In recent years on-bike-cameras have emerged as a must-have among cyclists.
They have also become a common feature in social media, with videos capturing horrific incidents involving cyclists and other motorists.
Take, for example, the incident involving a young father and husband who was devastatingly struck by a passing car on his daily commute to work (see video below).
The footage is shocking – it captures the moment that the vehicle, which was travelling in the same direction, struck the young father throwing him to the ground at high speed. You can hear his screams and his tears of pain.
In the following hours, the young father would lose litres of blood and spend hours in surgery. His life changed forever.
There was also the astonishing footage out of the United Kingdom of the driver who intentionally swerved onto the wrong side of the road and drove head-on at a cyclist. It would have been very difficult to comprehend without the footage.
What are the advantages of running a camera?
We speak to Emily Billiau, our Cycle Law Expert who understands the issues cyclists face and has dealt with over 500 cycling accident claims in her legal career.
“Overall, I think there are some key advantages to cyclists using cameras:-
- 1Deters motorists who would otherwise break the law
- 2Gathers evidence to help the police prosecute these law-breakers
- 3Raises awareness that there is zero tolerance for illegal behaviour on our roads."
Keep pests away.
One of the main advantages of cameras would have to be deterrence. With the increasing use of cameras, comes the increasing risk to impatient motorists that they will be captured on camera.
“Not only will the actions of irresponsible drivers be captured, but they can also be identified and reported to the police. The cyclist haters will now have to think twice before cutting in close or hurling abuse.”
- Emily Billiau
And logic would suggest that that might be enough to deter a small number of people who might otherwise deliberately target cyclists or be inclined to leave the scene of an accident.
We have your number.
Secondly, the footage captured on cameras can have great evidentiary value. They can help cyclists with establishing liability/fault.
“Our goal at Cycle Law is to help cyclists’ present video evidence to the police so that the police can charge irresponsible motorists and issue them with demerit points. Ultimately drivers who continually and repeatedly break the law will lose their license.
The law will remove them from the road. Then the roads will be safer for cyclists.”
- Emily Billiau
Beware, awareness is coming.
And thirdly, with captured footage regularly featuring on the news and in social media, the video will help raise awareness of the vulnerability of cyclists generally on our roads. Hopefully, other motorists will come to appreciate the catastrophic effects that their actions can have on cyclists.
There are many different models of cameras available to cyclists. One of the best on the market is arguably the new Australian invented Fly-12.
With a significant number of road rage incidents and liability disputes in collisions involving cyclists, the camera footage could be vital.
Cycliq Fly12 HD
Join us in the fight for law reform and try and win a camera (10 to giveaway)!
Next month Cycle Law will be giving away ten Fly-12 cameras to start the process of identifying the Queensland drivers that make roads unsafe for cyclists.