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If you are reading this, you no doubt already recognise the importance and immense value a dash cam has in protecting your interests, reducing your insurance, and safeguarding your family. We seek to empower and protect our members on the road using dash cam technology, at home as part of our Community Watch programme and personally using our 999 emergency police app. 
 
In the event of an accident, or if someone needlessly puts you in harm’s way, how would you prove what happened? With no witnesses, the simple answer is, you couldn’t – it will be your word against theirs. The result, even with your no claims protected, is you will be asked to pay the excess on your policy (usually hundreds of pounds). But with a dash cam, the evidence is there for when you need it most. Did you know over 4 million people in the UK now use a dash cam to protect themselves? 
The 3 MOTORISTS BELOW didn't think they needed a dash cam but without the video evidence the 3 incidents below could have had very different outcomes: 
The HGV in front rolled backward 8ft and hit the car belonging to a member of PoliceWitness, whilst he sat in stand still traffic. Mr H said "it was a complete shock to see a vehicle traveling towards you on the motorway and I had no way to get out of the vehicle's path." 
 
The footage captured on the dash cam clearly shows that the member of PoliceWitness was not at fault and that the HGV was solely liable for the incident. Without this evidence, the insurance companies would have undoubtedly concluded that both drivers should share the liability 50/50 and our member would have had to make a claim on his insurance and potentially lost his no claims discount. 
The offending driver did not stop but fortunately the whole incident was captured on dash cam and our member was able to identify the offending vehicle to both the police and her insurance company. 
The car did not stop, instead it made off at speed down the road, where it performs another deadly manoeuvre at a busy junction. 
 
At court in North Wales the driver was not only imprisoned for 9 months, he was also fined, banned from driving for 2 years and will be required to sit and extended driving test before he is allowed back on the road. 
Why you should own a dash cam: 
 
• Members of policewitness.com can actually make money from the footage their dash cams capture. In the event of witnessing a third party accident, our members are encouraged to exchange details with both parties who then leave the rest to us to negotiate fees of up to hundreds of pounds, in exchange for use of the video footage. Mrs Cohead, from the Midlands caught on her dash cam a 2 car collision near a supermarket and received £200 for just a few seconds of footage. Mrs Cohead, like all our members received 100% of the payment PoliceWitness negotiated. This one incident alone paid for her dash cam! How’s that for service? 
 
• Important news - PoliceWitness.com has secured the cheapest car insurance for members using a dash cam in their vehicle. Guaranteed*. This is not a marketing ploy where discounts are offered against already inflated premiums. This is a genuine benefit with genuine savings for those associated with PoliceWitness.com. (*cheaper car insurance is dependent on your postcode, as some postcodes carry a higher risk). 
 
• Our buying power means we can supply known brands and models at the lowest prices. Click here to view our range of dash cams. What’s more, being a member of PoliceWitness is completely optional, buy your dash cam with membership or without, it’s your choice. 
 
 
 
 
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF POLICEWITNESS.COM MEMBERSHIP INCLUDE: There are 7 key areas (among others) where we focus to help the public and our members: 
 
1) Camera recommendation - steering consumers towards reputable, UK based suppliers offering 'evidential' quality products, exceptional customer service and of course a genuine product warranty. 
 
2) Cheapest car insurance in the UK - Important news - No gimmicks or marketing ploys, PoliceWitness.com has secured the cheapest car insurance for members using a dash cam in their vehicle. Guaranteed*. Paying too much already? Don’t wait for your renewal, members can enquire today and save a fortune. 
This is a genuine benefit with genuine savings for those associated with PoliceWitness.com. *Discount is dependent on your post code as certain post codes carry a higher risk. 
 
3) Reporting incidents - this is the most unique part of our service. We liaise with the police in a format they know, understand and can act upon. With decades of policing experience, both front line and strategic, reported incidents from our members (which are reported through our members’ area) are reviewed with our members’ interests our primary focus. 
 
4) Representing our members interests - we provide support, advice and representation for our members, liaising with insurers, the police, legal advisors and other third parties such as commercial firms who may have been involved in a reported incident. All our members receive complimentary support through our Insurance Representation Service. 
 
5) Members receive free access to the PoliceWitness Recognition Scheme - a scheme that recognises the efforts of our members, providing discounts, coupons and savings off a wide range of high street names, brands, restaurants and more. 
 
