[aigel]

I checked into the law for use of dash cams. They are great if they prove your innocence / someone else's fault in the accident. However, if they are not recording things that are in your favor, it would be illegal to destroy the evidence. It is then a catch 22. Destroy it and get caught - it will be clear that you tried to hide your fault by destroying evidence and this will be used against you. Don't destroy it and it gets used in court, same result.

I weighed this carefully and decided against dash cam. IMHO, there are many scenarios where you will be clearly exonerated from other evidence but adding a dash cam would increase the chance being found partially at fault for some minor issue like being a few mph over the speed limit or reacting too late.

I do not know how hard the police is looking for dash cams in minor events, like fender benders. There you may get away with withholding the evidence. (often no police is even involved), but in more serious crashes involving personal injury, IMHO you can potentially do more legal damage to yourself than it will help you.

Where I have been thinking about a dash cam is for cycling. I have been harassed by coal rollers and people trying to push me off the road. I would have really liked to have that on camera, along with license plate information to file a report. On a bike I also think I have a slim chance causing a bodily injury accident. What has kept me from this is a) less road cycling in recent days and b) having to keep the devices charged and maintained on a bike is more work.

In the end I rely on myself being a cautious driver with over 30 years of driving causing zero accidents.

Cheers,

G