Portugal & Dashcams

Anthony1 · Sep 12, 2022

Has anyone fallen foul of the illegal dashcam situation in Portugal? We are off there in a couple of weeks and I believe they are illegal. Even owning one is illegal.

Also, any recommendations for beach front campsites greatfully accepted.

Thank you.

dspuk · Sep 12, 2022

An article from the Splun.

How your dash cam could land you a £9,000 fine while on holiday – and even see you jailed abroad

BRITISH motorists planning on driving abroad need to be aware of dash cam laws across Europe which could land them in hot water. The recording devices are banned in some countries on the continent,…

www.thesun.co.uk

The challenge is not around dash cams per sey, but they are caught up in European GDPR and didffering countries intepretation of that around filming in public places.

Just take it off when you enter Portugal?

Seperate q - I'm thinking of getting one - what do you have, are the cables well hidden and did you find an always on connection?

Anthony1 · Sep 12, 2022

dspuk said:
An article from the Splun.

How your dash cam could land you a £9,000 fine while on holiday – and even see you jailed abroad

BRITISH motorists planning on driving abroad need to be aware of dash cam laws across Europe which could land them in hot water. The recording devices are banned in some countries on the continent,…

www.thesun.co.uk

The challenge is not around dash cams per sey, but they are caught up in European GDPR and didffering countries intepretation of that around filming in public places.

Just take it off when you enter Portugal?

Seperate q - I'm thinking of getting one - what do you have, are the cables well hidden and did you find an always on connection?

I have a a Nextbase. See herewith. I used to have it plugged into the cigarette lighter socket and it stayed on all the time. You could watch people in the garage doing a service etc but it drove me mad, constantly pulling in and out. Eventually my son hard wired it into the fuse box somewhere. We have the wires hidden. Use a credit card or plastice bicycle tyre lever or body panel tools to stuff the cable where you can.

Ozzy Pete · Sep 12, 2022

Anthony1 said:
I have a a Nextbase. See herewith. I used to have it plugged into the cigarette lighter socket and it stayed on all the time. You could watch people in the garage doing a service etc but it drove me mad, constantly pulling in and out. Eventually my son hard wired it into the fuse box somewhere. We have the wires hidden. Use a credit card or plastice bicycle tyre lever or body panel tools to stuff the cable where you can.

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Most garages unplug any dash cam as soon as it arrives in the workshop.

Anthony1 · Sep 12, 2022

Ozzy Pete said:
Most garages unplug any dash cam as soon as it arrives in the workshop.

Not mine obvioulsy. BMW, VW garages.

Ozzy Pete · Sep 12, 2022

Anthony1 said:
Not mine obvioulsy. BMW, VW garages.

Any work I’ve had done in a VW dealership they have always unplugged the dash cam.

Ozzy Pete · Sep 12, 2022

Ozzy Pete said:
Any work I’ve had done in a VW dealership they have always unplugged the dash cam.

At the cam itself.

WelshGas · Sep 12, 2022

Anthony1 said:
Not mine obvioulsy. BMW, VW garages.

Nextbase easily unplugged. Just slide camera from fitting.

Resfeber · Sep 15, 2022

I had an interesting advisory on my last but one MOT.

Item removed from drivers view!! (The Dash cam)

The dash cam is mounted to the left (so on passenger side) of the rear view mirror and is higher than mirror ie the mirror is more of an obstruction than the camera !!!

No comment on this years MOT but different test station.

Georgeo · Sep 16, 2022

The rule was if it is within the sweep of the wipers. And must not have any moving images displayed. I.e. no screen on the back of the camera. Like number plate spacing these rules are not normally followed till the mot when people change plates.

rod_vw · Sep 16, 2022

Interesting rule about cameras in some countries. Mercedes trucks now have cameras in place of mirrors as do some high end cars. Also lots of trucks have blind spot cameras. Do any of these record? You also see UK trucks with notices indicating video recording, is this not allowed in some countries?

Anthony1 · Sep 16, 2022

rod_vw said:
Interesting rule about cameras in some countries. Mercedes trucks now have cameras in place of mirrors as do some high end cars. Also lots of trucks have blind spot cameras. Do any of these record? You also see UK trucks with notices indicating video recording, is this not allowed in some countries?

Interesting point. A bit like the French rule of carrying spare bulbs. Many vehicles now require a dealership to replace headlights etc, at great cost. Maybe the laws are there but unenforced.

Ch1pbutty · Sep 17, 2022

rod_vw said:
Interesting rule about cameras in some countries. Mercedes trucks now have cameras in place of mirrors as do some high end cars. Also lots of trucks have blind spot cameras. Do any of these record? You also see UK trucks with notices indicating video recording, is this not allowed in some countries?

You can normally remove the memory card / stick so no image is recorded, but the camera will still function,

B J G · Sep 17, 2022

Ozzy Pete said:
Any work I’ve had done in a VW dealership they have always unplugged the dash cam.

Didn't on mine and after getting a phone call saying waiting for a part and won't be ready today for collection it was parked where I left it untouched for over 24 hours.

Mr B · Sep 17, 2022

How does this work with Tesla's and other cars with built in and always on recording?

Ch1pbutty · Sep 17, 2022

Mr B said:
How does this work with Tesla's and other cars with built in and always on recording?

