Is using a helmet cam worth it?
 

Currently in a county where the people are nice, but their driving is the most dangerous and ******** in the metro LA area. (After thousands of miles around the west, I've come to realize there is a direct correlation between how friendly a community is and how dangerous they drive!) The idea of a helmet camera or for elsewhere came into mind. I don't believe I've read any stories where the video did any good with authorities, so I'm wondering for those of you who at some point bought one and now video your rides... Did you notice any difference in how drivers responded to you? Any less stress/anger with it for you?

I'd like to think that most drivers did improve after I had started using my cameras.

As for those who didn't I learned to make video clips of what they did. I would report commercial vehicles (c/w date, time and location) back to their company via their PR dept, or contact us link. A lot of trucks have "How was my driving?" painted on the back with their phone numbers.

Drivers aren’t seeing cameras (helmet or not).

You're not likely to see many news stories, but there are many YouTube channels featuring successful prosecutions/citations.

From my channel alone...

In this one the "authority" ended up being fired:

In this one the teenagers were charged with assault:

The driver of the Civic was ticketed for violating the state 3-foot passing law:


I've run cameras for nine years. When I first bought one I tested it on my handlebars and decided that wasn't the way to go for multiple reasons, so I mounted it to my helmet. Immediately, I noticed that the casual harassment plummeted. I also know people notice it, because occasionally people will comment on it.

Some are of the staunch opinion that visible cameras don't deter bad behavior. For argument's sake let's hit the "I Believe" button and assume they're right. It's still a moot point. Why? Because the evidential value of the camera far outweighs whether or not its visibility deters bad behavior. A high end action cam is around $300-400. How many of your insurance deductibles are that low? MAYBE your car insurance? Certainly not health or homeowners, and those are the ones you'll be using to pay for your hospital stay and property damage. My cameras don't have to dissuade people from acting poorly so long as they prove who hit me and, in turn, allow me to recoup my losses.

JW Fas
What camera are you using?

Helmet: Sony FDR-X3000
Rear (saddle rail mount): GoPro Hero Session 4

In my area it would be a hassle, just not enough negative interactions with drivers to make it worth; however, I will admit that they can be extremely helpful if you're wearing one in just the right circumstance. Of the four times I've been hit by cars it would have benefitted me, but in only one of those cases the driver (I think) intentionally hit me, but he drove off without even slowing down, so only if my camera caught the LP it would have been helpful.

I do remember a driver playing games by steering his vehicle directly at me, but I only noticed this because I say it in my mirror, so only a rear-facing camera would have worked in that case.

Every so often I see this cyclist that wears a camera on his helmet, it's very obvious, but it actually might work against him more than help, in other words in his case it could provide evidence damning of his riding. This is because I always see him doing at least 15-mph in the wrong direction on a one way street (a very narrow residential area), with 4-way stop intersections about every 500-ft, of course he blows thru the intersections.

This guy has a nice bike and is outfitted like a true cyclist, so I wonder why he doesn't just go out on roads where this type of riding is safer, I only go on this road as a cool down after my rides, if I still feel like doing speed, I go a few streets over.

I don't use a helmet mounted camera, but I do have a GoPro Hero 8 mounted on my handlebars, recording forward, and a Varia RTC715 that records what is coming up from behind. The Varia only records when it detects an approaching vehicle, which is all I really need it for.

Quite often the police asks from the general public for any dashcam videos of certain collisions. If you happen to be a witness or if you're the victim, your camera videos would be of use to the police.

Consider getting a rear facing camera too.

I tried my camera on my helmet but I didn't like the feel of the extra weight. Even though the weight was minimal, I could still feel it. So back to the handlebars it went.

I suppose I could just make myself get used to the weight of the camera on my head, but I like it better on my bars.

yes, it helps to have a highly visible camera. for a while I was wearing mine on my helmet pointing back & toward the lane, basically right at the approaching driver(s). totally helped prevent getting buzzed

I have a handlebar camera and a seatpost camera. Pointing to it seems to stop any rage behavior, but I haven't had anything worth filing a report for yet. I hesitate to get a helmet mounted camera because it can yank the helmet out of place when contacting the ground, but even back when I wore a helmet mounted light, people asked if it was a camera. I used to lie and say yes.

