Why are dash cams not an option on new cars?

Atlantic Dawn

I noticed there doesn't seem to be any new model of car that offers the inclusion of built in dash cam as part of the options. Surely this should be simple enough to add and will not be obsolete given the HD picture quality currently available for tiny money. It's especially annoying having to hard wire one to the car after purchase.

Toyotafanboi

Some Citroens are offering it this year iirc, cant remember which though.

colm_mcm

Citroen C3 has a built in dash cam.

Edit:what he said ^

Atlantic Dawn

colm_mcm wrote: »

Citroen C3 has a built in dash cam.

Edit:what he said ^

So it does, well done Citroen. There's an advert running for I think that model where a guy takes forward facing photos from the rear view mirror, they should instead show the dash cam working if they want to sell to the less tech minded.

The ConnectedCAM Citroën™ on New C3 means you can film spectacular scenery, unusual locations and cityscape. This new system uses a camera fitted behind the rear-view mirror to film what the driver sees through the car windscreen. It provides a video log of your everyday driving experiences: - Just click to take a photo and share it on social media. The camera films and stores what’s happening in front of you, so it could also provide valuable information in the event of an accident.

http://www.citroen.ie/new-cars-and-vans/car-range/new-citroen-c3.html#sticky

colm_mcm

They should at least have a switched mini USB plug on the back of the rear view mirror.

Special Circumstances

More than one manufacturer is working on this. Multiple cameras in some cases.

honda boi

I'm just shocked at the amount of people who don't have one!!

Digital_Guy

honda boi wrote: »

I'm just shocked at the amount of people who don't have one!!

Why so and what are the benefits? I can think of one or two potential ones but interested to hear?

colm_mcm

Evidence in the event of a crash, not necessarily one you're involved in, evidence in prosecuting dangerous road users, evidence in incidents involving pedestrians or cyclists, evidence in road range incidents or attempted insurance fraud, ability to post to YouTube!

Rowley Birkin QC

Are they not a bit fugly and messy looking though with cables and whatnot?

JPF82

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Are they not a bit fugly and messy looking though with cables and whatnot?

Not really. I have mine mounted up behind mirror. The cable is tucked into the roof and a pillar lining around by the windscreen. It then is tucked in under the glove box and only visible at the where I plug it into the cigarette lighter.

Many people have worse crap hanging off their rear view mirror.

colm_mcm

On my car the middle bit of the windscreen behind the mirrors is blacked out, so there's nowhere discrete to put it. I don't like stuff like that to be visible, just looks messy. I have a dash cam sitting here unused now,

listermint

JPF82 wrote: »

Not really. I have mine mounted up behind mirror. The cable is tucked into the roof and a pillar lining around by the windscreen. It then is tucked in under the glove box and only visible at the where I plug it into the cigarette lighter.

Many people have worse crap hanging off their rear view mirror.

Its just as simple to use a fuse tap and put it into an ignition fuse on the board. Then zero exposed cables and whole thing is on at ignition. You've done all the hard work.

honda boi

Digital_Guy wrote: »

Why so and what are the benefits? I can think of one or two potential ones but interested to hear?

For me, in case of an accident mostly.
Was in a motorbike accident last year and battled with liability . if I had a helmet cam,there wouldn't of been any hassle!

Digital_Guy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Evidence in the event of a crash, not necessarily one you're involved in, evidence in prosecuting dangerous road users, evidence in incidents involving pedestrians or cyclists, evidence in road range incidents or attempted insurance fraud, ability to post to YouTube!

True, thought of some of those before myself, but would you want to have all of that evidence on camera, that you will then have to bring to court as the provider of same, etc - thinking of cases that don't even involve you mainly!

I guess I feel we never had dash cams and now they seem to be a thing, just wondering if they are definitely a good thing and worth having overall. I can see why the likes of taxi drivers have them though.

Autosport

Is it possible to buy a wireless dash cam?

Buffman

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Surely this should be simple enough to add and will not be obsolete given the HD picture quality currently available for tiny money.

Yep, especially on the models that already come with good quality parking cameras and lane assisit cameras etc. It wouldn't have taken much for them to include a way of recording what's being already filmed.

Atlantic Dawn

Autosport wrote: »

Is it possible to buy a wireless dash cam?

Most of them that I looked at buying can be operated wireless in that no permanent power connection is needed but the problem is the batteries in them have a terrible lifespan, some 20 minutes.

Third_Echelon

Using a GoPro Hero Session 5 for now with window suction cup... Hides behind the mirror ok, but needs power on longer journeys, so yeah, charging via USB C cable into cigarette lighter port is a bit messy.

Joeface

Used one of these to power mine (http://www.thedashcamstore.com/installation-kits/) not from that site but gives the idea .maplin use to have them but cannot find it at moment , just picked a fuse that Comes on with the ignition , starts and finishes automatically . and neater than having to use the cig lighter

Dash Cam's are 2 fold really , you might drive more carefully cause your on it all the time and If something happens at least you can prove your in the right ....

freddieot

The main downside I see is that unless you keep taking them on and off when you park the car, ( a pain in the at**) it could invite theft in the same way as leaving a Sat Nav stuck to the screen ?

I'd pick one as a priority on an options list though so quite a shame no real effort on behalf of car makers yet.

kirving

Manufactures are working on it, but even though the likes of a Go-Pro is extremely rugged, it's not as simple as bolting on into the car.

• Any part of your car has to last 10 years plus.
• Every single component on the circuit board has to be certified for automotive use - and tested as such.
• It's got to have software to monitor itself in case of an error.
• It has to actually be a reliable source of evidence, no point in a cheap one that can't read reg plates at night.
• It has to be on all of the time the car is on, which could be thousands of hours a year.

It's only really now that the quality of cameras is such that they're of any use to see meaningful detail at night time, and in automotive electronics, quality (reliability) exceeds all else. At this stage, the development is coming, but things move slowly at the behest of quality.


Plus they're very expensive today and will likely remain so for the time being. I'm not sure what a simple reversing camera costs these day, but it's not cheap.

listermint

freddieot wrote: »

The main downside I see is that unless you keep taking them on and off when you park the car, ( a pain in the at**) it could invite theft in the same way as leaving a Sat Nav stuck to the screen ?

I'd pick one as a priority on an options list though so quite a shame no real effort on behalf of car makers yet.

Cameras are cheap thieves know it like 30 euro cheap. Not worth their while.

If your sticking a go pro in well different matter altogether.

freddieot

listermint wrote: »

Cameras are cheap thieves know it like 30 euro cheap. Not worth their while.

Unfortunately, I've had my own car broken into once before, only thing stolen was an old jumper and believe it or not, a box of tissues. Obviously someone was cold ! I tend to be quite careful since then.

I completely agree that the more 'professional' thief would not be bothered as it would not fit with the effort and risk involved but some muppets will steal anything that they can grab out of a car.

Special Circumstances

freddieot wrote: »

Unfortunately, I've had my own car broken into once before, only thing stolen was an old jumper and believe it or not, a box of tissues. Obviously someone was cold ! I tend to be quite careful since then.

I completely agree that the more 'professional' thief would not be bothered as it would not fit with the effort and risk involved but some muppets will steal anything that they can grab out of a car.

€3 toll change and a torch from Lidl. Round limerick it's young lads doing it because they can more than anything else.