I was thinking about buying a helmet cam when riding, now I’m thinking I may stick one in the car for insurance just in case eg…
Earlier today got held up behind a car towing a horse box, which was following a pelethon of about 6 road bikes. Quite a windy ‘A, road so it took about 3 miles before a safe overtaking opportunity for the horse box to get past. It powered up and pulled out wide as the bikes were 2 or 3 a breast, About to do the same but the guy in a white van behind me had already made a move so I safely dropped in behind him and got round with time to spare. In fact so much time (as it was clear) that when the box and the van rounded the bikers and pulled back in, I dropped a gear to get past the van and the horse box. The dumb ****t pulled back out in front of me nearly took me out.

The physical evidence – of your car smashed into the back of another vehicle will tell the same story and achieve the same result of having film of you smashing your car into the back of another vehicle. But the latter can be edited into a youtube compilation 😀

You can get car specific camera/data recorders quite cheaply.

They have a camera, GPS and a G sensor – in a high G event – they write protect the video and data for the previous 10 minutes.

What neninja said.

Ask your insurers as there’s probabaly some sort fo aproved list rather than something off DX.

Although as noted up there –^ the damage will tell the story in most ‘accidents’, they’d be more usefull if someone was deliberately slaming on the brakes on an open road then claiming you sped into the back of them or reversing into you at a junction and claimnig you ran into them.

If you have gone in to the back someone you were too close.
It could have been a baby deer that ran into the road in front of the vehicle in front whilst you were putting your mascara on 😉

I use a car specific one – it sits up behind the rear-view mirror out of sight, is wired in to the car’s power and starts up / shuts down with the car. Overwrites old footage, anything with high Gs is kept separately (although I’m still adjusting the threshold to try to cut out speed bumps triggering it). Key thing IMO is to have something that is no faff at all to use.

What convinced me was this incident – http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/232185-firby-in-traffic-collision/ – an unsecured load from a tipper Transit coming away on a corner. Van didn’t stop, but camera clear enough to get the registration, passed to police and insurers and claim processed with no dispute at all.

Lots of accidents are clear-cut for fault, plenty aren’t. Lots of drivers/witnesses will change their version of events after the fact – given mine cost about £120 and my excess is £400, it’s relatively cheap for the peace of mind.

If you’re cheap, like me, try out a free smartphone version first. I’m using AutoGuard from the Android store with a £6 windscreen mount/in-car charger eBay special. It records video from 320×200 up to 1080p, with GPS position/mapping and speed tracking which is embedded with the saved video files. I’m well impressed at the mo, and short of having a front & rear camera hardwired into the car I can’t see what benefits I’d get from spending £150+ for a dedicated set up.

Some commercial/fleet insurers are offering discounted rates for installing a proprietary system.

It’s no longer just about the fault/non-fault aspect but more the “crash for cash” craze. Many claims are being made where a vehicle is hit in the rear so liability isn’t under dispute but when the claimant’s info comes in there are suddenly 3 or 4 passengers that mysteriously appear despite not being there at the time of the incident. That, plus the extent of the damage can be reasonably ascertained, are reasons alone to consider cameras.

they’d be more usefull if someone was deliberately slaming on the brakes on an open road then claiming you sped into the back of them…

To be fair, if you went into the back of them, regardless of their actions, you’re partially to blame for driving too close in the first place.

To be fair, if you went into the back of them, regardless of their actions, you’re partially to blame for driving too close in the first place.

He was behind him but in the other lane the van effectively pulled out. Would be his (vans) fault for not checking before pulling out

To be fair, if you went into the back of them, regardless of their actions, you’re partially to blame for driving too close in the first place.

True, but it’s not un heard of for unscrupulous individuals to go out for a drive, and try to casue this kind of accident. I almost did it the other day following a car accross a series of (empty, with loads of visibility) mini roundabouts. On the last one they slammed on their brakes for no apparent reason.

At least you could disprove their claim that they were just waiting att he roundabout and you appeared out of nowhere, and once you’ve proved they’re lying the credability of any other details they provide dissapears.

Fortunately as you say, I wasn’t following close enough.

And was it an STW’er who had to back up down a street only for a car full of people (who seemed to know the people inthe car in front) to appear behind them?

He was behind him but in the other lane the van effectively pulled out. Would be his (vans) fault for not checking before pulling out

I wasn’t quoting the OP. But, the OP’s position is still a questionable one. Legally he might be right. However, under the circumstances people will make quick and rash decisions. It happens. And everyone has a duty to give people time to be aware of their surroundings and make decisions rationally.

A camera would help clarify matters though 😉

True, but it’s not un heard of for unscrupulous individuals to go out for a drive, and try to casue this kind of accident.

Oh, yeah, I’m sure it happens. I do completely agree and think cameras could be a good idea.