I've always seen the on-bike camera as an exercise in wishful thinking. Not throwing rocks at those who use them, but after all these years it has never been an obvious solution to anything. "Can I get a witness?" is what a camera offers, but if I need a witness, it's already too late. Lawsuits? Justice? Save the next guy? (Save the whales?) Hmmmm, maybe, maybe not, uncertain. Can they / do they have preventative value for road rage or pranksters? One cannot prove that either way. I don't have a camera and I may have had one hassle in many many thousands of miles.

Bottom line - helmet cams are "worth it" for those who like to engage in wishful thinking about their preventative powers or their substantive value as a "witness" for justice.

You won't wish you had one until it's to late...

I was involved in a right hook accident several years ago where the driver fled the scene.. While there was a human witness who stopped to help me they did not get the plate of the offending vehicle.. The vehicle was never found.

My accident was minor but I did have injuries that required a trip to the ER, a loose tooth that required dental work and damage to my bike and gear. All in all the accident cost me over $2,000.. But it could have been much, much worse and the costs associated with it could have been much, much higher...

If I had a rear facing camera it more than likely would have gotten the vehicle plate and shown exactly what happened and that driver caused the accident. With the plate info the police would have no issues tracking down the vehicle. The insurance on that vehicle would have paid for 100% of my losses..

Now imagine you have a serious accident with thousands and thousand in medical bills, lost wages from missing work and a destroyed high dollar bike and gear. Perhaps you are fine with being out tens of thousands of dollars but I am not. Since my accident several years ago I will not ride without a camera.. Period!

I ride a lot of miles in the City and get right hooked ALL the time even with a very bright Dinotte Quad Red Light..

Will I ever need it again? Hopefully not but if I do, I know it's there to capture the evidence needed..

I take comfort in confirming that my camera will show most license plates that come anywhere close to touching me... and even if that's too late for me, my wife will be able to have a more comfortable life after collecting on it.

NSS. Cameras were never touted as magical shields to prevent collisions. They do, however, offer an indispensable aid to cyclists in the event something happens. Unlike human witnesses, cameras do not miss small details in the heat of the moment, mistakenly recall details from memory, subconsciously make up new details (the human brain does this), or outright lie. Moreover, there is zero legal obligation for a human witness to remain at the scene and give a statement. All the more reason to have a witness that doesn't leave your side and captures the most accurate account of the incident.

You are what we call lucky. The lack of negative incidents in your cycling adventures does not constitute a sound argument against those who are considering cameras.

I think a lot of people overlook the value of cameras for cycling. Most of these camera type threads have those who say they are a waste of money and / or go on about how they don't prevent an accident..

Most using cameras are well aware that a camera is not going to prevent an accident and understand that the point of them is to capture evidence in the event of one. Even more so if the driver leaves the scene as you are sprawled out on the pavement.. After my previously described accident I started riding with a camera and now I won't ride without one.

I view it as piece of mind in case I am involved in another accident. The cost of the camera would be a drop in a very large bucket compared to the cost you could be faced with..

Yesterdays right hook: I am doing about 18mph in a clearly marked bike lane and a lady turns in front of me (right hook) to turn into an apartment complex. I slam on brakes and turn in the same direction sharply. I narrowly avoided the accident and yelled "Hey, watch out" or something like that. She stops, rolls her window down and starts going off on me telling me I almost hit her and that I need to learn how to ride a bike. I explain the laws to her and that I had the right of way. She persists on that I need to learn the rules of the road.. I finally tell her we can call the police and I can show them the video (as I point to my camera) and she rolls up window and drives off....

I get right hooked ALL the time, hence the rear facing camera..

Fancy that. She decided to de-escalate and no longer incriminate herself the moment she knew she was being filmed.

For those who question whether visible cameras deter poor behavior, it's a well documented phenomenon known as the Observer Effect (or sometimes called Hawthorne Effect).

https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xml...=1&isAllowed=y
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-ha...ras-1408320244
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...mera/21997511/
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...ehavior-127762
https://www.bodycamera.co.uk/blogs/n...being-recorded

Obviously, the cameras won't be visible 100% of the time, but we do know that people are more likely than not to modify their behavior if they see one.

Personally, I would rather many other protective measures compared to a camera. Spend the money on a better helmet.

Most helmets approved by CPSC (or similar agencies) protect about the same. The higher price tag is generally for looks, ventilation, and/or aerodynamics. Besides, even the best helmet won't make a crash injury free.

It's kind of hard to have a helmet-mounted camera when you're not already wearing a helmet. Besides, this thread never once expressed or implied that the choice was between buying a camera or buying a helmet. It's assumed that we're already taking the basic precautions.

