Hey everyone. This post is a bit lengthy but a real good read. It's from the Road Bike Rider and was written by John Marsh.
The Case for Helmet Cams, Driver Education Not long ago, on an otherwise unremarkable day, I received an email from an RBR reader about a New York Times article noting the use of helmet cameras as a possible deterrent to motorist harassment, and worse, against cyclists. The reader wrote of the article: "Interesting development. Wearing a camera was suggested to me last week after I was sideswiped by a driver (almost certainly intentionally). Bruised and bloody but nothing broken. I was lucky under the circumstances." The day became remarkable when I received two additional emails on the very same topic, one noting the New York Times story, and another referencing a Time magazine article. The NYT piece led with a cyclist recounting an experience very much like what the RBR reader shared with me. The difference was that Evan Wilder, the Washington, D.C., cyclist profiled, was wearing a helmet cam. The video of his encounter -- in which the driver first cursed at him, then sideswiped him, hurling him to the pavement -- helped nab the driver, now charged with leaving the scene of an accident. (He may face other charges as well.) Angry, Distracted Motorists Common "It's a fact of life that on American roads you get punked, cut off purposely, harassed, not once but on a regular basis," said Bob Mionske in the NYT article. Mionske is a former Olympic cyclist and lawyer who represents cyclists in Portland, Oregon. "If motorists start to hear about bikes having cameras, they're going to think twice about running you off the road." Mionske's first point about the perils of sharing the road with sometimes angry motorists -- in addition to the epidemic of distracted driving -- seems to be borne out clearly in two of our most recent Question of the Week polls: Last month, we asked "What's the Greatest Threat to You in the Area Where You Ride?" 74% answered "Automobile traffic, dangerous intersections and the like." Two weeks ago, we asked "How Often on Rides Do You See Drivers Using a Mobile Phone?" 51% of you said "On every single ride, without exception." Another 35% said "On nearly every ride." Those statistics speak volumes. Can Helmet Cams Be a Deterrent? His second point, too, makes sense. Namely, that helmet cams may become a deterrent if motorists believe they may be recorded in the act of harassment or unsafe driving. It's human nature that most people are emboldened by a perceived lack of consequences, just as most bridle back on their actions if they think there may be consequences. In fact, as Wilder pointed out in the New York Times article, a helmet cam can also deter bad behavior on the part of the cyclist. "I know my actions before and after some event are going to be recorded if I'm the one being a jerk," he said. "It makes me want to be careful." Helmet cams may indeed prove useful as a deterrent if they ever catch on in a big way. (Jersey idea: "Video Cam on Bike!") Helmet cams are already fairly affordable, with some as low as $130. By the pricey standards of road cycling, that's not a lot. (For more information on the technical aspects of a helmet or bike-mounted camera, see our News & Reviews section. An RBR reader has shared with me his own recently researched findings.) Driver Education Even More Important However, as an article another RBR reader sent me not long after the flurry of helmet cam emails pointed out, this is a problem that needs to be approached on multiple fronts. The Carolina Public Press article details the path toward cycling advocacy taken by Shannon Chisholm after being struck from behind by a car - while stopped on her bike at a red light in Asheville, North Carolina. Deterring bad motorist behavior and unsafe driving is all well and good - whether it's in the form of helmet cams or enacting, and enforcing, safe passing laws. But in no way is it enough on its own. As I first stated in a related column earlier this year, 3 Feet is Not Enough, without a systematic program of public service and public safety announcements, along with a culturally ingrained system of drivers' education, safe passing laws are virtually unknown to the driving public and thus, as a practical matter, nearly completely ineffective. "We have a really great opportunity to change how we think about transportation education to teach the next generation of motorists," said Mike Sule, co-founder of Asheville on Bikes (AoB), a cycling advocacy organization, in the CPP article. "Look at where drunk-driving was two or three decades ago. In terms of multi-modal transportation, we have a lot of catching up to do." It's Time for a MADD-Like Campaign His reference to drunk-driving education is one I often make myself. In the U.S., Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) spearheaded the national campaign against drunk driving in the early 1980s and remains a vital force in the effort. I'm convinced that our cycling advocacy organizations here and abroad could do the same thing regarding distracted driving and motorists sharing the road with cyclists. The time has come. I'm just as convinced that driver education programs strongly teaching respect and mutual rights to the road will do wonders for the way motorists share the road with cyclists and pedestrians. As someone who has driven extensively in Europe, the very first thing I was taught is to watch out for, and respect the rights of, cyclists. The same thing is taught to drivers in most European countries when they are first learning to drive. As a result, when I have ridden a bike in Europe, I frankly feel more comfortable and safe on the roads, knowing that that respect and caution is part of the culture of interaction on the roads. If you're not a member of the League of American Bicyclists, People for Bikes and other cycling advocacy organizations, consider joining - and urging them to do all they can to help lead the charge in making road cycling absolutely as safe as it can be for you and your fellow road riders. Ride Safe. 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