Should mechanics have the right to disconnect dash cams?

Mechanic questions legality, sparking debate over privacy and trust

Should mechanics have the right to disconnect dash cams?
Image: YouTube

Jose Lazo, a popular mechanic on TikTok (@thetoplessmechanic), has sparked a debate over the use of in-vehicle cameras during repairs.

With some motorists fostering a culture of mistrust towards mechanics, customers have installed dash cams and cabin cameras in their vehicles as a preventive measure against potential trickery.

Usually mounted on a car’s windscreen, near the rearview mirror, dash cams continuously record the outside view of the road and are particularly useful in providing evidence in case of accidents. Cabin cameras, on the other hand, record the interior of a car and are often used by taxi drivers for their own security.

Lazo points out that almost every technician has encountered these cameras and questions whether mechanics should be allowed to disconnect them during repairs for privacy reasons.

This has led to mixed reactions from technicians and customers, with some techs choosing to disconnect the cameras and some customers expressing annoyance.

Interestingly, some customers review footage of their mechanics working on their cars, with a subset of YouTube videos titled “mechanic caught on dash cam” providing evidence of mechanics taking joyrides in customers’ vehicles, allegedly damaging cars, or intentionally delaying service.

Regarding legality, while recording on public property like roads is permitted, vehicle owners technically need permission to record inside the workshop since it’s private property, as explained by ShopOwnerMag.

The debate, sparked by Lazo’s TikTok video, has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and nearly 3,000 comments, highlighting the ongoing tension between customer trust and mechanic privacy.

Source: Daily Dot

2 Comments

  1. Its actually not allowed to record MOT tests so they can be disabled during the test.

    Reply
  2. Tbh , the dash cam that views outside will basically be sat looking at a brick wall or a door etc while a test or work is being carried out. It doesn’t swivel about like many house cctvs. A cabin cam won’t see much more than what’s inside the car, what it’s designed for. So neither is actually going to see much at all. When it comes to test drives of the car, if the mechanic treats the car properly and with due respect, then he / she has nothing to hide. Imo therefore, no they shouldn’t be disconnected. Further, it could be argued the mechanic is interfering with stuff that’s nothing to do with them. The obvious answer to all of this would be for the service receptionist, or whoever, to ask owners to switch the cameras off if they don’t want them running, the owner then can either do that, or go elsewhere.

    Reply

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