If you don't already have all the protective equipment and reflective wear, get them. And don't ride until you have them all on.

There are plenty of threads on Bike Forums by newies just like you asking what safety equipment they should have.

I'd hope you have all the protective gear you need before heading out on a bike. If you don't then please get it before you ride. For the most part a helmet is a helmet and as urbanknight pointed out, the higher price generally only gets you lighter weight, more aerodynamics etc... Just get a good affordable one with MIPS certification and you'll be protected.

There are plenty of good camera out there for not much money that will get the job done. If you don't want to ride with a camera then that's cool too but many people do ride with them and see the possible value they add..

You can get cycling specific cameras like a Cycliq Fly 6 for the rear or a Cycliq Fly 12 for the front. Both of those have cameras and integrated lights. Or something like the Garmin Varia RTL 715 that has radar, light and camera.

Then there are plenty of non cycling specific camera that can be used like GoPro, DJI, Drift and more. I prefer to use GoPro's with a USB battery pack to power them for long rides. Something like a GoPro or a DJI will have better image quality and allow super slow 120 FPS recordings..

To this topic of this tread, I've never used a helmet mounted camera and have always used them as fixed units on the bike itself..

I suggest you might provide more financial protection for your wife in the event of your demise (for any reason) by carrying the appropriate amount of life insurance. Do not depend on her collecting a financial windfall from the unlikely event of her collecting it from an irresponsible hit-and-run driver with big pockets or high limits insurance coverage who gets caught and proven at fault for your death by means of your handy-dandy helmet camera.

You're missing the point..

Who are you going to collect from if you are seriously injured, incapacitated long term or paralyzed? You and your family will suffer massive financial setbacks and losses due to medical bills, loss of work wages etc.. That $200 or so camera could dissolve all that financial loss quite easily..

I agree that people should also have life insurance but not just because they cycle. Life insurance is cheap and can help cover funeral costs and leave some left for the family bills.

These reports support my experience having a highly visible rear-facing camera when I cycle.

However, with the prevalence of dashcams nowadays, why is driving as bad as ever? You'd think that drivers would be aware that they are being recorded by other drivers.

Again, it's about visibility. The "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Everybody knows when they visit a store that there are security cameras, but how often do you consciously think about that? Almost never. Moreover, while the security cameras are almost always visible, they're placed in locations where you normally wouldn't focus your attention. You can quickly spot them IF you're actively looking for them. The same idea applies to cars. Dash cams are typically placed such that they're not easy to spot even in cars without tinted windows. My car's rear window is tinted, and you can't see it unless you're a foot away from the glass.

When people can see a cop they drive more carefully, and when the cops hide people drive as if they aren't there. That's how so many people get nailed for speeding.

When it comes to cycling, motorists have a generic mental image of what a cyclist will look like. Anything that is outside the "normal" image will draw attention. A camera on top of a helmet is one of those things. In the case of a rear camera, it's probably the blinking red recording light. When you approach a cyclist with a standard rear light (not a camera), your eyes are automatically drawn to it.

Presumably your own medical, auto or life insurance policies will cover such expenses.

Can you point out some reference for many or any cyclists (or their survivors) who have easily collected healthy sums of money only because the cyclist had the foresight to have a helmet or bicycle mounted camera capture a license plate number of a negligent driver with sufficient means or insurance to reimburse the cyclist/family for massive financial setbacks and losses due to medical bills, loss of work wages etc.? Sounds like a sales pitch based on wishful thinking.

Also I suggest you look up personal insurance for medical expenses as well as life insurance policies. Such policies (to include your own automobile insurance which may cover injuries while bicycling) do not have to be written with a bare bones minimum or zero payout.

Most health insurance have high deductibles before co-pay kicks in.. Co-pay can vary by insurance company so even when it finally kicks in you are still not completely covered for the cost.

Health insurance won't generally cover you for lost wages unless you have a separate policy or a rider for that..

Why would your auto insurance cover you on a bike unless you have some sort of umbrella policy that covers you while on a bike?

Sales pitch? LOL.. It's an absolute fact of life that if a driver plows into you and they are at fault then their insurance will pay for medical bills, lost wages from work and damage to your bike.

Not sure why you have such a strong opinion on this when you don't appear to have a grasp on how it works but to each their own I guess.. Anti-camera onwards if it makes you happy...