Legality of Dashcams

Snowyy, I think it was you who posted earlier this year about that Daily Roads Voyager App with the dashcam for smartphone. I downloaded it and tried it out in my personal vehicle and it is remarkable! It took a little tweaking to get it dialed in just right but boy is it ever great.

I bought Garmins new dashcam for my semi though and I like the simplicity and picture quality, but it doesn't have the geocache coordinates or speed. It stays on all the time in my truck.

One thing though about the Garmin is regarding the accelerometer. It has three settings of sensitivity, which has to be kept on the lowest setting because our roads in USofA are in such terrible condition that the medium and high sensitivity settings cause it to record whenever I'm trucking in usual conditions. So if an event occurs I'll have to remember to reach up and push the save button. It will then save (2) four- minute files, one before and one after the event.

 

in some states dashcams are not allowed in the windshield as they "obstruct the drivers view" and you can receive a ticket.

however the US Supreme Court has ruled that videotaping the police is legal and within your first amendment rights.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ibit-taping-of-police-20121126,0,686331.story

videotaping law enforcement is not illegal in any state. SCOTUS already ruled on this.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ibit-taping-of-police-20121126,0,686331.story

 

Skydivedavec - I've posted about that app 3 times and got grief about it. I too think it's great. Can't think of anything it's missing. I like that you can choose what appears on the screen, separate from what appears on the recording.

You're right about it taking some tweaking, but I think that is just because of all the options.

 

Man I hear ya' on the grief! Santa would get ridiculed here for inhumane treatment of animals, poor Rudolph, or for "he ate the last cookie and drank all the milk!" And yes, the options on that app, far superior to my Garmin dashcam. Thanks for sharing dude.

 

I love the app

only thing I'd like to see added is zoom and the information included when watching on computer. instead of keeping it confined to the files app so it's only viewable on the phone.

other then that. dailyroads ROCKS.

as far as obstucting view. i don't see how anyone can say anything if it's in a proper place. like on the dash in the middle. cuz mine isn't blocking my view.

some companies even mount there EOBR on the dash, in the middle. now i can see that obstructing view. as it's literally 10 inches diagnoally.

 

Like anyone on here is an attorney. You are going to get several different answers and probably none of them will be right.

 

I already cited the law and linked the ruling by SCOTUS. it's not illegal to record a law enforcement officer.

 

My other gig is as a photographer, I can tell you that you can record anything you can see in public at any time. You need no permission.

This is how these creeps who take the up skirt shots of women trying to catch them with no underwear get away with it, because it is technically visible in public.

If they can get away with that, I think it is a safe bet that you can run one stuck to the windshield of your truck.

There was the case in Keene NH where an activist was arrested and charged with eavesdropping for filming a judge while asking him questions, I believe however he won that case.

 

Oh and for more info www.copblock.org