Driving Instructors & Dash Cams

Dash cams, recording driving lessons and driving tests - know the rules. If you're an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), here's everything you need to know about using Dash cams. 

Are dash cams legal?

Yes - Dash cams are completely legal on UK roads. However, there are strict privacy laws surrounding the use of dash cams inside your vehicle.

Are there any legal restrictions in the use of Dash Cams

Yes - If your dash cam is not installed correctly you may be breaking the law.

Your dash cam must not block your view. If in any way your dash cam is deemed to be obstructing the driver's field of vision while driving, and you have an accident and it's found that your dash cam distracted you, you can get blamed for the accident.

Police

If the police decide your dash cam is fitted unsafely, and it obscures your vision, you could be fined £100 on the spot.

If the case goes to court you could be served with up to three (3) penalty points on your licence and receive a £1,000 fine. 

In extreme cases, you may be charged with driving without due care and attention, in which case, fines can rise to £2,500.

Police are entitled to issue a dangerous driving penalty if the position of the dash cam is considered to have dramatically affected your driving ability. In this case, you can be fined up to £5,000, and receive up to nine (9) penalty points and even a temporary driving ban.

Furthermore, Police have a right to demand your own footage to prosecute you.

The Department for Transport (DfT)

The DfT state, ‘Drivers must ensure they have a clear view of the road and traffic ahead at all times. This includes placing smartphones, dash cams or other items in an appropriate position, so they do not restrict their vision.’ 

The Highway Code

The Highway Code says windscreens and windows must be kept clear and free from obstructions at all times. Obstructions cannot be more than 40mm into the area swept by the windscreen wiper blades, which includes the area around the rear view mirror. 

IAM RoadSmart  

“Your dash cam should be fitted in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations, giving them the maximum field of view - however this needs to be away from the drivers field of vision." 

Where is the best place to mount a dash cam

Dash cams should be fitted in the top centre of the windscreen.

If possible, get a camera professionally fitted. You need to keep the wires concealed and the camera must be properly secured in a location that does not impede your vision.

Must I inform my passengers that I have a dash cam recording inside my vehicle?

This is where CCTV becomes a thorny subject, as authorities consider how to balance trying to increase passengers’ safety while addressing privacy concerns. 

Privacy restrictions

There are strict privacy laws surrounding the use of dash cams INSIDE your vehicle.

It is illegal to record visual and audio without notifying passengers and drivers that their voices are being recorded.  

You have a legal duty to let passengers and drivers know if your business vehicle is fitted with a cabin view camera. 

In-Car Camera Recording Stickers         

Driving instructors, for the same reasons as taxi drivers, cabbies, minicab drivers, coach drivers, mini bus drivers or even those who share a company car. As dash cams record sound and some can video record the inside of a vehicle, you must inform your passengers of the dash cam's installation. If you don't, it becomes a serious breach of privacy.

If someone else who has use of your car isn't told they're being recorded, you're also in breach of privacy laws. So if your vehicle is not solely for personal use you must inform others and it's down to you to let them know. 

You must therefore respect the privacy of passengers and drivers if you choose to use a dash cam. Passengers and drivers who enter the vehicle must be informed that a dash cam is in use, or you can face potentially harsh legal consequences, especially if the footage is used without consent.

Can Driving Instructors use Dash Cams during Driving Lessons

Yes - providing driving instructors inform the pupil that the lesson is being recorded, and the ADI receives the pupil's consent, a dash cam can be used to record driving lessons.

Can Dash Cams be used during a Driving Test

Officially, the DVSA does NOT allow audio or video recording INSIDE the car at any time during a driving test. 

The DVSA has commented that a driving examiner will not start the driving test if they know that it's being recorded without permission and will stop the test if they become aware that it is being recorded inside. 

The examiner will give the candidate the chance to turn off the dash cam recording, however, the test will be ended and the candidate will lose their test fee if they can not do this quickly or easily. 

In defence to the DVSA, it's a fair stance as they have a duty of care to protect their driving test examiners from unwanted attention and the right to privacy.

However, the DVSA do make it clear that cameras fitted for insurance purposes are permitted provided that they are EXTERNAL facing (i.e. NOT filming INSIDE the car) and do not record audio from inside the vehicle.

Therefore a regular dash cam is allowed to be recording during a driving test. Typical dash cams do not record visual or audio inside a car, though there are some more premium ones that can do both.

Importantly to note, the DVSA will not, under any circumstances, accept, comment on or review any audio or video footage recorded during a driving test in order to support a challenge to the conduct of a test or its result. 

It is reasonable for a driving test examiner to ask whether any dashcam fitted is video or audio recording inside the vehicle, and it is down to the driving instructor to provide them with a satisfactory explanation or evidence that the dashcam meets the official DVSA requirements.   

Can I get a reduction in my car insurance if I use a Dash Cam

Yes - it's possible, but only some car insurers offer driving instructors Dash Cam insurance. ADI's can get a quote here.

Captured an incident on your dash cam? What should I do?

Send the footage directly to your local police force via the National Dash Cam Safety Portal which was set up by Nextbase in 2018. Any motoring violation can be reported from incidents of dangerous driving to excessive speeding, from hit-and-runs to road traffic collision accidents. Keep in mind that by using this service you will essentially be filling out an official police report, and there is an extreme chance that you could be required to attend a court hearing as a witness, should it be deemed necessary. You won't need to surrender your dash cam or hard drive footage over as the police can use the copy that you submitted via the National Dash Cam Safety Portal.