6) Holding bad drivers to account - PoliceWitness.com has a proven track record of holding bad drivers to account on behalf of concerned members of the public who are fed up with those who flout the law. Without a police officer in sight, incidents caught on our members dash cams have been used successfully all around the country, with the police issuing fixed penalty notices resulting in fines and penalty points, vehicle seizure warnings, compulsory re-training and even drivers banned. 
 
7) Peace of mind - An in-car camera or dash cam automatically records your entire journey as you start your vehicle, saving its images to a memory card much like a conventional digital camera, meaning you can simply forget about it until you need it. 
 
Whether it's proving to the police or insurer that you did nothing wrong, or indeed reporting a dangerous or inconsiderate driver through our unique service. 
 
Lastly, when buying a dash cam, please note no other dash cam supplier provides membership to our service. This is only available exclusively via PoliceWitness.com. 
 
 
 
What is the legality of filming whilst I drive? 
It is perfectly legal to film or take photos whilst in a public place, which when we consider the activities of tourists and the paparazzi, it’s actually quite obvious – but to give this right to film and photograph even further context, people will be surprised to learn that we can even film and record our interactions with a police officer, should we feel the need or wish to have a record of the conversation. 
 
There are actually very few exceptions to what is in essence a blanket right to film whilst in a public place. One of note is aggressive or persistent filming of an individual which in criminal law could amount to harassment. 
 
Other laws exist pertaining to the use of footage and/or photos which may be used to facilitate an act of terrorism, but in the main this of course doesn’t apply to the average motorist. 
 
So, now that we’re safe in the knowledge we can film in a public place, we obviously have no issue with filming our journeys as we go about our daily business. However the points to consider when installing a dash cam are firstly - its location - because it must not obstruct your view in any way, our recommendation would be to mount the camera high and behind your rear view mirror, allowing you to tuck the power lead around the roof lining so it’s not visible. 
 
It’s important that the dash cam you choose has the ability to start recording automatically when you start your engine. For obvious reasons you certainly don’t want to be fiddling with buttons and re-positioning a camera whilst you’re driving, so making the right camera selection is key. 
 
With safety in mind, any distraction can potentially be dangerous which is why in the past the police have successfully prosecuted a number of drivers for offences ranging from ‘Not being in proper control of vehicle’ through to careless driving for anything from eating a chocolate bar through to applying make-up. 
 
Could the footage be used against me? 
That depends on what you’ve done - for example if you are drunk at the wheel, mount a pavement and kill someone, yes, the police would have a power following your arrest to search your car in order to gather any evidence that could help with a prosecution…however the police do not have sweeping powers that enable them to seize your property at a whim, and you are under no obligation to hand it over, even if they ask nicely! 
 
If we look at some other scenarios, we’ll assume you are a normal, careful and considerate driver, but due to a momentary lapse of concentration, you go through a changing traffic light, which you believe was still amber, but 100 meters down the road you are pulled over by police. Could the footage captured by your dash cam be seized by the police and used against you in that circumstance? No certainly not - In this circumstance the police have no power to search, seize or request any property from your vehicle whatsoever. 
 
Let’s take another scenario, a car is pulled over for a routine check, after the officer thought the driver might have been going a bit too quick for his liking – upon opening the window the officer smells what he believes is an illegal substance. He now has a power to search the occupants and the vehicle for that substance; however his or her search must be specific, and does not extend to the images recorded on the driver’s dash cam. 
 
In summary then, during the normal course of responsible driving, the police are unable to use footage from your dash cam in a bid to prosecute you for a minor road traffic offence. That said if the police were of the mind, they could seek a court order to obtain the images, however as most dash cams loop record due to limited space on the memory card, it’s likely any evidence they were looking for has been recorded over by that time. 
 
 
The diagram below shows how quick and simple it is to fit a dash cam. The dash cam is hidden behind the mirror so does not cause a distraction. The wiring is hidden behind the trim of your car which makes a tidy install: 
 
 
The majority of dash cam owners simply place their in car camera behind the rear view mirror, and run the power supply (usually a nice 4 metres long so there’s plenty of cable) around the windscreen, down to the cars 12 volt power supply – or, the cigarette lighter. 
 
Alternatively, you can choose to hardwire or use a battery pack which means that the dash cam is always on. the dash cam in to your car. The advantage of this is that the dash cam will begin recording as it detects movement with the Motion Detection technology. It can be useful in the fight against vehicle vandalism, or if you are parked on a busy road whereby somebody else may hit your parked vehicle.  
 
There are two ways to do this – using a hard wire kit that is compatible with your dash cam or a Cellink Battery Pack (find out more here).  
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