Do I need/want a helmet camera?

[chap]

Had an incident today with a dangerous overtake from a van. Bad enough that when I caught up with the van at the next set of traffic lights I asked him why he had performed the manoeuvre and put my life in danger.

He got very angry. Shouted abuse and when pulling away started to drive in a manner to deliberately intimidate me. Driving very close and then braking suddenly. The usual childish road-rage crap that you see people doing (what is it that turns us into this?).

No witnesses don't have the reg number; do have the company name from the van - company that he owns as he stated when I said I might phone the number.

Up until now I've thought about a camera but decided no, I'm angry though, and realise I might be able to take some action if I had evidence.

So what's the real-deal - are helmet camera's making a difference? If I get one am I more likely to start chasing after folk after more minor incidents that this - will I turn into a cycling vigilante? Will the police (in Glasgow) treat this/me seriously?
What’s the experience of those who are using them?
Those who are not, you must be dealing with this type of stuff at least now-and-again, so why aren’t you using one?
Safe cycling - Viniga

Hello Viniga,

Before I start, I am planning on getting a mini (bike) camera but for totally different reasons. Perhaps you should consider why exactly you want one too, if it is just for surveillance as such then I would disuade against it. We already are one of the most surveyed countries on the planet, and one needn't read the Daily Mail to see how crime free the country remains.

There is the possibility that you might catch that defining incident on camera, but what about all the other times when you catch nothing or at most 'minor' examples of dangerous driving. Enjoy your cycling, and yes there may be times like today that you could have caught this unrepentant scroat red handed, but then if the camera was visible, there are no witnesses, and this unscrupulous individual is aware of both of these facts, then what are you going to do?

Indeed it may present more issues than it solves, and it will hinder your experience of cycling. Think about why you cycle in the first place (and I am at a loss if it is because of a 'lost' license ), most of the time you enjoy it. I shalln't go down the PC tabloid rant, but there are risks, and the best you can do is to cycle safely (by that in a way which is safe to you, then others, without putting the latter at needless risk) and hope that the worst doesn't happen - we wonder 'what if' far too much, and at that rate one can see why 8 year olds have mobiles.

I doubt that the others that do record and report their findings on YouTube own such cameras for the sole reason of finding the baddies, they will probably use them primarily for leisure...until their videos becomes popular

Just enjoy your ride, perhaps look into joining a cycling organisation to improve conditions, and become proactive in other ways. I would report this fool to the police, if they at least have some sort of record, and he is later involved in an incident then it will work against him.

Happy Cycling!

 

[Crankarm]

Nice to see the Police remaining independant.

What has that got to do with anything ? An officer witnesses bad, careless dangerous driving, has evidence, then follows it up. That is their job surely? I bet you would be whinging if Vike posted otherwise. It might make some motorists think twice before they try to intimidate cyclists. We need more Vikes on bikes.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Nice to see the Police remaining independant.

Yes Lee, very Independent...I Witness it, I investigate it, I follow up on the Driver, I interview the driver I then either issue the ticket, or go to CPS for advice. And that's when I am in uniform. See, independent, all by myself.
If I am off duty and still in Cambridgeshire I do the same, If I am in Lincolnshire however, I will get the details for the vehicle, I'll PNC the vehicle, I'll write my own statement, I then pop over to my local cop shop and they do the rest!
What would you have me do?

The truth is, most coppers, including traffic only see an offence against a cyclist as being one where we are actually hit. (Even then it's our fault fr being on the road). Even one of my mates in traffic was surprised that I managed to get an £80 ticket issued to a passenger that screamed out of the window at me last year. They wouldn't have even investigated it..stating it would be your word against his!

Crank thanks for the support!

 

[BentMikey]

Chap, you may not like CCTV, but helmet cameras are how you take back a little bit of that power for yourself.

Having a camera doesn't add to your risk, it reduces it considerably because people don't tend to continue behaving badly when they know they are being filmed. It reduces the risk to both you and other cyclists in the future as consequences are brought to those who might have been a little more casual towards cyclists than they should have been. Just look at Magnatom's tanker driver - I bet he'll never casually charge across a roundabout ever again when a cyclist is on it.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Just fitted one on my Job motorcycle helmet, in the hope I won't have to spend so much time in court arguing the toss over drivers using a mobile. 4th court case this year just been booked...He is only arguing because he is going to be DQ'd

 

[viniga]

Well the same guy was on my commute again today and he deliberately sped up to ensure he passed me - close again. It wasn't anywhere near the crazy stunt he pulled yesterday but it was deliberate. I'm thinking that this bullying behaviour might continue.

Any other day this would just be another close pass.

