What is the California law regarding dash cam time & placard & location limits?

Wow. 30 seconds after a "triggering event", whatever that means.

Here is exactly what California says it means! :-)

(13) (A) A video event recorder with the capability of monitoring driver performance to improve driver safety, which may be mounted in a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver, in a five-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest to the driver and outside of an airbag deployment zone, or in a five-inch square mounted to the center uppermost portion of the interior of the windshield. As used in this section, ?video event recorder? means a video recorder that continuously records in a digital loop, recording audio, video, and G-force levels, but saves video only when triggered by an unusual motion or crash or when operated by the driver to monitor driver performance.

(B) A vehicle equipped with a video event recorder shall have a notice posted in a visible location which states that a passenger?s conversation may be recorded.

(C) Video event recorders shall store no more than 30 seconds before and after a triggering event.

(D) The registered owner or lessee of the vehicle may disable the device.

(E) The data recorded to the device is the property of the registered owner or lessee of the vehicle.

(F) When a person is driving for hire as an employee in a vehicle with a video event recorder, the person?s employer shall provide unedited copies of the recordings upon the request of the employee or the employee?s representative. These copies shall be provided free of charge to the employee and within five days of the request.

(14) (A) A video event recorder in a commercial motor vehicle with the capability of monitoring driver performance to improve driver safety, which may be mounted no more than two inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver?s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Subparagraphs (B) to (F), inclusive, of paragraph (13) apply to the exemption provided by this paragraph.

What's the rationale for the 30 second limitation?

Are the cameras covered by this law aimed at the driver in the vehicle, or aimed at the road in front ? Or what ?

I find problems with the law and also with the link to the attorney's comments on it. The law appears to have originally been written to cover video recordings aimed at monitoring the drivers of things like taxi's and delivery trucks. As such it made some sense that they would have a G-force trigger that would save the last 30 seconds, otherwise it just went away. As I read the law it defines a specific device, a video event recorder with specific requirements including the g-force thing. In all of the BS in the law it's clear that the intent is to not have people sticking the things on the windshield and blocking their view. So I see two things that eliminate any need to even follow this law.

1) don't buy a video event recorder. What I mean is, just buy a video camera that records whatever the hell you want to record for as long as you want and no g-trigger. 2) after buying it, don't mount it on the windshield, not anywhere. Mount it on the top of the dash in a place where the driver's view is not blocked in anyway thru any part of the windshield. If slightly to the left of center toward the back of the dash in no way obstructs any part of the windshield from the drivers position then put it there.

If the cops say your are violating the law ask how something that blocks NONE of the windshield and that does NOT match the specs of the video event recorder could even be covered by the law. Remember , the law itself first defines what a video event recorder is and you don't have one. As long as you haven't blocked any part of teh windshield, all teh BS about 5 and 7 square inches here there and wherever doesn't apply. There isn't any law prohibiting video cameras in cars, all there is is a law saying you can't block the drivers view with "stuff", plus a specific mention of something you don't own, a video event recorder. So you don't need to post warning signs for your passengers either.

I'm not an attorney or judge so no telling how the court or cops would react when these FACTS are pointed out to them.

VER's are a waste. This law was apparently written by some newbee politician looking to make his name known. I'd rather have a full fledged video camera that records continously.

As for recording audio, it's my damn vehicle. If I want to record audio I don't need to tell the passengers.

With today's technology, I can mount a camera practically anywhere in a vehicle I want and you'd never know it was there.

About the g-force stuff. Most people don't really understand it. Like they say you pull 10g's going around a corner at 100mph. As an example. This is pure bullshit. Realistically, the g-force you DO pull is less than

2.

richard wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net:

California is a "two party consent" state. That means that both parties to the recording (one of them being you) must be informed of the fact that they are being recorded.

A "one party consent" state will mandate that only one of the parties to the recording must be informed. And that one party would be you.

Failure to notify both parties in a "two party consent" state usually results in the recording being inadmissible in court, and you can be sued for failure to notify.

You can Google this.

Interestingly, they are aimed forward, through the windshield. The only part of the driver which is recorded is audio.

It seems the "loop" legally must be 30 seconds, which seems far too little to be of any use.

Or, maybe I'm wrong, but the "triggering" event is 30 seconds after a crash?

Can someone explain the 30-second rule?

These are the dozen all-party consent states: California Connecticut Delaware Florida Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Montana New Hampshire Pennsylvania Washington

But, what I want to know is how the 30-second rule is supposed to work.

Does that mean that I can record, essentially forever, but, after a "triggering event" (i.e., an accident), I can then only record for a further 30 seconds?

Or, does it mean the "loop" has to be a 30-second loop?

What does it mean that California law stipulates: "Video event recorders shall store no more than 30 seconds before and after a triggering event."

Probably because they don't want to chance the system looping around and erasing any of the footage. Of course it would also limit the ability to discover how long it actually takes for help to arrive.

And if you do, you should find per CA penal code section 631 that this applies to recording telephone conversations.

You don't understand what this means? The camera is always recording.as you drive. When the event happens, a second file is generated that contains the 30 seconds before and after.

I had a camera that would record up to 8 hours. At the end of 8 hours, that file is deleted and a new one begins.

That is an interesting insight, and, if it holds, it may be how a user can get around the 30-second limit.

I guess the question is whether a basic sd-card camera like this one is a "video event recorder" or not???????

That brings up an interesting legal technicality.

If the camera is /NOT/ mounted *TO* the windshield, is it still required, by law, to do 30-second loops only?

bob mullen wrote, on Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:07:05 -0700:

Apparently it's not so easy to find a good dash cam nowadays.

[...]

Oh joy. This topic again.

I still don't understand the 30 second rule. I understood what you said, which was that there is a

*second* file, created at an accident, of one minute duration, consisting of 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after.

But, why not just keep the *original* file (of any duration) and just add the 30 seconds after the accident?

That is, why create 2 files of the same event?

Possibly this:

It appears as though the law is set up to protect the rights and privacy of the owner/lessee of the vehicle. Particularly if the unit is installed by some other party (manufacturer, insurance company, etc.). They don't want hours of non event related recordings available to other parties. And the recordings triggered by the event belong to the owner/lessee.

So the question is: If its my car, I'm driving it and I'm OK with longer than a +/- 30 second window, is that OK?

Also, signs warning passengers about recording probably deal with the audio recording capabilities and two party consent rules. No audio and the camera is pointing out the windshield? Probably no sign required.