News Archives - Page 3 of 3

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers — Leave a comment

The importance of car cameras for driving instructors

There are currently around 23,000 driving instructors in the UK, each of them blessed with nerves of steel and the patience of angels. Certainly, if my lessons are anything to go by, their days are fraught with hair-raising manoeuvres at the hands of nervous students with less clutch control than a herd of buffalo. But, rather than screaming for their lives, clutching the dashboard with white knuckles, they are always a picture of calm and reassurance, as they invite us to try again (and again, and again).

We receive many enquiries from driving instructors looking for dash cams and, when you spend a significant amount of your time in your car and it’s your primary source of income, it’s easy to see why. The peace-of-mind that comes from ensuring that you have video evidence of your innocence in the case of a crash is invaluable. Not to mention that insurance claims are often processed much quicker when supported by video evidence, meaning that your car can be back on the road as quickly as possible if it was damaged.

We took to Twitter to find out why some of our driving instructor followers had installed car cameras. Geoff Watkins of Geoff Watkins Driver Training said:

“I wouldn’t be without one. Firstly as an insurance policy, as there are too many dangerous and aggressive drivers. Secondly, as a teaching aid to show learners their actions and what they missed in the road and thirdly, as a tool to capture the exceptionally bad and dangerous drivers on video and send to police for prosecution. On top of that, a good system will cover front and rear of car, and acts as a CCTV system when car is parked. Any instructor not with a system is mad, the way things are on the roads nowadays”.

But protection and peace-of-mind aren’t the only benefits of installing a car camera. A quick YouTube search delivers thousands of videos, posted by UK driving instructors, offering training tips, and promoting their services. Using video captured via car camera, instructors are able to produce high-quality marketing and promotional material for very little cost. And, harnessing the power of social media, they are able to target their local market and win new business.

Footage of lessons is also being used as a teaching aid, allowing students to review their performance between lessons, identifying areas for improvement. With many cameras, such as the iPixi X100FHD and the RoadHawk RH-2, able to record the driver as well as the road ahead, they can review their driving style while performing particular manoeuvres. At the end of a lesson the student can simply take home the memory card from the camera and view the footage on their home computer. With GPS and motion data being captured as well as high definition video, students have access to a detailed record of their lesson.

A Driving Standards Agency spokesperson said:

“We expect ADIs to be able to use a range of learner centred techniques to support effective learning. Used appropriately, in-car video-recording can be an effective learning aid, e.g. to replay incidents to the learner so that they can analyse what happened for themselves.”

Adding, “we do not allow any driving tests to be filmed. This is to avoid putting extra pressure on candidates.”

We offer driving instructors a special discount on any of our car cameras. Find out more about this exclusive offer here, or browse our full range of car cameras. If you have any questions or thoughts, we’d love to hear them. You can comment below, call, email or tweet us!

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers — Leave a comment

Driving tips for windy and rainy conditions

Here are a few simple tips for safe driving in the wind and rain. Firstly, ask yourself if your journey is strictly necessary, or if it can be delayed. If not, be sure to check whether there are any delays or incidents along your route.

Driving in the Rain

Wet roads can double stopping distances so allow yourself plenty of space and reduce your speed. If your vehicle hits surface water and loses grip, take your foot off the accelerator rather than braking, and try not to steer too suddenly. If you encounter flooding, drive slowly, in a low gear, while keeping the revs high, making a special effort not to stall. Test your brakes afterwards, to make sure they’re still working.

Driving in the Wind

Gusts of wind are particularly hazardous to high-sided vehicles, but can also knock cars and cyclists off course. Stretches of open road may be susceptible to cross winds and be conscious of gusts when passing bridges, trees and large vehicles such as lorries.

Follow these simple tips to help you stay safe on the roads if you must venture out in the stormy conditions.

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers — Leave a comment

How dash cams recorded the Russian meteorite

Whilst recording the rare natural wonder of a meteorite crashing through the Earth’s atmosphere at 100,000 mph isn’t exactly on the top of the list of reasons to buy a dash camera, they do certainly provide amazing footage of something we’ve never seen on this scale before.

