Do I need/want a helmet camera?

[Tynan]

I'll defo get one eventually if for no other reason that as evidence if I'm involved in a no fault accident

Thankfully I've been lucky with witnesses for my last two but previous to that I've had accidents on the bike and scooter where the other party was blatantly at fault but denies it, and witnesses disperse in all directions or say they didn't see it

and of course there's all sorts of fringe benefits to capture some the crazy nonsense going on at there, at the price that MUVI thing is available for, hard to see why anyone wouldn't have one

That said I don't

 

[HLaB]

I don't know if its been said, but sometimes I find that watching the footage back can be therapeutic, ie that ot wasn't as bad as I thought and it calms me down.

 

[BentMikey]

IMO embrace the technology or go extinct, or something like that. I don't think it's a stretch to imagine many/most people carrying tiny cameras around much of the time, or even having them in your head.

 

[HLaB]

I don't think it's a stretch to imagine many/most people carrying tiny cameras around much of the time, or even having them in your head.

Just not ATC's, I dont think my neck muscles are strong enough

 

[BentMikey]

LOL! I did specify tiny cameras, mind you.

 

[Debian]

I've been pondering this for a long time now.

I use a bike mounted cam for filming my off-road adventures but that's purely for my own leisure and record purposes.

I'm not subject to much at all by way of dangerous driving by others but there have been a few silly overtakes etc where I have thought that film of the event would have been nice to have, if only to study for my own benefit. I haven't taken the leap yet though, nor even decided that I will get one, I'm not even sure that they are of benefit.

My thinking on the latter point is this; wearing a cam is not going to prevent any incident so it's only useful after the event. In the event that an agressive driver, having committed some sort of infringement, is made aware that he is on camera I think that there is a small possibility that it could inflame the situation further in that the other party might be tempted to make a grab for the camera in order to destroy any evidence and thus make the whole incident worse with possible worse consequences for me. Unlikely I think but possible nevertheless.

To address the preventative side I have considered getting a hi-vis vest printed up with "continuous Video Recording in progress" or something similar on the back so that drivers see it before doing anything silly. It might make them take a little more care maybe?

I don't know yet. I'll continue thinking.

 

[BentMikey]

In the event that an agressive driver, having committed some sort of infringement, is made aware that he is on camera I think that there is a small possibility that it could inflame the situation further in that the other party might be tempted to make a grab for the camera in order to destroy any evidence and thus make the whole incident worse with possible worse consequences for me. Unlikely I think but possible nevertheless.

IME their true colour appears - yellow. You always see the keyboard warrior threats on youtube, etc., but no such action in real life yet.

Actually, I once had a bus driver grab for the camera as I was holding it, filming his face through the side window. He was stymied though, as I just moved the camera back inches out of his reach. Being half asleep and sat on your rear driving a bus is no match for a fired up and adrenalized cyclist for reaction time. Annoyingly the camera had turned itself off a few minutes before, else that would have been fine footage of him driving badly, and my riding too submissively through a pinch point. He was still cowed by the camera though, as his driving changed remarkably after that. He didn't dare get out the bus either, despite being approx twice my bodyweight.

 

[Norm]

To address the preventative side I have considered getting a hi-vis vest printed up with "continuous Video Recording in progress" or something similar on the back so that drivers see it before doing anything silly. It might make them take a little more care maybe?

It might but it might also fall foul of privacy stuff. See magnatom posts passim for further information.

I got one for Christmas. It was great fun strapping it to the top of a Scalextric car and my son wore it earlier to record himself playing in the school concert. The mic had a bit of a hard time, though, as he was part of a 5-man drum ensemble.

I wear it on the bike too but, tbh, most of the time it picks up little of import.

Then again, I can only think of one moment of mild-excitement caused by a third party, although I would have loved to have captured the driver's expression after I asked him how he missed seeing a fat **** like me in a high viz.

 

[on the road]

I'd love to have a camera but can't afford one.

 

[chap]

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.

Fair enough, as I mentioned before I do not currently own a camera thus these are just my thoughts on the subject. You presumably have experience of such matters thus are better placed to pass comment.

Personally, I do not think it would be a pleasant thought on each ride taking out the camera as a potential black box / assistive 'vigilantism'. Then again, I am seldom more than a meter from a camera, given my mobile phone, and I do admit that under the circumstances they could prove useful. Furthermore, not all cameras need be immediately recognisable e.g. the Veho Muvi. So live and let live I say

As an afterthought and correction, I am not opposed to CCTV, I just prefer that they are used effectively for law enforcement against violent crimes, theft, etc. Although that really is a side topic and pretty much an irrelevance anyway.

 

[BentMikey]

Well yes, there are lots of relatively innocent mistakes made by drivers. One example is the motorist going through a red light on my bmx footpegs video - it's barely worth commenting on, and quite unlike the G4S apparently jumps red light video. I feel tolerance and understanding for the car driver who made an easy mistake, and none at all for the IMO blatant and intentional jumping of lights by an armoured van.

 

[chap]

I'd love to have a camera but can't afford one.

Try a Cheap Chinese Clone.

Can't vouch for the quality, but so far I've heard they are fine, I've ordered one myself.


EDIT: Removed link:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130370062314 as bid has now ended. Seller is known as Sourcinggreat: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/sourcinggreat so should be able to by future MD50 clones there.

 

[chap]

Well yes, there are lots of relatively innocent mistakes made by drivers. One example is the motorist going through a red light on my bmx footpegs video - it's barely worth commenting on, and quite unlike the G4S apparently jumps red light video. I feel tolerance and understanding for the car driver who made an easy mistake, and none at all for the IMO blatant and intentional jumping of lights by an armoured van.

No disagreement here.

 

[viniga]

Well, thanks for all the replies an interesting debate. For the moment I have borrowed a camera from Coco (thanks again) and I'll see how I get on. If this guy is back on my route on Monday and pulls more s**t I'll hopefully have him on camera.

I did report the incidents to the police who were unable to identify the company - I need the reg # as his phone # was dead and the company name didn't bring back any results.

Slight technical hitch. Can't get any Muvi drivers - their support center seems down. I'm running both W7 and XP64 - can anyone mail ne a driver?

Thanks again for all the input, I've a bit of thinking to do.

 

[Mark_Robson]

Try a Cheap Chinese Clone.

Can't vouch for the quality, but so far I've heard they are fine, I've ordered one myself.


EDIT: Removed link:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130370062314 as bid has now ended. Seller is known as Sourcinggreat: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/sourcinggreat so should be able to by future MD50 clones there.

Is it any good as I'm thinking of buying one?