Dash Cams are a double edge sword

While it may show that you were not to blame in a road traffic accident, the camera itself and the memory card used with it can be seized by the police if they suspect an offence has been committed.  

Incriminating dash cam footage can therefore work both ways. The incentive to have one fitted is to legally protect yourself if anything untoward happens, like falling victim to a 'crash for cash' scam. If an accident is your fault, however, the same footage can also be used against you. 

Furthermore, should the police pull you over for a motoring violation, the police officer can ask you to present your dash cam footage for review. Let's say you're accused of speeding. To resolve the debate the police can check your speed by checking the footage on your dash cam which will have GPS tracking. 

Similarly, if you take another motorist to court over a road incident, there's nothing to stop the judge holding your own video footage against you, should you be in the wrong. Deleting any footage could potentially be viewed as a serious offence so don't tamper with it if the law asks you to hand it over.

Can dash cam footage be used in court? 

Absolutely - Dash cam footage can be considered admissible evidence in a court case.

Any footage recorded on an incorrectly mounted dash cam, however, can be rendered inadmissible.

Which Dash Cam features does an ADI need to consider when choosing a Dash Cam to record Driving Lessons

A camera will need a mobile app so footage can be replayed. The playback feature allows the ADI to point out exactly where the learner driver went wrong and how to correct it. 

The dash cam must have a feature that allows it to be configured to run silently, so not to disturb the pupil during their lesson. They must not talk or make beeping sounds. Many cameras are not able to completely turn off all the noise that a camera is designed to make to warn users. These requirements in themselves will rule out most dash cams.

Although Wi-Fi connectivity is increasing in popularity, it is not the norm with the majority of cameras. An ADI will need WiFi to provide live view, and to play/download videos from the SD card to their phone. 

The Best Dash Cam For Driving Instructors

The BlackVue DR750S-2CH dash camera is what professional driving instructors are recommending due to its unique ability to meet all these precise requirements. As it's the best of the best it does come with a bit of a price tag but you can cut the cost by choosing the 16GB. 

The BlackVue DR750S-2CH monitors both the front and the interior of your vehicle in Full HD, making it ideal for recording driving lessons.
The front camera records the road ahead with a wide-angle while the interior IR (infrared) camera captures every detail inside the car, even in pitch black lighting conditions.
The technology is the latest, with a built-in 4G LTE, and has Cloud storage which will protect your video files because they're not actually stored directly on the camera itself. The dash cam stores the video files in the cloud, which you can access from anywhere including your PC and smartphone. The camera is cylindrical in design so it's very discreet, tucked behind the rear view mirror. 

Most Popular Dash Cam for Driver Instructors

Nextbase is a popular brand among driving instructors as well as the UK generally, with 65% UK market share. Nextbase is also accepted by the vast majority of UK car insurers who offer discounted Dash Cam Insurance.   

In May 2019, Nextbase released their Series 2 models, five (5) brand new dash cams ranging from the cheaper but rather basic Nextbase 122 up to the best-selling Nextbase 522GW (full review)

Nextbase Series 2 dash cameras bring a number of previously unseen features to the dash cam market, such as Alexa voice control integration and the ability to automatically call emergency SOS services in case of a road traffic accident. 

All Series 2 dash cams are supported by a simple impact-triggered parking mode, and the more advanced models (from 322GW upwards) allow you to add one of a variety of optional rear-view cameras which will provide front and rear recording capability.

In order to make it easier to compare all five (5) Nextbase series 2 dash cameras, and what does what, the following table gives you a quick overview of the main features of each Nextbase model.

Full review:  Nextbase 512GW

The Nextbase 512GW is Amazon's choice and best selling model. 

For those on a budget but still looking for the best high quality dash cam with all the features that meet the car insurance minimum requirements to be eligible for a significant discount on annual car insurance, then the Nextbase 512GW is the recommended choice. 

The Nextbase 512GW series has a 140° wide viewing angle to ensure a moment is not missed on the road, and provides high quality footage for any insurance claim.

The Nextbase 512GW offers the latest sensor technology from Sony to provide stronger colours and enhanced images in all conditions.

The Wi-Fi feature enables you to download and share video and photo files directly from the dash cam straight to your phone or tablet. The Nextbase App acts as your own personal storage point for all Nextbase clips to share on social media or with the police.

The Nextbase 512GW features a GPS mount to record important location and speed data for your Dash Cam. This means you can track your journey on Google Maps and pinpoint exactly where an incident has occurred, which can be crucial for an insurance claim.

The high dynamic range (HDR) improves contrast and maintains clarity while the wide dynamic range (WDR) ensures your recordings are clear in bright and dark light. Be assured of stunning image quality, day and night, with 1440p HD recording.

Best Premium Brand Dash Cam

BlackVue DR900X-2CH

If you're looking for a premium brand accepted by all UK Dash Cam car insurers look at all the BlackVue models.

BlackVue is a premium brand in itself but if you're you're looking for the best of the best in the Blackvue series look no further than the BlackVue DR900X-2CH which is an upgrade from the customer-favourite DR900S-2CH, and is the flagship Dash Cam across the BlackVue range.

The BlackVue DR900X-2CH is the latest ultra-premium highest-quality Dash Cam, is WiFi and Cloud-capable, has a 4K Ultra HD resolution with front and rear recording capability. It also features an ultra wide lens with 162° viewing angle, built-in GPS which adds location and speed data overlay to recordings, Intelligent Parking Mode, and Loop Recording and Event File Overwrite Protection to ensure you always capture and keep critical clips.

www.drivinginstructorwebsites.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. www.drivinginstructorwebsites.co.uk participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get commission through purchases made through our links.