Whilst these are very rare events, they do in fact happen several times every year. So what was different this time? Well, mainly the fact that it was caught on camera by thousands of people across the region and immediately published online for the world to see.

Back in February this year an asteroid crashed into the Earth over Russia – named the Chelyabinsk meteor. This awe inspiring sight was travelling at an estimated 40,000 mph which lit up the morning sky creating dark shadows across the large Russian region.

Never before has there been such an abundance of footage of such an event which is instantly viewable by people across the world. This was made possible by the popularity of dash cams and car cameras across Russia. Dash cams are popular to help combat insurance fraud and
corruption, so much so, that almost every car is equipped with one of these tiny little cameras.

The footage not only provided us with incredible video to watch on the news and on YouTube, it also provided scientists with high quality video evidence from almost every angle. With these multiple angles and video timestamps it allows scientists to piece together detailed information about the direction, size, and speed of this meteorite – for the first time!

Take a moment to think about this. According to latest estimates there are over 1 billion cars on our planet. If every car was equipped with a car camera we would have video evidence for every second of the day, in every direction, across the whole planet – you will either find that exciting to see what things we’ll capture or equally scary that someone is always watching!

Personally, I’m excited at the possibility of being able to capture even more wonderful things than the Chelyabinsk meteor. So, grab one of these car cameras today – you never know what you might capture!

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers — Leave a comment

Our New Range of Bike Cameras

After receiving many requests for bike cameras as well as car cameras, we’ve started to introduce a carefully selected range from the best manufacturers. But what is a bike camera? And how is it different from a car camera or an action cam?

Essentially, bike cameras enable cyclists and bikers, in fact, anyone who wears a helmet for their chosen activity, to record their actions from their point-of-view. This can give either a detailed record of events on the road in the case of an accident, or, more happily, capture exciting events such as extreme sports – from mountain biking to motor sports!

Bike cameras are designed with the main purpose of being mounted on a bike, or more usually, on a helmet. As well as dictating that they must be compact and lightweight, this means that they need to be weather-proof and be easily controlled by touch alone. To this end, most bike cameras have simple buttons that can be used to start and stop recording without looking, and some even feature vibrating alerts that can be felt through the helmet, ensuring that the user knows that their camera is operating as it should.

Due to their lack of screens, videos are usually viewed on a computer, after being downloaded from the cameras memory card, or a monitor if the camera features a video out option like the Replay XD1080. Without a live view to aid alignment when mounting, some cameras feature a laser pointer built-in, such as the Dogcam Bullet HD 2.

In contrast to our range of car cameras, motorcycle cameras lack features such as event recording and parking protection as these features don’t lend themselves to these applications. However, cameras such as the RoadHawk Ride do offer loop recording, which means that the camera will record continuously, overwriting older files as necessary. This functionality means that a camera can remain in place, recording continually until the latest footage is required, for example, in the case of an incident on the road where video evidence is required to support your explanation of events.

While some motorbike cameras can be hard-wired into the bikes electrical system – in which case they will activate when the ignition is turned on – they usually run off a small internal battery which can be charged
easily via a USB port.

So, whether you’re looking for peace-of-mind on the roads, or video of your extreme sports, our carefully selected range of bike cameras offer various options to deliver precisely the functionality you need and with high-quality HD video.

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers — Leave a comment

Top Tips for City Driving

More often than not, our customers install a car camera because they’re looking for protection against other drivers on the roads around them. And that need for peace of mind is, understandably, highest in cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester. Here, high traffic volumes and congestion make driving conditions difficult and stressful, and the result is that 75% of all UK motor accidents occur in urban environments.

We spoke to insurance company Adrian Flux, who said that although the most serious accidents tend to happen at higher speeds, city drivers suffer more than their fair share of shunts, bumps and scrapes. Their spokesperson also highlighted that it’s likely that the majority of ‘crash for cash’ accidents happen where there is less risk of serious injury – in other words, in urban areas.

With that in mind, we’ve produced our top tips for city driving to help you minimise the chance of being involved in an accident.

1.Keep your distance

Rear-end collisions are one of the most common forms of road traffic accident so by simply ensuring you have a safe distance between you and the car in front, you give yourself ample time to react to their actions safely. Also, by communication your actions well in advance, with clear indications and gentle breaking, you give drivers following you enough time to react accordingly, reducing the chances of being rear-ended yourself.

