I was looking at installing a dash camera in my car to record footage while driving on state highways, municple roads, and various interstates such as I-5 and I-90.
My question is can a person legally do this in Washington State are there any laws forbidding this kind of activity. Also, what are the laws surrounding publication of this footage, say if a person was post video footage from their dash cam of a wreck, or even submit this footage to a local news station.
I would assume that if the camera was mounted in plain sight no privacy laws would be violated, and freeways are public places so there would not be any privacy issues.
Any information regarding the use of dash cams while on the road in Washington State or in general would be great.
Thanks.
Newsman,
Your main issues would be 'Consent' and 'Evidence'. Dashcam footage from law enforcement is cleared for public viewing after the investigation is closed. Should you have such footage and not alert law enforcement prior to the start of or during the investigation you could be in a fair amount of trouble. Best thing to do is contact your State Attorney General's office and get the facts on what's what when it comes to dashcam footage. Once you know what the rules are, make sure you work within them so you can CYA if you get something big.
H.Wolfgang Porter, Composite Media Producer Dreaded Enterprises Unlimited, Inc. www.dreadedenterprises.com