Use of "body cameras" for cyclists - in response to recent hit-and-run accidents

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by 93legendti

I purchased a supplemental insurance policy for our family that pays up to $25,000 per year for accidents. When my son broke his wrist last year, the policy paid whatever our health insurance didn't pay. Our premiums are $67/month. Deductibles are $100 or $250. Your $9,000 bills would have been covered, after the deductible.

Highly recommended.

I didn't know about supplemental insurance for accidents.

We also checked USA Cycling but no benefits. My mind is fuzzy on this one.

Some of my costs were due to me missing work (wheelchair bound for a while when I held a physically active hourly job, missed something like 2 months of work) so it would have been disability type stuff. However our policy covered the ambulance ride, the wheelchair, cane, most of the prescription costs, etc. It was all the x-rays and PT and such that added up.

We pay about $1k/month for health insurance, no dental/vision. It's a huge expense for us.

[93legendti]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

I didn't know about supplemental insurance for accidents.

We also checked USA Cycling but no benefits. My mind is fuzzy on this one.

Some of my costs were due to me missing work (wheelchair bound for a while when I held a physically active hourly job, missed something like 2 months of work) so it would have been disability type stuff. However our policy covered the ambulance ride, the wheelchair, cane, most of the prescription costs, etc. It was all the x-rays and PT and such that added up.

We pay about $1k/month for health insurance, no dental/vision. It's a huge expense for us.

Hope you've completely healed...

I didn't know about it either...my agent told me...Life Secure is the company...
http://www.finscorp.com/life-supplem...th/lifesecure/

Our health insurance is also over $1000/month. Up from $663/month 2 years ago...so glad we have maternity coverage since we are done having kids...

[abalone]

How can you wear a camera on your chest and back when you are riding? Running yes because there is basically one status position. Cycling, you are leaning over the bars and sometimes you change positions so that the angle of your upper body would mess up the angle that the camera is pointing.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by gdw

No thanks. If you're that paranoid it's time to find a safer sport.

agree, life is too short..and I have been hit from behind while riding.

Choose where you ride, ride defensively, expect the worse, revel in the best.

A whiz bang light, cameras, mirrors, etc, would have done nothing to prevent me getting hit.
Pay yer $, take yer chances.

[Jgrooms]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

agree, life is too short..and I have been hit from behind while riding.



Choose where you ride, ride defensively, expect the worse, revel in the best.



A whiz bang light, cameras, mirrors, etc, would have done nothing to prevent me getting hit.

Pay yer $, take yer chances.

I see were you are coming from. Certainly a camera isn't going to prevent anything. I guess possibly if you are being harassed, if they saw a camera???

However, a "whiz bang" light is mitigation. Some routes under certain daylight conditions, it works. Same use w mirror. In the past, tried a few and hated it. Tried again with another model, rethought it & as with light, under certain rides/conditions I use the mirror.

So my own study of one, riding with mirror & light and riding w just mirror on same route at same times of day, I can say w 100% certainty that drivers are getting a huge heads up (1/2 to 3/4 mile vs 100 yds) with the light vs without and are making choices that are better for me.

I don't get the aversion to high powered, long lasting & rechargeable LED rear lights. Pretty cheap insurance that at the end of the day may save my life or at the very least keep me on the road.

[Deucer01]

Originally Posted by abalone

How can you wear a camera on your chest and back when you are riding? Running yes because there is basically one status position. Cycling, you are leaning over the bars and sometimes you change positions so that the angle of your upper body would mess up the angle that the camera is pointing.

Maybe a helmet mounted, front and rear video camera would work.

[malcolm]

First off do whatever you feel you need to, we all have different thresholds.

For me the idea of wearing cameras anticipating being run over or some violent confrontation seems excessive.

I still think the sport is safe if you look at the number of riders on the road vs those run over. It's kinda like winning the lottery, tiny chance but someone does and I don't see a camera changing that, but I agree in a case like Tom's it would provide compelling evidence. It just seems like too much for the likely hood though.

I think the problem is when these things happen they seem so unnecessary and are discussed ad nauseam and then usually have outcomes that at least to cyclists if not sane people in general are astoundingly biased toward the motor vehicle culture and show zero consideration for someone out just minding their business and being run over.

