Are dashboard cams widely used in the trucking industry?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by passport220, Nov 1, 2012.

  1. passport220

    passport220 Road Train Member

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    I noticed the price of dashboard cams has been going down and the quality is going up. You can get a good basic cam that will record 8 to 12 hours of action for around $50, some even less.

    I plan on one just to capture some of the road to post to family and friends of the places I am driving, also as documentation if I have some kind of problem like an accident. Since it will be my private cam and not the companies, I figure if I don't want that recording to come out, I can control it.

    Do a lot of truckers use them? Is there a downside to using one?

    Dual-CAM-Car-Dashboard-Camera-8.jpg
     
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  3. llloXolll

    llloXolll Light Load Member

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    Private cam or not, if involved in an accident and Law Enforcement discovers the cam you can expect to have it supena'd ... to help or hurt you ...
     
  4. WRIGHTRACING

    WRIGHTRACING Heavy Load Member

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    Yes...if your wife sees the lot lizard you picked up, then you may be in trouble at home. Other than that, seems it would be very useful in court, say if you have an accident, or get a pesky red-light ticket that you have proof you couldn't stop for.
     
  5. HwyPrsnr

    HwyPrsnr Medium Load Member

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    Like oXo said...court can supena it. If you use it in court, remember there might have been a mistake you did before accident that can cost you your CDL. You might think you are in the right, but there might be something showing that you didnt know that can hurt you. Example...if cam shows that you passed someone that was running the speed limit 2-5 minutes before a different car pulled out in front of you that you hit and was his fault? YOU recieve a ticket or worse, cause if video shows if you were running the speed limit, you would not have been there in the first place. Doesnt matter if it was only 2 miles over the spped limit...It IS still speeding. YOU are at fault. Dash cams are a double-edge sword. Not everything is as it seems. Your point-of-view isnt always right. Be safe out there drivers.
     
  6. Oi!

    Oi! Road Train Member

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    I have a GoPro mounted on the windshield. I use it to record some of the cool places out west.
     
  7. Skull_Leader

    Skull_Leader Light Load Member

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    I'm thinking of doing something like that too, and maybe something that show side view too. in case someone runs into the side and accuses me of running them over during a turn
     
  8. Oranje5150

    Oranje5150 Bobtail Member

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    Wow, someone woke up on the pessimistic side of the bed and saw the glass of water on their nightstand half empty. 1) These simple cams do not record speed like the law enforcement full on data recorders. Just a simple fixed video in the direction that you point it. 2) Just because some one subpenas something does not mean they are going to get it. I don't mean to violate a subpena but the data card could be long gone before the subpena even arrives if you feel it needs to be. 3) If you are running safe most of the time, the cam will likely catch your actions as safe most of the time. Trucking is one of the most highly regulated industries in the country. The video would likely back you up and show where the true problem is (not the trucker), 4) You would not allow the video to be shown in court unless it really backs up your side of the story. You would vet the video with your lawyer and an outside expert before you decide to display it before the court. 5) Just the fact that you have a video record will most of the time save you from having to be in court in the first place! People will not fight and make up a one sided story of how you are wrong if they know you have a video record of the actual events. Go ahead and get a video dash cam recorder, may as well get used to running with one. It is likely in the not too distance future all vehicles on the public roadways will be REQUIRED to have one.
     
  9. Balakov100

    Balakov100 Road Train Member

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    lThe Original Poster Appears to be from the Phillipines laws might be different there.
     
  10. passport220

    passport220 Road Train Member

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    Born and raised in Northern Illinois. I am in the Phillipines now, but I plan to return to the USA to take a job as a big rig driver and would like to get a cam like the one in the pic in my OP.
     
  11. newly crusin

    newly crusin Medium Load Member

    ...well written...
    ...I'm seriously considering a dash cam...
    ...spoke to an O/O several months ago, he used it to video DOT doing a level 1, to avoid them falsely citing him for violations...
    ...which probably never happens anyway( getting cited for false violations).
    ...anywho, I disagree that they be required in the trucks....legal thing..my opinion..

    crusin
     
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