Following the recent explosion in popularity of dashcam videos on social media it has become increasingly enticing option to stick one in our own vehicles – but are they actually legal in South Africa?<\/p>\n
“The built-in memory and continuous recording of these nifty devices ensures that all the action is captured. With no-claims bonuses and potential lawsuits threatening drivers, these little cameras are rising dramatically in popularity across South Africa,” said Jeff Osborne, head of Gumtree Automotive.<\/p>\n
In theory, these cameras will avoid unscrupulous behavior from fraudsters who stage \u201ccrash for cash\u201d scams, as well as eliminating corruption from traffic officers who insist on \u201cspot fines\u201d or bribes as it creates a visual record of events. In practice however, there are no guarantees that you will win a case based on your video evidence, said Osborne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest issue with any new technology is that the law needs to catch up to advances. As it stands, there is no law clarifying the validity or legality of dash cams in South Africa. The degree to which the video evidence will be allowed will depend on the discretion of the court and the individual insurance firms, and the onus may well rest on the owner to prove that the footage has not been tampered with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Osborne also said that even if the other party is at fault, and admits it, there is no guarantee of any form of pay-out.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one really gets wealthy from an accident I\u2019m afraid,” he said.<\/p>\n
Privacy<\/strong><\/p>\n Some countries argue that dash cams can be considered electronic surveillance devices, and should be outlawed for that reason. However unless the issue is brought directly to South African courts, business should continue as usual.<\/p>\n \u201cIn general you can record anything that happens on public roads legally. But if you are recording audio of your private conversations with the people inside the car, you should inform them that your dashcam is recording,” said Osborne.<\/p>\n