Tesla records to a usb memory stick in the glove box. You can just unplug the memory stick and then nothing is recorded, cameras + radars will still function as normal.

rod_vw · Sep 18, 2022

The cameras that I am referring to are part of the vehicle. In the case of the Mercedes trucks each wing mirror is replaced by a camera with its associated screen located inside the cab by the A pillar of the cab for the driver to use just like a normal mirror. I assume that the object is to reduce the drag of a huge exterior mirror as normally fitted on a truck.
Blind spot cameras must have monitors within the cab.

WelshGas · Sep 18, 2022

rod_vw said:
The cameras that I am referring to are part of the vehicle. In the case of the Mercedes trucks each wing mirror is replaced by a camera with its associated screen located inside the cab by the A pillar of the cab for the driver to use just like a normal mirror. I assume that the object is to reduce the drag of a huge exterior mirror as normally fitted on a truck.
Blind spot cameras must have monitors within the cab.

I suppose it all depends if the footage is real-time, recorded for the trip or recorded for days.

Ch1pbutty · Sep 18, 2022

rod_vw said:
The cameras that I am referring to are part of the vehicle. In the case of the Mercedes trucks each wing mirror is replaced by a camera with its associated screen located inside the cab by the A pillar of the cab for the driver to use just like a normal mirror. I assume that the object is to reduce the drag of a huge exterior mirror as normally fitted on a truck.
Blind spot cameras must have monitors within the cab.

Similar to a Tesla. Cameras are built in to the car(1 front, 1back, 4 on the sides which also adjust and become blind spot camera when you indicate) video comes up on screen, it is also recorded but you can just unplug the usb stick from the glovebox to stop the recording…cameras still work as normal and come up on the screen.

rod_vw · Sep 18, 2022

Ch1pbutty said:
Similar to a Tesla. Cameras are built in to the car(1 front, 1back, 4 on the sides which also adjust and become blind spot camera when you indicate) video comes up on screen, it is also recorded but you can just unplug the usb stick from the glovebox to stop the recording…cameras still work as normal and come up on the screen.

Tesla, I wonder if it's recorded by the manufacturer on line?
Son has one on order and when he went for a test drive he and partner were just given the 'keys' in whet ever form they are for a Tesla. The dealer said, "just follow the satnav on the prescribed test drive route, we will know if you deviate".

Big brother is watching you.

Ch1pbutty · Sep 18, 2022

rod_vw said:
Tesla, I wonder if it's recorded by the manufacturer on line?
Son has one on order and when he went for a test drive he and partner were just given the 'keys' in whet ever form they are for a Tesla. The dealer said, "just follow the satnav on the prescribed test drive route, we will know if you deviate".

Big brother is watching you.

No, its not recorded online. Hence the USB stick.

The APP gives you live tracking for the car. Most see it as a bonus if the car was ever stolen as you can tell the Police exactly where the car is and the speed that its being driven at.

We are always being watched by big brother. Help keeps the majority safe.

Nejc · Sep 19, 2022

Forgive me, but I don't see the point of having a dashcam in the first place. We use Cali and similar vehicles for vacation and relaxation, disconnection, and if there is something beautiful, we stop and enjoy it in our own way. Recording the drive with a camera on the dashboard seems to me very monotonous and perspective is not interesting. Try to stop and enjoy.

Georgeo · Sep 19, 2022

Nejc said:
Forgive me, but I don't see the point of having a dashcam in the first place. We use Cali and similar vehicles for vacation and relaxation, disconnection, and if there is something beautiful, we stop and enjoy it in our own way. Recording the drive with a camera on the dashboard seems to me very monotonous and perspective is not interesting. Try to stop and enjoy.

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A dashcam is not for recording the journey But recording incidents that may require further legal investigation, like crashes and bumps.

Amarillo · Sep 19, 2022

Nejc said:
Forgive me, but I don't see the point of having a dashcam in the first place. We use Cali and similar vehicles for vacation and relaxation, disconnection, and if there is something beautiful, we stop and enjoy it in our own way. Recording the drive with a camera on the dashboard seems to me very monotonous and perspective is not interesting. Try to stop and enjoy.

Within the first six months of ownership Amarillo suffered two crashes: neither of them driver’s fault.
#1 A car sideswiped Amarillo by undertaking in a bus lane. (Proved in court 18 hassled filled months later.
#2 A van driver rolled backwards into Amarillo on a slight incline at traffic lights. The van driver insisted Amarillo had been driven into his rear end and demanded cash compensation. Fortunately the excellent Swidnica police found video evidence to prove the matter and the van’s driver was successfully prosecuted for dangerous driving.

After these two incidents I had a dash cam installed and haven’t had a further crash. They are worth every penny!

Here’s my dash cam image of a near crash into a bollard almost outside my home.

Portugal & Dashcams

Anthony1

Too young to be old

dspuk

Dave

How your dash cam could land you a £9,000 fine while on holiday – and even see you jailed abroad

Anthony1

Too young to be old

How your dash cam could land you a £9,000 fine while on holiday – and even see you jailed abroad

Ozzy Pete

Anthony1

Too young to be old

Ozzy Pete

Ozzy Pete

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Resfeber

Georgeo

rod_vw

Gone bigger.

Anthony1

Too young to be old

Ch1pbutty

B J G

Mr B

Ch1pbutty

rod_vw

Gone bigger.

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Ch1pbutty

rod_vw

Gone bigger.

Ch1pbutty

Nejc

Georgeo

Amarillo

Tom

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