Dashcam videos: Would you stop?

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

So I watch a fair bit of dashcam videos, road rage videos, etc. 

One thing I noticed is many of the cammer who would witness an accident, don’t pull over to wait for police. I would think that if you have the accident on camera, you would have the best account of the accident, so should you not stick around to show that evidence to police? 

Especially ones where it is a hit and run, or someone was avoiding someone else’s stupidity, or road rage attempt and that is what caused the accident. 

I don’t see how some would even prove they tried to avoid being side-swiped. 

Would you stop if you caught an accident on your dashcam? I have dashcam and personally I would stop.

[Guest]

   If only bent metal, I wouldn't get involved. If severe injuries, possible deaths or witnessed a criminal act, would depend on how can help. In cases of road rage would depend on the willingness to get involved in the prosecution. The video can always be posted online(with the others) or sent to crime stoppers organisations.

   Dashcams are very effective to report insurance fraud, something quite frequent in certain parts of the world. For the rest, it should be handled case by case.

[WildTiger 1296]

I agree with Greenteal, it is situational dependent.  Even though I don't have a dashcam I would stop to lend assistance and if necessary provide a statement to the police.

[waterat 20911]

I agree with both GT and WildTiger (see what I did there? GT is either Giant Tiger or Greenteal. You choose :) )

I'm retired and unlikely to ever purchase a dash cam but if it were a serious incident then giving a statemnt or showing up in court would simply provide me with a diversion and entertainment. I wouldn't want unnecessary demands on my time: especially if it conflicted with a visit with the lovely Jessica Rain!

[NotchJohnson 214123]

It is the law to stop and report what you seen after an accident other wise you may be prosecuted for not reporting it.

 

Just saying !

[Guest]

This article is not about dashcams, but explains the legal obligations after witnessing an accident:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/what-to-do-when-you-see-an-accident/article31847656/

 

Quote

It is the law to stop and report what you seen after an accident other wise you may be prosecuted for not reporting it.

  I can't find anything on that other than when involved in an accident/hit & run. As for the obligation to provide assistance "Good Samaritan Act", it's different in each province. Only in Québec witnesses have an obligation to stop and help.

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

1 hour ago, Greenteal said:

This article is not about dashcams, but explains the legal obligations after witnessing an accident:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/what-to-do-when-you-see-an-accident/article31847656/

 

  I can't find anything on that other than when involved in an accident/hit & run. As for the obligation to provide assistance "Good Samaritan Act", it's different in each province. Only in Québec witnesses have an obligation to stop and help.

That is good to know. 

[Guest]

    I witnessed a few accidents and most of the time you don't need a dashcam to figure out what happened. The most helpful information provided by video are often details like weather, visibility, road condition and signalisation.

    In Ontario, I witnessed a vehicle being t-boned in an intersection. At least four other vehicles stopped to provide assistance. So there was no need to stop.

    In Quebec, a young man passed me on the highway doing over 150km/h. Less than a kilometer later, he lost control in a curve and hit a guardrail. Knowing his stupidity was at fault, I wasn't motivated to help him. But being the first there, I was obligated to stop. So I turned the hazards lights on to warm vehicles behind me and stopped 100m passed the vehicle. The airbag had deployed and he was walking around shaken from the impact. By the time I reached him others were providing him assistance and called 911. As my help was not required and I did my legal obligations, I went back to my car and moved on. 

[mb139 1005]

I certainly would hang around for the police if for example it seemed the accident did not have a clear indication of who was at fault, since any evidence will help the police to make that call. You'd never want to see another person get screwed over by a decision made by the police after the fact (without full evidence).

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

On 8/17/2019 at 5:21 PM, mb139 said:

I certainly would hang around for the police if for example it seemed the accident did not have a clear indication of who was at fault, since any evidence will help the police to make that call. You'd never want to see another person get screwed over by a decision made by the police after the fact (without full evidence).

 

This is why I would stick around too. Especially for case where the accident was caused by another driver who was not actually hit. 

 

For example, when someone almost side-swipes a car and that car ends up ion a ditch because they avoided the other car. Then that side-swiper just drives off. It is not so much for the police but for the insurance company. Not fair that the car who ended up in the ditch gets screwed over for trying o avoid an accident. 

 

It is a lot of those videos that I see people don’t actually pull over, they just keep driving. I think we need to be more willing to help out.

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Jessica Rain said:

It is a lot of those videos that I see people don’t actually pull over, they just keep driving. I think we need to be more willing to help out.

    When dealing with bent metal, you got to ask yourself if worth getting involved. And especially in provinces and states without no fault laws where you may need to testify in court. It may be worth it when a criminal act, severe injury and death occurred. But not much if you're dragged in court by an "ambulance chaser" looking to profit from your testimony.

