Flying road debris punches through headlight - GIF

[Altair]

Flying road debris punches through headlight.




Previously:

Plank smashes through windshield - GIF
Log pierces offroad vehicle - GIF
Boy driving forklift skewers pickup truck - GIF
Tree falls in front of motorist - GIF
Car falls into obscure collapsed road - GIF

[Frank S]

Better the headlight than the windscreen, but my question is do people actually drive with a dash cam filming all the time? I can see where they cold be handy at times Just never owned one.

[WmRMeyers]

Better the headlight than the windscreen, but my question is do people actually drive with a dash cam filming all the time? I can see where they cold be handy at times Just never owned one.

I had one in my car when I was involved in an accident recently. Dude hit me in the right rear quarter panel and door, and was screaming that I ran the red light. Video shows that the light was green when I entered, turned amber, and the rear camera shows that the light turned red about a second before he hit me.

front camera

rear camera

I was ticketed based on his statements, I told the cop I thought I had video showing the lights, but couldn't get it to play while the car was still there. Pulled the camera and took it with me before the car was towed. Court case is March 29th, and we'll see if I get out of the ticket. The videos were enough that my insurance said I was not at fault, though his insurance says he wasn't at fault. We'll see how that goes, too. Eventually.

Bill

Addendum to answer your question: the camera is on when the ignition is on. It's got a shock sensor in it, and turns on if something triggers it, and that sensor also saves the video in a locked file. Once it's installed, all you have to do is drive. Installation is a bit of a PITA, since you need a connection to a circuit that is hot when the ignition is on, and you have to run the cables where they're out of the way as much as possible. Under the headliner and such is the usual way. Haven't gotten the camera installed in the "new" van that replaces the car, yet. It's supposed to be warm today, may work on it. Most of my time lately has been spent getting the wife's wheelchair lift installed in the van, and getting the wheelchair itself running again.

me

[Frank S]

Thanks Bill; I've driven vehicles with them just never owned one, My partner's 2021 F250 has about 6 cams on it but the only one I've ever seen him actually use is the rear cam when he backs up to hook up a trailer, I used to be able to back up to any of my trailers and position over the ball the first time without a cam but my depth perception is not what it used to be, Lately I have considered one more and more each time I need to move 1 of my trailers, but I keep thinking why not join the 21st century and have one in front as well.

[WmRMeyers]

Thanks Bill; I've driven vehicles with them just never owned one, My partner's 2021 F250 has about 6 cams on it but the only one I've ever seen him actually use is the rear cam when he backs up to hook up a trailer, I used to be able to back up to any of my trailers and position over the ball the first time without a cam but my depth perception is not what it used to be, Lately I have considered one more and more each time I need to move 1 of my trailers, but I keep thinking why not join the 21st century and have one in front as well.

Backup cameras and dash cameras are not the same thing. Last couple of cars I bought before the van were factory equipped with a backup camera, and the first couple of Hyundai's I got before they started installing them in about everything I put one in myself, because they have terrible blind spots. The newer Hyundai's still have the terrible blind spots, but it's not as bad now. Bought a wireless backup camera for the van, but haven't gotten it installed yet. It still needs wired connections to power, but the video is wireless, and I'm not sure how well it will work. It was about $38 on eBay, the dash cam was around $170 from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I added a couple of polarized lenses and the fuse/wiring kit, and brought it up to about $200 or so. Had to buy a new cable for the thing, as the old rear camera cable was trapped in the crushed door frame, and I couldn't get it out of the old car. This is the backup camera I ordered, still need to install: https://www.ebay.com/itm/133787106886

[Frank S]

Backup cameras and dash cameras are not the same thing. Last couple of cars I bought before the van were factory equipped with a backup camera, and the first couple of Hyundai's I got before they started installing them in about everything I put one in myself, because they have terrible blind spots. The newer Hyundai's still have the terrible blind spots, but it's not as bad now. Bought a wireless backup camera for the van, but haven't gotten it installed yet. It still needs wired connections to power, but the video is wireless, and I'm not sure how well it will work. It was about $38 on eBay, the dash cam was around $170 from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I added a couple of polarized lenses and the fuse/wiring kit, and brought it up to about $200 or so. Had to buy a new cable for the thing, as the old rear camera cable was trapped in the crushed door frame, and I couldn't get it out of the old car. This is the backup camera I ordered, still need to install: https://www.ebay.com/itm/133787106886

On his pickup he can pull up all 6 cams and view them live on the screen in what I used to call a radio Not sure what they call them these days. When it puts it reverse, the screen automatically goes to the backup cam, after hooking up he sets the length and weight of the trailer. There are cameras in the side mirrors facing forward and down to show the front corner and to the rear to show what he sees in the mirrors, when he passes another vehicle, the screen will beep to inform him he has cleared being an old truck driver he ignores the beep and puts his own safe distance between him and whatever he passed before pulling back in. This is all either dealer or factory installed options, his Prevost Motor home has a similar set up.
Pretty slick though.

[WmRMeyers]

On his pickup he can pull up all 6 cams and view them live on the screen in what I used to call a radio Not sure what they call them these days. When it puts it reverse, the screen automatically goes to the backup cam, after hooking up he sets the length and weight of the trailer. There are cameras in the side mirrors facing forward and down to show the front corner and to the rear to show what he sees in the mirrors, when he passes another vehicle, the screen will beep to inform him he has cleared being an old truck driver he ignores the beep and puts his own safe distance between him and whatever he passed before pulling back in. This is all either dealer or factory installed options, his Prevost Motor home has a similar set up.
Pretty slick though.

Bet that option cost about as much as I paid for the 2008 Chevy Uplander mini-van I just bought... $4000. My system is not nearly as well integrated, or capable.

Bill

[nova_robotics]

Better the headlight than the windscreen, but my question is do people actually drive with a dash cam filming all the time? I can see where they cold be handy at times Just never owned one.

Definitely. There are too many idiots out there, and when they do something stupid they're immediately going to try to blame you. It's just human nature. You need a dash cam. There's a dash cam in every vehicle I own, and I put one in my girlfriend's car. Just tuck it behind your rear view mirror and you never have to think about it.

[nova_robotics]

Bet that option cost about as much as I paid for the 2008 Chevy Uplander mini-van I just bought... $4000. My system is not nearly as well integrated, or capable.

The new in-dash Android stereos are spectacular. Some of the newer ones will do the multi-camera setup where it'll (somehow) stitch all of the video together so you get a continuous 360 rotatable view around the entire vehicle. I'm not entirely sure how they accomplish that, but it mimics the way Ford does it. That can be had for less than $500. Then you can put speed camera apps on your dash, and watch Netflix on long car trips. I love the things.

[PDXsparky]

Where do you think all the crazy Russian winter driving videos on youtube come from?

Many people have dash cams in corrupt countries for self protection. As shown by WmRMeyers, they can save you from being accused of breaking the law.