So now it seems that by remonstrating with this driver I have actually made the road less safe for myself... and perhaps other cyclists... hmmm

I enjoy my cycling a lot, I want others to be encouraged to enjoy it too. Would like to see the 'bad boys' taken to task.

At the same time I'm going to be a dad in 8 weeks, I'm kinda worried.

 

[viniga]

Hey Vike on a Bike - fancy an all expenses paid trip to Scotland? Some good cycling up here... or is that bribery

 

[viniga]

Viniga,
You're welcome to borrow my Muvi to see if you get on with them. I'm usually rushing out to work and either forget to put it on, or forget to charge it. So I'll not miss it for a few weeks.

cheers

That would be great Coco - I'll pm you.

 

[Crankarm]

Yes Lee, very Independent...I Witness it, I investigate it, I follow up on the Driver, I interview the driver I then either issue the ticket, or go to CPS for advice. And that's when I am in uniform. See, independent, all by myself.
If I am off duty and still in Cambridgeshire I do the same, If I am in Lincolnshire however, I will get the details for the vehicle, I'll PNC the vehicle, I'll write my own statement, I then pop over to my local cop shop and they do the rest!
What would you have me do?

The truth is, most coppers, including traffic only see an offence against a cyclist as being one where we are actually hit. (Even then it's our fault fr being on the road). Even one of my mates in traffic was surprised that I managed to get an £80 ticket issued to a passenger that screamed out of the window at me last year. They wouldn't have even investigated it..stating it would be your word against his!

Crank thanks for the support!

for Vike. Could this be the start of a sea change in attitude by the police inestigating vehicle drivers who intimidate and bully cyclists?

 

[Origamist]

Viniga, for some people a camera plays an important role in their cycling (a comfort blanket of sorts), for others, far less so. I think you have to ask yourself what you want to film with the camera (commutes, off road, touring etc), how frequently you want to use it and what you intend to do with the footage once it's been recorded (for the police/insurers, YouTube/education, for examining your own riding etc) and weigh up the pros and cons of different approaches.

 

[BentMikey]

I think there might be some truth to the idea of comfort blanket, but let's face it, a camera isn't going to do anything there-and-then to protect against incidents like Magnatom's tanker.

Cameras can have a powerful effect after the event, but it's best to think of that as a benefit for other cyclists the driver will meet in the future. A camera will only have a noticeable effect on your own safety there-and-then when the driver has had a chance to realise they are being filmed. I've seen many times that careless and pushy drivers suddenly become model citizens, or where ranty-shouty-sweary suddenly becomes much more restrained.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Hey Vike on a Bike - fancy an all expenses paid trip to Scotland? Some good cycling up here... or is that bribery

Pity my warrant card isn't valid across the border...I could follow yourself and Magnatom about deal with most of Scotlands errant drivers in a week!

 

[Vikeonabike]

Cameras can have a powerful effect after the event, but it's best to think of that as a benefit for other cyclists the driver will meet in the future. A camera will only have a noticeable effect on your own safety there-and-then when the driver has had a chance to realise they are being filmed. I've seen many times that careless and pushy drivers suddenly become model citizens, or where ranty-shouty-sweary suddenly becomes much more restrained.

Funnily enough it has a similar effect on Police Officers now that we routinely wear headcams.....

 

[jonny jeez]

I think of mine as a black box recorder. I don't bother looking back at the footage, it's there in case of need.

One thing I notice is that I get less angry when the camera is on. I think it's a power thing - bad / aggressive driving can make you feel very powerless on a bike and the camera is a way of capturing some power back. Instead of shouting or making gestures at the driver I shout the numberplate to the camera to make sure it's recorded.

+1 BB, I like the way you put that. I too rerely look at any of the footage i record, just format and recharge, but it is always there if I need it when I reach my destination.

"Flight recorder", I like that

 

[Origamist]

I think there might be some truth to the idea of comfort blanket, but let's face it, a camera isn't going to do anything there-and-then to protect against incidents like Magnatom's tanker.

I don't think anyone is suggesting a camera is a kevlar blanket that will protect you from collisions, but it does have similar psychological properties to a comfort blanket/object in that it provides security and peace of mind if you are involved in an incident as you have film of the event to fall back on.

More generally, there is also the problem of how it makes cycling seem even more of a minority/extreme activity. If we want to normalise cycling, how can we reconcile this with the need to use a camera when we commute?

The real difficulty is weighing up the benefits and disbenefits of uploading 100s of clips on YouTube containing collsions and near misses when it skews the often uneventful and quotidian reality of riding a bike.

As someone who has vacillated on the issue over many years, I'm finally getting a camera next month and I'm still uneasy with that decision.