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Tivo For Cars

 Minicams fore and aft, with recording loop
  (+15, -4)(+15, -4)
(+15, -4) 		  [vote for,
against]

Having just witnessed an irate car driver yelling and screaming at some other driver, because the latter had the temerity to plough into the former while the former was executing a high-speed (and illegal) U-turn on a busy Manhattan avenue, I was thinking that car-mounted video cams of the kind used in police cars could be most useful in resolving traffic disputes.

Two cameras with wide angle or fish-eye lenses, one at the front and one at the back of the car, continuously recording Tivo style onto some resilient memory device. Either a dashboard button or any crash big enough to trigger the airbags would signal the device to record another fifteen minutes (to capture any aftermath and road rage), then shut down for posterity.

Resultant video would be most useful in the court and/or with one's insurance company (unless, of course, one is in the habit of executing illegal U-turns on busy streets).

And the cybernauts amongst us could publish the pictures to the Internet as a Webcam.

—DrCurry, Sep 23 2002

Drive Data Recorders http://www.halfbake..._20Data_20Recorders
Very simulyar. [waugsqueke, Sep 24 2002]

Hey look! http://www.truscene.com/
Someone Baked this! [DrCurry, Jul 29 2006]

[link]






       Hmm.. I'm busy talking on this cell phone, why not pause live driving and resume when it's convenient? Aah, Tivo, how you simplify my life... CRASH!
—Mr Burns, Sep 23 2002
   

       Just as long as it also, for evidentiary value, watermarks the video in some robust way indicating authenticity (date, time, location) and also in some fragile way indicating whether video has been tampered with.
—bristolz, Sep 23 2002
   

       re bristolz's idea: not difficult to put some encryption key into the timecode. It might have to be some awkward format, but tampering would still be -- is always -- possible. As it currently is with photographs, but that doesn't seem to be a major problem.   

       I think this is great idea, especially in this world of insurance premiums gone horribly wrong.
—General Washington, Sep 23 2002
   

       I was hoping that this was a system for recording radio programmes while you were away from your car so you could play them back later, and wouldn't have to listen to "The Archers" ever again ....
—8th of 7, Sep 25 2002
   

       waugs: yeah, like that (which is actually Baked for trucks and some car fleets), only with video.
—DrCurry, Sep 25 2002
   

       Have a friend that hit a deer on a back road a few weeks ago. The deer went through his windshield, through his seat, and ended in the back seat of his truck. Today was his first day back at work. He still has a few broken ribs, but what you gonna do... Tivo for cars would have been a little help to the insurance co.   

       Oh, the deer didn't make it.
—barnzenen, Sep 25 2002
   

       Not a bad idea. I shall bake it presently. Well, as soon as I get a couple of cameras. I've already got the computer in there.   

       Perhaps I'll also put in a little sign: "In case of fatal accident, press button ->". And when the button is pressed the last N minutes is replayed while "Them Bones" by Alice in Chains plays.
—5tonsofflax, Sep 25 2002
   

       [8th of 7]: I thought the same thing - it would help to avoid that thing where you drive home and then have to sit in your car outside your house for about 10 minutes waiting for the fascinating radio programme to end.
—hippo, Sep 26 2002
   

       What doors it might open: Ultra-fun for cops, spies, or hackers to play with or hack into.
A new genre for crash-up derby.
America's Funniest Car Collisions.
www.RateMyDriving.com.
Instead of placards with 'How's my driving, dial 1-800-123-4567,' they'd have 'How's my driving, See (account number X).
Encouraging daredevils and morons to push their limits and then replay the whole thing afterwards.
—RayfordSteele, Sep 26 2002
   

       Hmmm, partially baked I'm afraid.   

       I saw such a device on an innovations awards TV show in the UK. Two micro cameras were mounted fore and aft, embedded in the rear view mirror.
—riposte, Jul 10 2003
   

       It could work against you in insurance claims as well...
—bewenched, Jul 11 2003
   

       (bewenched): To prevent that, it should include a "data purge" key sequence to erase the evidence. You submit your data to insurance if you want, you erase it so insurance / law enforcement can't use it against you.   

       Re the insurance angle: maybe a reduction in rates could be offered by the insurers, on the condition that your model NOT include a data purge feature. +
—gardnertoo, Nov 29 2003
   

       The unfortunate fact is in REAL LIFE the moment there is a dispute between drivers, it the indurance companys tend to take turns paying out.   

       I mean think of it .. if there has been $300 of damage done to one of the cars and both people are screaming it was the other's fault .. it's gonna cost the companies more money to investigate it .. then pick a loser and pay out. Then 2 weeks later when they have another dispute with the same insurance compan (different customers) the OTHER companies foots the bill .. so it all works out fair.
—britboy, May 18 2004
   

       [8th] if you post any idea that means I never have to listen to the Archers again, you'll get my bun.
—spacemoggy, May 18 2004
   
      
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