Putting car crash disputes on the RECORD

A fatal crash between a Ferrari and a taxi, followed by a video clip that showed the accident in detail, has been the talk of the town for weeks.

The footage, which added fuel to public outrage, was also a wake-up call for motorists.

And just last Saturday, another video clip, which showed a Lexus beating the red light and hitting a taxi at the same junction, surfaced.

Both incidents underlined the usefulness of onboard camera recorders that can provide video evidence in case of disputes following an accident.

Such recorders have been available here for some time. They can be bought from websites such as Gmarket or shops such as ZMC, which sells automotive accessories.

ZMC's business development manager, MrKenneth Low, said they have stocked such digital recorders since 2008.

Since the Ferrari-taxi crash, ZMC has seen up to a 100 per cent increase in queries about such recorders, said Mr Low, who would not give precise sales figures.

'The majority of our customers have experienced an accident, which prompted them to install these cameras to protect themselves in case of future accidents,' he said.

One customer, he recalled, got into an accident just a day after he had the recorder installed in his car. The customer was stationary at a traffic junction when the vehicle in front reversed into him. The video footage helped the customer to avoid any dispute.

Most members of the Automobile Association of Singapore are aware of these recorders, said MrEric Ow, a senior corporate communications executive with the association.

'Nowadays, our members are more tech-savvy and they are aware of the usefulness of car recorders. They usually call to ask for recommendations and prices,' he said.

Typically, an onboard videocam recorder is plugged into the car's cigarette-lighter socket and begins recording to a microSD or SD card when the engine is started.

Devices that capture full high-definition (HD) resolution at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels are popular, said Mr Xavier Chong, 33, managing director of DVR Security Xuite, which distributes the Itronics brand of car recorders. 'These HD cameras are popular since they can clearly capture the licence-plate number from cars which hit and run, even at night,' he said.

However, HD recording can take a toll on storage capacity because file sizes are large.

Most of the recording devices will write the newest footage over older recordings when a storage card is near capacity. Some are even equipped with Global Positioning System features, which will geotag the video clip and pinpoint where the incidents happened.

These cameras also double as surveillance systems and track movement around the vehicle when they are connected directly to the car's battery.

Mr Justin Ong, 33, a project management director with a marketing agency, had his car fitted with a recorder six months ago and firmly believes in its usefulness.

'I have been driving since 2001 and the number of bad experiences I've encountered on the road got me thinking that a car recorder would be a great purchase,' he said.

He has been fortunate not to be involved in any accidents since then, but there have been close shaves.

'Since I have videos of those near misses, I would share them with my friends on Facebook. It is exactly these types of near misses that reaffirm my decision to buy and install a car recorder in my car,' he said.

Digital Life gathered four such car recorders capable of 1,080p recording and checked out how they performed on the road.

Article Credit: http://www.stcars.sg

Kia Forte Sugarland