The 7 or 8 Tesla navigation cameras serve as “dash cams”. If the car detects that a collision has occurred, it stops the recording, thus preserving a multi-view record of events for some interval of time prior to the collision. Possibly even a bit beyond it.

That record is stored on a hard disk in the glove compartment. In the event of a collision, will the police require me to surrender that disk? If so, will I get a copy?

You can’t be made to give it up on the scene. They will have to get a subpoena or warrant.

I have asked for people’s dash cam footage exactly zero times over my 21 years in LE.

That being said, I am not a collision reconstructionist who does the investigation of major injury or fatal wrecks. Those folks most certainly will request a warrant or subpoena but you won’t be required to give it up on scene. However, in most of those cases the vehicles are impounded and held as evidence.

I have had many people offer their dash camera footage however I don’t take it unless there is a criminal charge associated with the collision because in this state a simple collision is a civil matter and I do not determine fault and issue no citations.
Unless I actually see the infraction that caused the wreck.

No, for a traffic collision you aren't required to surrender the hard disk, nor are you forced to provide the footage. (Though if it's a serious offense beyond a basic traffic collision then it's possible that an investigation might get to the point of it being seized as evidence via a warrant.)

Generally, I will simply ask for the dash cam footage and if they agree, have them either email the video file to me if it's an emailable size or else have them provide me a copy of the footage on a thumb drive or SD card. Works the same way with stuff like business or home security footage in most cases.

Unlike Black's state, we do determine fault and issue citations for traffic collisions.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Perhaps, in some situations, my insurance company would like to have the dash cam recording.

^^^^^^^^^^
At fault states frustrate me. It’s one thing if the officer sees the collision to be able to determine fault and issue a citation but if you don’t see it happen it can be hard to determine fault.
As most/many times folks are adamant they had the green light.
Sometimes you get the person that says, yup I ran the light whatever.

I lived in Ohio before moving to Ky and got in a wreck when I was 20 that absolutely was not my fault. The officer did not even bother really asking me what happened.
I got cited for the collision, had to go to court a few times and ended up getting sued after my insurance would not pay the fella because I was found not guilty in court and through State Farm’s own investigation.
Just a gigantic pain.

When I investigated a crash, I did not look for "fault". I was concerned with what violation of the motor vehicle code occurred that resulted in the crash.

So if one gets in a crash and the police come, is it ever worth offering to show them the dashcam video of what happened?

You guys understand how hard it is to give an officer dashcam video?

I did once. I had a front row seat where I saw a guy run a red light and T-bone the guy who turned left in front of him. I figure I’m a witness, so I wait.

My phone had an SD card slot, so I show the video to the deputy. He correctly sees the car I thought had run the red actually crossed the line of demarcation on the yellow. Of course I’m immediately impressed with his vocabulary and he asks if I can send him a copy of the video.

After 10 minutes, I gave up. None of my emails would take a file that large and I couldn’t figure out how to make it smaller on my phone. I burned it to a CD when I got home and dropped it off at the local substation the next morning.

quote:

Originally posted by bryan11:

So if one gets in a crash and the police come, is it ever worth offering to show them the dashcam video of what happened?

Absolutely! I drove through an intersection, I had the green light, Mercedes girl coming from my right side drove through her red light and slammed into the side of my truck.

When the police officer got there, Mercedes girl lied, stated that she had a green light and I ran a red. Cop believed her and started to write a ticket to me. I asked, "Would you like to watch some video?"

Cop said "Sure," watched the playback on my dash camera, told me "Don't worry about a thing," and proceeded to ticket Mercedes girl and chew her out for lying to him.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

You guys understand how hard it is to give an officer dashcam video?

After 10 minutes, I gave up. None of my emails would take a file that large and I couldn’t figure out how to make it smaller on my phone.

In my incident (couple posts above)l I uploaded the video to youtube and gave the youtube link to Mercedes girl's insurance company.

Great idea! I’ll have to learn how to do that. Except my iPhone doesn’t have an SD chip slot.

If you have an iPhone 15 or newer, you can connect USB C SD Card Readers like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NW8RPYN

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Great idea! I’ll have to learn how to do that. Except my iPhone doesn’t have an SD chip slot.

My experience from last September:

I came up to an intersection with 3 lanes each way and just as I pulled up to the red light it turned green. I started through the intersection and a teen ager in a jeep coming from the opposite direction made his left turn directly into me.

He told the police that he had a green arrow and I ran the red light. I had 2 witnesses that verified that I had a green light. The police didn't cite either of us but when I told them I had a dash cam they verified that it was there and said they would look at the video. Mine is a Garmin Mini with no screen so I had to wait until I could get home and download the video from the micro SD card to my computer. They said to drop it by the police station the next day.

In the accident report they noted both of our stories and the fact that I had a dash cam. They also that if my dash cam showed I had a green light they would assign the blame to the jeep driver.

I sent the video to my insurance company and they advised to me to hold off from sending it to the other insurance company until they made a claim. When I sent the video to the other insurance company they agreed to take responsibility for the claim and they ended up agreeing to pay diminished value for my truck as well.

I don't know if the police ever cited the jeep driver based on the video.

Emailing the file was a challenge because it had to be in the insurer's preferred format which took me a while to figure out how to do. In the end though, I was very happy that I had the dash cam to vindicate myself and recoup some of my losses from the accident.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

That record is stored on a hard disk in the glove compartment.

Not a hard disk. Tesla uses a USB flash drive. This type thing:

My (10 year old) dashcam has bluetooth and an app. I can download the files which are recorded in 2 min increments to my phone for viewing, and can then easily text/email/post online.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

That record is stored on a hard disk in the glove compartment.

Not a hard disk. Tesla uses a USB flash drive. This type thing:

Thanks V-Tail. I use an Airmoto to top up tire pressure when it’s down a bit – wonderfully convenient, it is.
https://a.co/d/0iC23zC0

It’s a small hand-held battery powered device. It has a USB-C port to charge its battery. But, oddly enough, the power source must be USB-A. I returned the first one as defective before I discovered that a USB-C power source doesn’t work. There ought to be a law…

The Tesla Model 3 owner’s manual says that the only USB-A power source is the one in the glove box for dashcam image recording. I feared it might be a hassle getting it unplugged so I could use that port to recharge the Airmoto. But your info suggests that it might be easy. Thanks again!

Question to the cops and lawyers; assuming we're all decent drivers and try to do our best at all times, is there a reason we shouldn't have a dash cam? We all make mistakes sometimes. Are the odds that a cam would be more of a benefit than a problem? Would it ever be self-incriminating?

^^^^^
There are several “dashcam” threads in The Lounge reporting that they saved members from false “you are at fault, I am innocent!” claims. I’m very happy that my Tesla Model 3 has front, rear, and side “dashcams” built in. Getting damned anxious for it to arrive.

^^^^^^^^^
I am in LE and I have dash cams in my personal vehicles.

Thanks, guys!