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

22 hours ago, Greenteal said:

    When dealing with bent metal, you got to ask yourself if worth getting involved. And especially in provinces and states without no fault laws where you may need to testify in court. It may be worth it when a criminal act, severe injury and death occurred. But not much if you're dragged in court by an "ambulance chaser" looking to profit from your testimony.

 

I don’t care about testifying. I have done it before. I don’t know why that would be a problem. 

 

And if the dam cam evidence shows what it shows, it doesn’t matter what I say. It is video, it says it all. Ambulance chaser or not, doesn’t matter. If the person is right, they are right. I would support them. 

 

But that is just me. I realized many are too worried about their own life to help out another. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Jessica Rain said:

But that is just me. I realized many are too worried about their own life to help out another. 

    It's not about not wanting to help, but more about what the situation is. When only bent metal, is it really worth potentially missing a day or two of work for a random stranger who wants to save a few hundred dollars on his insurance? Helping people is nice, but you got to ask yourself if really worth it.

 

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

6 minutes ago, Greenteal said:

    It's not about not wanting to help, but more about what the situation is. When only bent metal, is it really worth potentially missing a day or two of work for a random stranger who wants to save a few hundred dollars on his insurance? Helping people is nice, but you got to ask yourself if really worth it.

 

And I just explained that it wouldn’t bother me and I have done it before. 

 

I own my own business, taking time away is an option I have. 

 

Sorry, but if I see a guy almost side-swipe another car and that car goes off the road because he was avoiding the side-swiper and the side-swiper just drove off, I will stop and offer my dashcam video. That is not about saving a couple hundred dollars. That is helping him not get completely screwed because no one believes he got into the accident because he was avoiding another one. 

 

That is not fair to the driver. Plus, I don’t want the side-swiper on the road and I would like the cops to have something to go after him for. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Jessica Rain said:

And I just explained that it wouldn’t bother me and I have done it before. 

 

I own my own business, taking time away is an option I have. 

 

Sorry, but if I see a guy almost side-swipe another car and that car goes off the road because he was avoiding the side-swiper and the side-swiper just drove off, I will stop and offer my dashcam video. That is not about saving a couple hundred dollars. That is helping him not get completely screwed because no one believes he got into the accident because he was avoiding another one. 

 

That is not fair to the driver. Plus, I don’t want the side-swiper on the road and I would like the cops to have something to go after him for. 

   I'm speaking in general and not specific to your situation. I'm not saying your wrong to help. If you got video evidence that can help someone and you can afford to get involved, I'm pretty sure it will be appreciated. But for most fender benders, involvement is not always worth it.

   Again, each situation is different.

[Jasmine Rain 23126]

12 minutes ago, Greenteal said:

   I'm speaking in general and not specific to your situation. I'm not saying your wrong to help. If you got video evidence that can help someone and you can afford to get involved, I'm pretty sure it will be appreciated. But for most fender benders, involvement is not always worth it.

   Again, each situation is different.

 

I’m just a helpful person. That is my nature. 

 

I admit I am dumb with it too. I still send men to an SP in the area who does not like me all because I’m competition and I didn’t know but one client went from her to me. But she doesn’t screen like me and is slightly cheaper so when guys can’t meet my screening or rate, I send them to her as she is very similar in look and services. I have been told I shouldn’t because she doesn’t deserve it but I don’t do it for her, I do it for the men. She is a great provider based on the feedback I have heard and I want the guys to have a good time even if not with me. 

 

So ya, I would take the time even if for a fender bender. Can’t help who I am. 

[Andee 220524]

On 8/20/2019 at 9:12 AM, Jessica Rain said:

 

This is why I would stick around too. Especially for case where the accident was caused by another driver who was not actually hit. 

 

For example, when someone almost side-swipes a car and that car ends up ion a ditch because they avoided the other car. Then that side-swiper just drives off. It is not so much for the police but for the insurance company. Not fair that the car who ended up in the ditch gets screwed over for trying o avoid an accident. 

 

It is a lot of those videos that I see people don’t actually pull over, they just keep driving. I think we need to be more willing to help out.

Actually the side swiper who caused the guy to take the ditch  is obligated to stop. If he doesn’t, and later caught, Police would most likely charge him with failure to stop which is more serious  than failure to remain at the scene of an accident where someone stops but doesn’t stick around.

I know someone who was rear ended and the driver backed his car up and took off but luckily a witness got his plate. When the Police caught up to him he played dumb like he didn’t know what they were talking about but there was damage to his front end so they got him.

[WildTiger 1296]

On 7/29/2019 at 6:33 AM, NotchJohnson said:

It is the law to stop and report what you seen after an accident other wise you may be prosecuted for not reporting it.

When I lived in Germany, not only was it the law to have a first aid kit in your vehicle but you were legally required to provide first aid with no risk of a law suit as long as you stayed within your abilities.