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By Rennie Whang
Watch it - because you're being watched. Not only on cameras set up by police at traffic junctions and on the streets but, increasingly, in cars.
One motorist, sales executive Goh Keng Guan, 40, has installed cameras in his and four of his family's cars.
One in 50 car insurance claims is now accompanied by video evidence, double that of a year ago, said Mr Pan Jing Long, head of general insurance at Aviva Singapore.
Distributors reported that demand for vehicle cameras has been increasing by between 15 and 50 per cent yearly.
In the past week alone, in-car camera videos from two accidents were posted on YouTube, citizen journalism website Stomp and other forums (see below for pictures).
Last Tuesday morning, a cabby's camera captured a 66-year-old woman, Madam Chan Ah Ying, being knocked down and killed by a bus in Sengkang while she was crossing a traffic light junction.
The following night, footage from the aftermath of an accident - a cyclist trapped under a car at Jalan Bukit Merah - was posted on YouTube.
The motorist who posted the second video said that he is always on the lookout for newer technologies that would allow him to capture his surroundings, especially while on the road.
It all started when he posted photos on Stomp of a Nissan Skyline which had knocked down a woman at Beach Road in September 2010.
The 37-year-old motorist, who wanted to be known only as JT, said: "The accident was fatal and I felt for that poor woman.
"If I had video footage, it would perhaps have helped the police to prove that the driver involved was indeed racing with another Audi car that disappeared from the scene."
He then bought an in-car video recorder for S$299 to be his "witness" on the road.
He said: "I hope that I never have to use it but these days, you can never be sure. As safe as you are as a driver, there are a lot more inconsiderate and reckless drivers out there.
"The guilty party should never get away with it while the innocent ones should not be framed."
Another motorist, Mr Alvin Ng, 34, has become a firm "film buff" after an incident on an expressway last April.
The other driver cut in front of Mr Ng's Honda Stream and jammed his brakes.
After the accident, the other motorist tried to claim S$18,000 from MrNg's insurance company for medical bills and S$12,000 for repairs to his car. The case has yet to be settled.
Said Mr Ng: "That was a very bad experience for me. It left a sour taste in my mouth."
When the civil servant bought a new Peugeot 407 two weeks later, he immediately installed a camera. "If I had a camera, it would have been very obvious that he was trying to provoke me," he said.
Three insurance companies contacted by The New Paper said that while video evidence is not required in submitting claims, it is useful in assessing liability.
Mr Pui Phusangmook, general manager of the general insurance division of NTUC Income, said the company would ask policyholders if they have such evidence to support their claims.
"The rule of thumb is that the more evidence there is, the more accurate the reports will be," he said.
Car cams in real-life scenarios
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos.
(Photos: VisionDrive) |
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