If you feel as if you’re being watched, you probably are

It’s now an accepted fact of life that everywhere you go, you run the risk of being photographed. From traffic cameras and CCTV to smartphones with increasingly powerful cameras, the digital eyes are simply everywhere – even in places they’re not supposed to be.

So if you feel as if you’re being watched, chances are you are probably right.

A couple of weeks ago, the latest in a long line of gadgets landed on my desk: a dash cam. A few years ago, that would have been a novelty. These days? Not so much.

Back in 2013, footage of a meteor strike in Russia surfaced on the internet. CCTV and dash cams captured the moments that debris hit the ground, going viral. It provided a fascinating snapshot of the incident that we wouldn’t otherwise have witnessed.

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The idea that everyone had dash cams as a matter of course seemed strange at the time, but no longer. In the past few months I’ve noticed more and more cameras fitted to Irish cars, and as the technology becomes even cheaper, it’s something that we can expect to see even more.

Take a look online and you’ll see video after video captured on dash cams of incidents on the roads that range from funny to frankly terrifying.

It’s easy to see why insurance companies would go for it. A relative had a car accident not so long ago and when it came down to apportioning blame, there was a very easy way to determine it: one vehicle had a dash cam fitted for that very purpose. Eyewitnesses are, by their very nature, problematic, because human memory can be unreliable and susceptible to bias. Video just is what it is. That’s not to say video can’t be manipulated, but in a “he said, she said” situation, video that backs up your version of events is probably going to help swing opinion in your favour.

In recent months, gardaí have begun appealing for dash cam footage that may have been recorded when they are seeking information on circumstances around road traffic crashes and other incidents. In April, a garda manning a checkpoint was hit by a car that failed to stop; dash cam footage of the incident was requested. Ditto with serious crashes in Laois, Donegal and Longford among others, and an assault in Cork.

There are plenty of vehicles out there with dash cams fitted and there is zero indication there is any recording going on

Carmakers are starting to get in on the trend too. Citroën now offers factory-installed dash cams in some of its cars. Dubbed ConnectedCam Citroen, it’s a HD camera housed behind the rear-view mirror that will take photos and videos of your journey. According to Citroën, you can then share it with friends on social media or send it via email. Quite why you would want to share your “usual traffic jam on the M50 snaps” is probably beyond most people’s understanding, but perhaps it’s like the idea of sharing photographs of your dinner (thanks, Instagram). Things change, and they change quickly.

Sticker

Having a camera in your car can present a dilemma though, particularly when it comes to privacy. When the dash cam landed on my desk, it came with a small sticker inside the box that is intended to let others know that they are being recorded. Not everyone feels the need to alert others though. There are plenty of vehicles out there with dash cams fitted and there is absolutely zero indication that there is any recording going on.

It’s not just limited to dash cams though. In-car CCTV, particularly for professional drivers, has become a more common sight, but not everyone is making their passengers aware that they are being recorded. On one occasion, I spent an entire taxi journey blissfully unaware that the taxi had a CCTV camera mounted on the dash, recording everything going on inside the vehicle. It was only at the end of the journey when I commented on the dash cam that the driver told me what it was. To say it was disconcerting was putting it mildly.

Sharing footage online of that “hilarious” encounter or trying to shame other drivers online could also land you in hot water. As with any other type of footage, the wrong person could be identified; at the worst, it could impact a Garda investigation. What seems like a bit of harmless venting can quickly turn serious.

Once again we have to cope with yet another intrusion into our privacy in the name of progress.