I will add that after seeing photos of Tom's bike I can't imagine what that video would look like. I imagine he never saw it coming and it looks like she really didn't either. I would be interested to see if she wasn't texting or drunk and texting.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Jgrooms

I see were you are coming from. Certainly a camera isn't going to prevent anything. I guess possibly if you are being harassed, if they saw a camera???

However, a "whiz bang" light is mitigation. Some routes under certain daylight conditions, it works. Same use w mirror. In the past, tried a few and hated it. Tried again with another model, rethought it & as with light, under certain rides/conditions I use the mirror.

So my own study of one, riding with mirror & light and riding w just mirror on same route at same times of day, I can say w 100% certainty that drivers are getting a huge heads up (1/2 to 3/4 mile vs 100 yds) with the light vs without and are making choices that are better for me.

I don't get the aversion to high powered, long lasting & rechargeable LED rear lights. Pretty cheap insurance that at the end of the day may save my life or at the very least keep me on the road.

Not saying they aren't perhaps a good idea, it's just a complication I'd rather not use. I no longer ride at night, when I did I looked like a .1 offa ton XMas tree. I don't even like a helmet, wear it cuz wife says to.

Not trying to argue one way or another but no thanks, for me.

Lady that hit me was asleep, at 10:30 on a Saturday morning. And no, she wasn't tested. Whole 'nother discussion.

[velomonkey]

Originally Posted by gdw

No thanks. If you're that paranoid it's time to find a safer sport.

That might be a bit much. Does riding with a red rear tail light mean anyone is paranoid? I suspect that's a difficult argument to win.

Electronics are just going smaller, cheaper and more efficient. I have the fly 6 and it's a tail light with a camera. In 2 years these things you won't be able to tell the ones with a camera and the ones without - in 5 years the price difference will be negligible.

I see a camera like a bike helmet - I wear a helmet not cause I'm gonna hurt myself, but because something else or someone else is gonna get to me.

[gdw]

I never mentioned lights or helmets. Do you also pack a pistol "just in case"?

[velomonkey]

Originally Posted by gdw

I never mentioned lights or helmets. Do you also pack a pistol "just in case"?

False dichotomy & logical fallicy all in one statement (not easy) - I said lights are, basically, indistinguishable from lights with an included camera. So to argue that cameras are paranoid would mean that lights are paranoid. You want to take that line of reasoning, then go for it. Banana right back at you

[zap]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

I wear a Contour on my helmet almost every time I ride.

How safe is that, wearing something on a helmet.

Last year there was speculation that Michael Schumacher's brain injury may have been caused by his go pro helmet cam. I don't think anything has been proven one way or another but if one is unfortunate to crash land just right….

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by velomonkey

That might be a bit much. Does riding with a red rear tail light mean anyone is paranoid? I suspect that's a difficult argument to win.

Electronics are just going smaller, cheaper and more efficient. I have the fly 6 and it's a tail light with a camera. In 2 years these things you won't be able to tell the ones with a camera and the ones without - in 5 years the price difference will be negligible.

I see a camera like a bike helmet - I wear a helmet not cause I'm gonna hurt myself, but because something else or someone else is gonna get to me.

Do you have a front and rear facing camera on your car? Your chances of somebody 'getting to you' is far higher in a car than on a bike.

No lights or cameras for me thanks. Nor power meters, computers, GPS, heart rate monitors, blah. If cycling gets that complicated, I'll go back to running. Shoes, shorts, tshirts...

[Jgrooms]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Do you have a front and rear facing camera on your car? Your chances of somebody 'getting to you' is far higher in a car than on a bike.

No lights or cameras for me thanks. Nor power meters, computers, GPS, heart rate monitors, blah. If cycling gets that complicated, I'll go back to running. Shoes, shorts, tshirts...

Not even a computer? Do you wear a watch?

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by zap

How safe is that, wearing something on a helmet.

Last year there was speculation that Michael Schumacher's brain injury may have been caused by his go pro helmet cam. I don't think anything has been proven one way or another but if one is unfortunate to crash land just right….

It's a fair question. I'm fairly risk averse and weighing the pros/cons I decided to wear the Contour on the helmet.

I don't take head injuries trivially. I have first hand experience with a rider dying from head injuries sustained in a moderate speed (23-24 mph) fall. His helmet was properly adjusted, had nothing on it, and it was a good helmet (one of the better ones?).