on-board cameras; have they made a difference?

using a camera:

  • has been a good deterrant to close passes

    Votes: 5 13.2%
  • made no difference

    Votes: 32 84.2%
  • resulted in more close passes

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • Total voters
    38
  • Poll closed .
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alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
as per the title really, thinking of getting a cheapo action camera for capturing my commute.

don't really have room for a rear mounted one, so will probably mount it on the front somewhere, as i'm not a big fan of helmet-mounted ones.

i'll probably add a speed-camera icon sticker to the panniers at the back, in the hope they act as a deterrent.

whatcha all think?
 

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
The only possible difference I consider may result is with the dozen or so drivers who the police have contacted, in one shape or form, to ask them to improve their driving around cyclists. Still, one at a time....
 
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alecstilleyedye

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
neither of the two crashes i've had involving cars would have been prevented by having an on-board camera, although the subsequent claim against one of them might have had liability settled somewhat sooner…
 

Lonestar

Veteran
I voted "made no difference".People will still drive like bullying knobbers.

Of course there are some good drivers out there.:okay:
 

Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
IME they make no difference. As to a stickers on your panniers, save your money.
The only deterrent is prosecution.
You also need to consider the attitude of your police. IME Cheshire police CBA dealing with close passes. Greater Manchester are better.
Personally, I'd say if you want a camera on your bike, forget it's there and use it to support your actions/version of events, in the case of an incident and recording some of the pleasurable events: e.g. wildlife interactions.
If you want to get a message across to motorists, hand your crime to plod on a plate: stop light ignorers, cycle lane abusers.
 
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Drago

Legendary Member
I see only people who don't use on board cameras has voted. :okay:

I do, and I did, and I don't (think they make a difference). Cameras are no proven deterrent in any other form of public misbehaviour, and I can't see why people think bikecams would bring different results.
 
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Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
They won t care a jot, unless they're prosecuted.

From what I have been told some of them have been completely shocked to see how close they came from my POV, have family members who ride and have been utterly contrite. Of course that might just be utter BS to placate the visiting officers !
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Ive delivered professional bollarkings to MoPs for nearly 3 decades, and it had little effect on the behaviour of any of the recipients. Sooner or later theyll all do it again, and they keep doing itnuntil caught and sactioned - if theyre going to stop then the financial punishment is the point at which they do, and many will carry on until eventually relieved of their licence, and then theyll still be so unrepentent that theyll argue the toss in court. This is how we get people with 40 points still driving. They see bollarkings as a sign of weakness - they've done it once and got away without sanction, so there is no subliminal association of being naughty with being punished. In short, they got away with it once and nothing bad happened...

Any relief from such a process is liable to be rare, and ephemeral. The number of those that are genuinely contrite and modify their long term behaviour is so tiny as to be massively, hugely, enormously out of proportion with the effort involved in delivering the lesson in the first place.

Make every motoring offence a banning offence, starting at 14 days for a minor speeding infraction and work up from there, and suddenly everyone's behaviour will improve. Society have demonstrated for decades they wont do it voluntarily, so the alternative to do it forcibly.
 
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classic33

Leg End Member
On longer trips/busier roads it's made no difference. Closer to home, people who know I have one don't seem to come as close.
 

Slick

Guru
Ive delivered professional bollarkings to MoPs for nearly 3 decades, and it had little effect on the behaviour of any of the recipients. Sooner or later theyll all do it again, and they keep doing itnuntil caught and sactioned - if theyre going to stop then the financial punishment is the point at which they do, and many will carry on until eventually relieved of their licence, and then theyll still be so unrepentent that theyll argue the toss in court. This is how we get people with 40 points still driving. They see bollarkings as a sign of weakness - they've done it once and got away without sanction, so there is no subliminal association of being naughty with being punished. In short, they got away with it once and nothing bad happened...

Any relief from such a process is liable to be rare, and ephemeral. The number of those that are genuinely contrite and modify their long term behaviour is so tiny as to be massively, hugely, enormously out of proportion with the effort involved in delivering the lesson in the first place.

Make every motoring offence a banning offence, starting at 14 days for a minor speeding infraction and work up from there, and suddenly everyone's behaviour will improve. Society have demonstrated for decades they wont do it voluntarily, so the alternative to do it forcibly.
I don't suppose anyone could argue with that or your 30 years experience which has to be acknowledged when discussing such things. It reminds me of my brother and brother in law who are both serving officers but I sometimes feel their experiences can leave them with a negative attitude to all sorts going on around us. Can't blame them really as I suppose we are all just the sum of our parts.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
As a deterrent I think they are ineffective, drivers have no idea if you have one or not. In order to be a deterrent something would need to be done about the close passes AND for cameras to be more common. I have mine to help prove liability, not as a deterrent. My local police have ignored every video I have sent in, so I don’t bother now.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
As a deterrent I think they are ineffective, drivers have no idea if you have one or not. In order to be a deterrent something would need to be done about the close passes AND for cameras to be more common. I have mine to help prove liability, not as a deterrent. My local police have ignored every video I have sent in, so I don’t bother now.
I have once had a motorist emergency-stop rather than jump a red light across me and I'm pretty sure it was only after they noticed the blue power light on my handlebar camera.

But that's once in something over 7 years and you can't see the power light from behind so it can't affect close passes.

Norfolk Police have acted on both of two videos I've sent in so far since they started accepting camera reports a year or so ago. I've also had one motorist settle a both-arguably-at-fault collision on a handshake after I think they noticed the camera.
 
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