Why get a dashcam?

[dsvick]

I see lots of posts about people getting dashcams, my question is what are the reasons people are getting them? I get that they can record footage in an accident or if someone breaks in - is everyone spending that much money on something that really doesn't happen that frequently? Are they getting them so they can get home and show their spouse/partner what the idiot on the highway did that morning? Do they just want to rewatch their commute to work each day? Is it just that, as a more expensive car, people are willing to spend more on the possibility that you may need the record for court if something ever happens?

Thanks

 

[devilmountain]

I don't have one but want to get one. With so many bad drivers out there I would want to show my innocence if I was involved in some sort of crash or help out another driver involved in an accident. This includes extremely slow drivers that make sudden lane changes, people who just pull out in front of traffic, high-speed drivers, and so on.

 

[trunks13]

Mainly for insurance purposes. With a video, it's much easier to determine fault during an accident whereas without one, it would be your word against someone else's.

 

[Rockster]

Because there's a strong correlation between people who drive like crap and people who lie about driving like crap. It's easy for a person to run a stop sign or a red light and say you did. Or drift out of their lane and hit the side of your car and claim you were the one who left your lane. There are even reports I've seen on this forum of drivers stopping at a light or a stop sign, deciding they were too far forward, putting their car in reverse, and hitting the car behind them. Then, they lie and say the person rear ended them.

It only takes one such event to save me my deductible and a rise in insurance rates and the dash cam has paid for itself many times over.

 

[turtlesz]

I have installed dual channel dash cameras w/ parking mode on my cars for footage in case of an accident. I keep high deductibles on my insurance because I've never had to really use it and rather save on my annual rate. There were 2 incidents that weren't my fault, one was in a parking lot and a car bumped into me and another was when a person clearly didn't see me on the road and took a illegal right turn and hit me. Both times I had a camera and just sent in the proof to insurance and the rest was taken care of of and I didn't have to pay a deductible or argue back and forth about stories. Generally parking lot accidents are listed as both parties at fault and that leads to your insurance rates going up. Having a dash cam can pay for itself after just 1 minor incident and they aren't that expensive. I bought a dual channel blackvue 750 and have a great installer I used for my previous car and only charged $100 for the Tesla. There are dashcams at all price points and I won't ever keep my cars without them.

 

[trunks13]

I have installed dual channel dash cameras w/ parking mode on my cars for footage in case of an accident. I keep high deductibles on my insurance because I've never had to really use it and rather save on my annual rate. There were 2 incidents that weren't my fault, one was in a parking lot and a car bumped into me and another was when a person clearly didn't see me on the road and took a illegal right turn and hit me. Both times I had a camera and just sent in the proof to insurance and the rest was taken care of of and I didn't have to pay a deductible or argue back and forth about stories. Generally parking lot accidents are listed as both parties at fault and that leads to your insurance rates going up. Having a dash cam can pay for itself after just 1 minor incident and they aren't that expensive. I bought a dual channel blackvue 750 and have a great installer I used for my previous car and only charged $100 for the Tesla. There are dashcams at all price points and I won't ever keep my cars without them.

Could you share where you got yours installed? I'm interested. TIA.

 

[Nocturnal]

I have one but haven't put it in place yet. I decided to get one after some nut in a pickup tried to ram me off the road last year. Brake checked me hard, pushed me into other lanes etc. If I had hit him it would have been hard to prove I wasn't at fault. Plus video would have let me report him to the cops. I think mine was maybe $100 on Amazon, if it helps me out one time in my life it will pay for itself 100x over.

 

[Graffi]

I saw the thread here on TMC for the IRO Dashcam and got one for $170. It took me about 15 minutes to install and set up on Phone App. Now that I have done it I could probably install one in less than 2 minutes. So easy.

We are waiting on the 4G model of the Waylens 360, so it may still take a little time, but the WiFi version is now available for those that want one.

 

[ibdb]

I don't have one -- yet. I think that's about to change, however.

My S is currently in the body shop after someone hit it in a parking garage, then left the scene without leaving any sort of note (they later claimed they couldn't find something to write with). An anonymous witness happened to see what happened and left us a note that our insurance company was able to use to track down the driver and hold them responsible. If the anonymous witness hadn't been there, we'd be out our deductible to get it repaired.

