While dash-cams certainly raise some privacy concerns, they can also be very useful in the event of an accident, even more so when the perpetrator runs away.
A driver who goes by the YouTube alias “Coldfire” recorded such an incident on his car’s dash-cam on 2nd Street and Howard Street in San Francisco on April 18, 2015, when an Infiniti FX (called QX from 2013 onwards) attempted a foolish turn, first crashing into a Nissan Maxima and then hitting a pedestrian.
The Infiniti driver sped away from the scene, but the car’s license plate was recorded on the dash-cam.
According to the video author, the pedestrian “was fine, he walked away. But he didn’t call SFPD or 911 right away nor the next day. Maybe he called later”.