convenience
with the Nextbase is that with its "Click&Go" feature it can be
installed easily and then it switches on automatically every time you turn the
ignition on. In an MGBGTV8 it is on permanently if you plug it into your cigar
lighter socket as that is live so you have to remember to pull the plug out!
Halfords
website
See our review of the Nextbase 402G dashcam. More
See
a copy of the Nextbase 402G instruction manual. More
See
our Information Gateway for dashcam information on the V8 website. More
Posted:
151207 | 
| A
feature in the Sunday Times in their Driving section mentioned two related
developments with the use of dashcams in cars: first "the popularity
of dashcams has soared to the point where the RAC estimates that 9% of motorists
now use one in their vehicle - that amounts to 2.9m camera-equipped cars on the
road" and second the growth of "dashcam vigilantes" reporting
everything from minor misdemeanors to reckless driving. In November 2015 a landmark
case based on dashcam evidence of reckless driving resulted in a driver being
jailed.
Dashcams have become popular with many motorists so they can
have evidence if they are involved in an incident - for example a cyclist
jumps the lights or a car pulls out from a side road into their path. With the
extraordinary growth over the last couple of years of manipulated accident claims
encouraged by cold calling claims companies, using a dashcam has become a defensive
measure.
Reporting dangerous drivers has increased. A company set
up to help people report dangerous drivers to the police is PoliceWitness.
It was formed by Matt Stockdale after he he was almost killed by a reckless HGV
driver. The company is a philanthropic organisation dedicated to helping fellow
road users to hold bad drivers to account. According the Police Witness almost
1,000 drivers have been charged on the basis of dashcam footage over the past
two years. Classic car drivers will need to keep a good lookout for dashcams when
occasionally driving with verve as over keen reporters could easily send in footage
of your car.
The Sunday Times says it has "Britain's most comprehensive
buying guide for dashcams and has reviewed more than 25 models. Prices range
from £50 to £200 ". Their product reviews, including their buying
recommendations and sample footage can be found on a website: www.tinyurl.com/stdashcam |
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