My S has also been rear ended by a driver who had started to make some noise about how I'd stopped short. That conversation ended very quickly when I pointed out I had stopped behind another car, for a red light, and for an ambulance with lights and sirens crossing the intersection in front of us. Had he tried to persist in his argument, dashcam footage would have shut it down very quickly.

In the past, I've stopped to provide my information to people involved in collisions that I witnessed in case someone was needed to help establish fault, and I've also had to stand on the side of the road with a sign trying to find someone who had witnessed a collision where I'd been hit and needed a witness to corroborate my version of events to hold the at-fault driver responsible. Having a video witness is another layer of protection.

 

[burnside]

I have one in my truck and have caught many accidents (more than 10) and have sent video to the victims to help their case. I have also caught video of vandalism, some cool wildlife, and other random events to share with friends and family.

I have yet to be involved in an accident myself with the dashcam installed, but knowing it's there gives peace of mind for when an accident does arrive. If you can install one, do it. You'll be wishing you had the next time you get hit and the other party tries to pull a fast one on you. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!!!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I see lots of posts about people getting dashcams, my question is what are the reasons people are getting them? I get that they can record footage in an accident or if someone breaks in - is everyone spending that much money on something that really doesn't happen that frequently? Are they getting them so they can get home and show their spouse/partner what the idiot on the highway did that morning? Do they just want to rewatch their commute to work each day? Is it just that, as a more expensive car, people are willing to spend more on the possibility that you may need the record for court if something ever happens?

Thanks

Because people.

 

[Az_Rael]

is everyone spending that much money on something that really doesn't happen that frequently

They may not happen that frequently, but can be very costly if you end up on the wrong side of a he said/she said accident and the other person decides to lie. You may end up with fault being determined against you, so you not only have to pay your deductible but have to pay higher rates for years until the accident falls off your record.

It is a cheap insurance policy.

 

[MXWing]

Things happen to Tesla’s that generally don’t happen to other cars.

The things that do happen, also seem to happen at a higher rate.

I think it’s easier for you just to keep taking the blue pill so the world is a much rosier place.

 

[dsvick]

I have yet to be involved in an accident myself with the dashcam installed...

Ahh, I see, it's one of those situations. If I install it I'll never need it, but if not I'll have 3 accidents that aren't my fault driving home ... got it

 

[Runt8]

I've never had a dash cam in any of my vehicles, and back when my Tesla was just an abstraction I assumed that they would release the dash cam feature before I got mine. After reading the responses in this thread and realizing that, if all goes well, I will have mine in 2 weeks makes me think a little more seriously about installing one.

Have people gotten the installation pretty much figured out by now? I read earlier threads where there were problems hooking into a stable power source that was kept on all the time. Does anyone have some good links where I can start researching brands and installation?

 

[Graffi]

Check the IRO Dashcam thread. It is discussed there. Always on power is in the Rear-View mirror.

 

[Canikony]

My mom was in an accident where the other driver initially admitted fault in person. Later one, the other driver's mom (it was a 16 y/o who it her) told insurance it was not his fault. The other insurance company was giving us a hard time until we said we have a dash cam. He asked for the footage and in less than an hour got a call back saying that after reviewing the footage and talking to their client, they admitted fault. The crazy thing is, they rear ended my moms car and still tried to deny it.

Get a dash cam.

 

[MXWing]

My mom was in an accident where the other driver initially admitted fault in person. Later one, the other driver's mom (it was a 16 y/o who it her) told insurance it was not his fault. The other insurance company was giving us a hard time until we said we have a dash cam. He asked for the footage and in less than an hour got a call back saying that after reviewing the footage and talking to their client, they admitted fault. The crazy thing is, they rear ended my moms car and still tried to deny it.

Get a dash cam.

People are scum. Tesla drivers without insurance? Probably 0%.

 

[Nocturnal]

We are getting dashcam functionality from Tesla sooner or later. I'm just going to power mine from USB power until then so I don't have to crack open any of my interior bits.

 

[iwannam3]

Because meteors? Bigfoot crossing the road? Seeing an an elusive "Tesla Killer" on the road?