2. Give Yourself Time

Speeding is a major contributor to the accident rates in the UK, but by allowing yourself extra time to get to your destination, you can drive in a slow and calm manner. At slower speeds you are also able to analyse road conditions better which will help you to avoid any potential hazards.

3. Anticipate

Don’t just survey your immediate surroundings, such as the car in front and the one behind, ensure that you are aware of activity as far ahead of you as is possible, paying particular attention to junctions, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights. In city environments, pedestrian and cycle traffic can have a significant impact on vehicular activity, so be sure to make yourself aware of activity on the pavement and in cycle lanes, as well as on the road itself.

4. Read the Signs

Road signs are there for a reason, so make sure you pay attention to them as they give you early warning to any hazards on the road ahead. As well as road signs, road markings will also help you to identify any potential threats and allow you to react accordingly.

5.Regularly service your veichle

It’s one this making yourself more aware of the potential dangers of the road, but you also need to be sure that your vehicle is in good working order. Among other things, ensure that your brakes are in good condition so that you can stop effectively if required and that your lights, windscreen wipers and heater are working so that you have optimum visibility in all conditions.

6. Concentrate

It sounds simple, but every time you step behind the wheel of your vehicle, it requires your full concentration. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by your stereo, sat nav or mobile phone. In busy cities, the landscape of the road ahead of you can change dramatically in a heartbeat, so ensure that you are focused at all times.

Follow these simple tips and you will greatly reduce the likelihood of being involved in accident. However, for those occasions that a collision is unavoidable, a car camera will ensure that you have irrefutable evidence as to the circumstances surrounding the event. This evidence can be crucial in proving your innocence, helping you to protect your no claims bonus and avoid rising insurance premiums. Also, with some insurers offering discounts to customers who install a car camera, there are potential savings to be made too. Adrian Flux commented that insurance premiums can also be higher in some urban areas in the UK, so discounts of up to 15 per cent can count for a lot more.

If you have any other top tips for safer driving please comment below.

Drive safely.

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers

Flash for Cash Scams

As featured in today’s media, incidents of a worrying new twist on the ‘crash for cash’ scams are being reported, where drivers waiting to exit junctions or driveways are flashed, signalling that they are safe to proceed, before they are deliberately crashed into. Dubbed ‘flash for cash’ these scams are engineered to place the blame on the innocent party and are generally followed by a substantial, and often grossly inflated, insurance claim. Read more on how this type of crash for cash scam is engineered.

So, is this the beginning of the end for common courtesy on UK roads? These incidents are thankfully isolated, but they have been reported widely in the media, including the BBC, and will be on the minds of drivers up and down the country. The next time you are flashed before exiting a junction or merging onto a busy, but slow-moving carriage way, will you think twice?

We sincerely hope that in defiance of this type of unsociable behaviour, drivers will remain courteous on the roads and help to make UK highways a calmer and safer place to be. However, if you’re looking for some additional protection against ‘crash for cash’ and ‘flash for cash’ scams, a car camera installed in your vehicle will record activity on the road around you to provide irrefutable evidence if you’re involved in an incident. Our range of dash cams offer HD video recording, multiple lenses and wide-angle lenses to help you capture as much detail as possible.

Posted on July 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Eric Rogers

Our new website is live!

After months of hard work our new site is now live. We’ve also compiled our new range of the best car cameras currently on the market covering all areas of technology. We realise that buying a car camera can be a confusing task so we’ve tried to make the website as easy to use and friendly as possible. Plus, we’ve added lots of guides to help you decide what’s most important to you.

We’ve divided the range into categories depending on the most common features and added filters to you can easily and quickly narrow your criteria down until you find the camera that’s right for you.

We combine this extensive product range with a secure and fast checkout process to make ordering from Car Camera Shop as easy as possible. Over the coming months we’re testing and reviewing new products which are set to advance the car camera market even further – so watch this space!

We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or feedback on the website or car cameras in general. So drop us a line for a friendly chat.

We look forward to seeing you again soon,

Car Camera Shop