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Cameras Are Cyclists’ ‘Black Boxes’ in Accidents (New York Times)

Could cycling camera change motorist behviors? This New York Times article has some insights. And then on the flip side, could motorist cameras change red light running cycling behaviors?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/technology/bicyclists-using-camer...

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Permalink Reply by Omar Lopez on July 22, 2012 at 11:27pm

Permalink Reply by Omar Lopez on July 22, 2012 at 11:28pm

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 23, 2012 at 10:09am

After some of the news stories I've read recently involving incidents where helmet cams identified hit and run cars, I've been wondering if cameras will start to have an effect as this becomes better known.  I've also heard about a few cases where a cyclist's GPS unit proved his/her account of an accident and made a liar out of the offending driver.

I think it's in our best interests to see that it does get more publicity.

Permalink Reply by Andrew Bedno on July 23, 2012 at 10:40am

Just saw this elsewhere, bike dashboard video cam for $35.

http://tech.woot.com/offers/midland-extreme-action-camera

Midland Radio XTC100VP2 Wearable Action Camera, 480p, 30fps, 140˚ Wide Angle Lens, Weather Resistant, 4 Mounts, $69srp, 15min/GB, SD slot, no memory installed. With prices like that, broader use is inevitable and welcome. If it had GPS logging I'd buy it today.

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on July 23, 2012 at 1:33pm

I love this idea.  I heard the NYT was thinking about writing this article.  I'm glad they did. 

Is anyone using one if these things?

Permalink Reply by nik was here on July 23, 2012 at 7:03pm

It's nice that he's using a camera... however, the way he is wearing his helmet probably isn't going to do him any favors if the recordings become important. 

Permalink Reply by Howard Lo on July 23, 2012 at 7:28pm

yes, I agree... in time the cameras will get smaller (Google glasses, that'll be a privacy discussion for another day :-) so such a compromise won't be necessary. And then even the cheapest phone will have GPS, accelerometer and other sensors. Hopefully this will encourage better behaviors...

Permalink Reply by Kevin K on July 23, 2012 at 11:38pm

I just bought a Tachyon OPS HD camera from Amazon last weekend, to check it out.  It's a little expensive, $140, but it had a 4.5 star rating, which is rare. It shoots HD, a 16GB card will record four hours of continuous video, battery supposedly lasts that long, and then some.  The video quality is good, but doesn't look anything like a 20MB still from an SLR.  Those two pictures above look like shots from a still camera.  You would have a tough time reading most license plates with the Tachyon, let alone a something shooting at 480.

I tried it out this weekend, mounted to my handlebars.  If fell off twice (probably due to my inexperienced mounting job and not using the included tether), but it kept on recording and seems to have no damage.  Thank god, I would have been pissed.

I took it down the LFT.  I must admit I felt a little weird with the thing on my bike (is this legal?) BUT it did occurr to me that if I was in an accident, or witnessed an accident at close range, I would have it on video. Bonus.

As an aside, I also used it to record myself practicing tennis serves, and WOW is it helpful for that. Analyzing your good serves -- and your bad serves -- frame by frame really makes it obvious what you're doing right, wrong, etc.  Highly suggest this...if you're working on your serve.

NOTE -- in Illinois, from my research, it is legal to record video in public, but it is legally questionable to record audio without another parties knowledge, due to eavesdropping laws.  Now, on a bike I don't know if this would legally be considered 'eavesdropping' but just as an FYI.  You might want to pick a camera without audio, or one where the audio can be disabled. And of course I am not a lawyer and nothing in this post is, or is meant to be construed as, legal advice.

 

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 3, 2012 at 5:15pm
Permalink Reply by Kevin K on August 3, 2012 at 5:22pm

That's perfect, thanks.  The particular camera I have comes with a tripod mount, which would work perfectly with that. 

Moc Artsy said:

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 3, 2012 at 6:45pm

I saw someone riding with a helmet cam in the Loop this morning.

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on August 4, 2012 at 2:30am

I sometimes have a cam (but mounted to my handlebars). I have the GoPro camera. When I was using it daily, I would remember that there was a good incident that I recorded and I would find that segment of the video and save it to my computer (deleting anything that wasn't evidence). So far I haven't been in a crash or situation where the video has been useful. 

I used some of the clips to create this video, Driver behaviors in Chicago.

Today a camera was useful: after a woman hit my front wheel as I was walking with my bike in a crosswalk and thought I had hit her, she turned her car towards me after I positioned my bicycle and I to ride away when the light turned green, and proceeded to roll towards me. I lifted my regular camera up towards her and her car and she immediately stopped and reversed her car. I think she was going to hit me and my camera persuaded her not to. What a weird situation. 

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