![]() ![]() The footage will be just as funny without sound. In the meantime, mute the microphone on the camera when you drop the car off – just in case. I'm sure we'll hear of it one of these days. But, it is just something I need to point out. Of all of the cases I've seen so far–and I've seen a few–I have yet to see someone get in trouble for "eavesdropping" in their own car. "He eavesdropped on me while I was whipping his car!" Courts often look askance at people who come before them with unclean hands, asking for help. The YouTube channel Dash Cam Owners Australia recently produced a compilation of the Best Dash Cam Videos of 2021, many of which include the cameras. It might also help you that the people abusing your car are likely breaking the law. Did the miscreants really not know what the dash cam was doing while they were beating on your car? If the recording was not secret, then it might not be considered eavesdropping. The obvious one is that the camera is in plain sight. If you didn't mute the recording and got some juicy footage–including audio–of your car being thrashed, you might still have some decent defenses. Does the camera have a mute function? If so, mute it when you will not be in the car. If the dash cam is only recording video but no audio, you would be fine. The obvious one is that all of these statutes tend to address "conversation." As in, people talking. There are a couple of points to be made here, however. 1 Best dash cams 2023 2 Best dual dash cams 3 Best factory and dealer fit dash cams 8 More drivers than ever are realising the advantages of having a dash cam. As an attorney, I advise you to avoid eavesdropping. ![]() Eavesdropping statutes often carry harsh penalties: In Michigan it is a felony, carrying possible prison time and a steep fine. If your dash cam records a conversation between people in the car that you are not a part of, it would be considered "eavesdropping" in many states. Like when you drop off your supercar for minor warranty work and leave it in the hands of professionals for the day. The issue arises when you are not in your car. So, if you have a dash cam in your own car and it is recording while you drive, you have no problem since you are a "party" to any conversation going on in your car. In Michigan, courts have ruled that a person can record a conversation to which they are a party regardless of the other parties to the conversation knowing or giving consent in advance. While most people get their dash cams so they record the view through their windshield, dash cams often record audio from inside the passenger compartment as well. But in general terms, eavesdropping statutes govern whether you can record a conversation without the consent of some or all of the participants to the conversation. And this means I have to insert the normal caveat here: This WILL vary wildly from state to state. Will Someone Else’s Dashcam Impact You?. ![]()
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