Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Psamathe »

661-Pete wrote:Perhaps I should get into the habit of posting up on the 'tube, the number of positive encounters I have with other road users. Like the times when an approaching motorist on a narrow lane slows and pulls over to give me more space - and then acknowledges my wave of thanks. This happens plenty of times - I'm sure I have footage.

The relevant thing is the significance of a pass. Plenty of space or waiting in a passing place is great when it happens but to me of much greater significance is the car/lorry that crushes you under their wheels. So I focus more on preventing that and getting drivers who drive dangerously around cyclists "spoken to"/punished or maybe just made aware of the risks they are taking with other peoples lives. Seems to be something that has become the responsibility of cyclists themselves (as the Police are no longer interested until you are actually under the wheels of a car/lorry - when the courts will give the driver a slap on the wrist and tell them not to do it again).

Maybe I'm getting too cynical.

Ian
User avatar
Si
Moderator
Posts: 15191
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:37pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Si »

I have to say that if I had a camera I would spend far too much time filming poor cycling (like on 'silly cyclists') to have time to bother with the cars. "Don't go up there" :D
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Cunobelin »

The Association of Bad Drivers doesn't like drivers being prosecuted for bad driving

No real surprise there
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by 661-Pete »

beardy wrote:After incidents I have considered a camera but the incidents are too few and far between that I have never actually been driven to buy and fit one. If I lived somewhere where it happened more frequently, then I would have bought one.
That's logic that is often applied, but I believe it's mistaken. Having said that, seeing as my line of business is concerned with fire alarms, which spend most of their lifetime 'doing nothing' - I'm a bit 'prejudiced!

The likelihood of a modern house catching fire is pretty minimal, especially if no-one smokes in the household and if deep frying is done only occasionally. But it can happen. Hence I have my smoke detectors installed in the house, and regularly tested - just in case.

Similarly with a bike camera. OK, it won't save your life in the way a smoke detector can. But there is a chance - albeit small - that it may tip the balance in favour of a correct verdict on an incident, and the fair administration of justice. That's something to make it worth having a camera on board - just in case.

Another rather personal reason for me. About ten years ago I was found lying in the road, beside my bike, unconscious. Some passers-by attended to me and called an ambulance, I came round about being out for about 15 minutes, I estimate. Lucky for me there were no permanent after-effects (I think :roll: ). Point is, it was a quiet country lane (the environment I'm most likely to be seen in) and no-one knows exactly what happened - whether any other road user was involved, for instance. A camera might have resolved the issue.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Ellieb
Posts: 905
Joined: 26 Jul 2008, 7:06pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Ellieb »

I drive a car. I don't carry a camera.
I walk. I don't carry a carry a camera.
I cycle. I do carry a camera.
Are people suggesting that my personality changes when I get on a bike and I suddenly end up spoiling for a fight? Or is it perhaps something to do with the way people behave towards me when I am Cycling
irc
Posts: 5192
Joined: 3 Dec 2008, 2:22pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by irc »

661-Pete wrote:The likelihood of a modern house catching fire is pretty minimal, especially if no-one smokes in the household and if deep frying is done only occasionally. But it can happen. Hence I have my smoke detectors installed in the house, and regularly tested - just in case.

Similarly with a bike camera. OK, it won't save your life in the way a smoke detector can. But there is a chance - albeit small - that it may tip the balance in favour of a correct verdict on an incident, and the fair administration of justice. That's something to make it worth having a camera on board - just in case.


Though a smoke alarm is fit and forget. A bike camera needs charging, footage downloading, taking on and off the bike so it isn't stolen from the parked bike.
maxcherry
Posts: 664
Joined: 22 Mar 2011, 5:53pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by maxcherry »

irc wrote:
661-Pete wrote:The likelihood of a modern house catching fire is pretty minimal, especially if no-one smokes in the household and if deep frying is done only occasionally. But it can happen. Hence I have my smoke detectors installed in the house, and regularly tested - just in case.

Similarly with a bike camera. OK, it won't save your life in the way a smoke detector can. But there is a chance - albeit small - that it may tip the balance in favour of a correct verdict on an incident, and the fair administration of justice. That's something to make it worth having a camera on board - just in case.


Though a smoke alarm is fit and forget. A bike camera needs charging, footage downloading, taking on and off the bike so it isn't stolen from the parked bike.



:shock: NO NO NO!

Please check your batteries and give it regular tests. Wouldn't want to see any harm coming to the bikes......or you.


On a lighter note. More vehicles are getting fitted with cameras (see YT) in the event of a accident to show who is at fault.
Are the police more likely to happily receive footage from car cams than cycle cams?
Honestly chaps, I'm a female!
irc
Posts: 5192
Joined: 3 Dec 2008, 2:22pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by irc »

maxcherry wrote: :shock: NO NO NO!

Please check your batteries and give it regular tests. Wouldn't want to see any harm coming to the bikes......or you.


Don't need to. It goes from silent to giving single beeps when the battery gets low.
Pete Owens
Posts: 2442
Joined: 7 Jul 2008, 12:52am

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Pete Owens »

Looking at the numerous examples posted of helmet camera footage there must be some effect.

I don't think the effect is causal (ie the existence or not of a camera will make no difference). I think it the explanation is that confrontational cyclists are very much more likely use helmet cams than the rest of us.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by [XAP]Bob »

irc wrote:
maxcherry wrote: :shock: NO NO NO!

Please check your batteries and give it regular tests. Wouldn't want to see any harm coming to the bikes......or you.


Don't need to. It goes from silent to giving single beeps when the battery gets low.


You just have to hope the battery doesn't fail prematurely - which could leave it without the power to beep.

Also check the date on the alpha source...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by 661-Pete »

The answers posted above, about checking smoke detectors, mean that any further contribution from me is superfluous - except to say that ionisation type detectors (which contain a tiny radioactive source) are being phased out, they're now illegal in several countries, and being replaced by sensors which work on an optical principle. This is down to scare stories about having a radioactive substance about the house. A pity really: ionisation detectors are better at detecting small smoke particles such as are emitted from a flaming fire, whilst opticals are better for smouldering fires. We really ought to keep both. And the alpha source* - Am241 - is not really any more dangerous than having a bunch of bananas in the house.....

Anyway, back to cameras. My routine is quite straightforward. Switch on the camera for my ride. At the end of the day, assuming nothing 'interesting' has happened, take it off the bike, connect it to the computer, and delete the accumulated data (my camera is a Contour Roam which doesn't have a built-in UI). At the same time the computer recharges the camera via the USB, ready for the next time. Simple!

*note about fire alarms: the Am241 source doesn't 'expire' - it has a half-life of around 400 years - (you may be thinking of CO detectors which DO have a limited lifespan). But all detectors can get dirty which reduces their effectiveness.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by [XAP]Bob »

So why do smoke alarms come with circa 10 year expiry dates?

As for cameras - mine was a car dash cam, so it had power from the dynamo (via a rectifier and cache battery) and did loop recording. So it was fit and forget - about once a month I used to give the cache battery a boost by taking it into the office - but the lights were running at all times as well...

I'm looking for something a bit more resilient at the moment, car dash cams have a very coddled life...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
aspiringcyclist
Posts: 206
Joined: 11 Jul 2014, 6:11pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by aspiringcyclist »

661-Pete wrote:The answers posted above, about checking smoke detectors, mean that any further contribution from me is superfluous - except to say that ionisation type detectors (which contain a tiny radioactive source) are being phased out, they're now illegal in several countries, and being replaced by sensors which work on an optical principle. This is down to scare stories about having a radioactive substance about the house. A pity really: ionisation detectors are better at detecting small smoke particles such as are emitted from a flaming fire, whilst opticals are better for smouldering fires. We really ought to keep both. And the alpha source* - Am241 - is not really any more dangerous than having a bunch of bananas in the house.....


Stems from the failure at educating the public in scientific matters. Did they not have any physics lessons?
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Cunobelin »

I had an incident on the way to work where a van overtook me and performed a very close left hook, Witnessed by a colleague from the main department.

They offered to be a witness if I wanted to report it. Which was when I mentioned the video

As always I emailed the Company and explained the problem, and got the usual reply that i was "in the middle of the road" (Primary) and had undertaken their vehicle so it was my fault

Then sent in the video and ask why their employee is not only driving in a dangerous manner, but also blatantly lying to his employer

Massive apology and the driver was dismissed

Colleague was impressed with the ease with which all this was done and fitted a DashCam the same week. She now has a successful prosecution after someone jumped a red light and she hit the vehicle. Again the other driver stated that she had been the one jumping the light and it was her fault. Police were called

She says that she then let the guy explain all this to the Police and kept quiet...then reached in pulled out the DAshCam and said to the Police Officer " I Think this will show he is telling you a pack of lies". From her account the guy's face went as white as a sheet.

He was apparently even unhappier when the Police Officer then asked him if he was going to be sticking to his original claim - he didn't

Several of our colleagues now have DashCams

These cameras for both cars and bikes are an invaluable tool to deal with dangerous driving and ensure that you do not become involved in a situation where the other road user lies and claims it is your fault

Mine is on a loop and simply records over itself until you want to use that one particular piece of evidence...........
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Helmet Cams Are Inflaming Road rage

Post by Cunobelin »

661-Pete wrote:This is down to scare stories about having a radioactive substance about the house.


Saddest thing is that these sources are at such inconsequential levels yet people have a knee jerk reaction

Radon Gas is a natural radiation and is the cause of over half the dose received by the public each year

This is a map of Radon levels (with some assumptions and averaging of data) but shows the number of houses with Radon above the recommended level Yellow is 1% to Dark Brown which is greater than 30%

In the simplest case if you are worried abot the source in a fire alarm then you need to move out of an are that is yellow, and under no circumstances should you go on a holiday in Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Devon, Derbyshire, Somerset, Grampian and the Highlands of Scotland


Image
Post Reply