As a cyclist in the Los Angeles area, you are likely intimately familiar with how dangerous other people can be on the roads. From those who pass within inches of your handlebars to those who seem to never notice that you are there next to them on the road, there are many drivers who put your safety at risk.
Eventually, one of them could hurt you if they get too close and clip your bike. Often, a cyclist has to prove that they were not the one to blame for a crash against the claims made by the driver who was actually at fault. While it may require a moderate financial investment now and ongoing maintenance efforts, a cycling camera or bike camera might make all the difference if you ever get hurt on the road.
How cycling cameras help
You might get hurt when someone clips your bike, requiring that you leave the scene of the crash and go to the hospital. Although the police will eventually come and interview you, they will talk to the driver first. They may approach your conversation with a bias, especially if the driver at fault is charismatic.
A cycling camera takes personal bias out of a collision investigation, much like a dashboard camera in a car. You can provide clear video evidence of exactly what happened prior to the crash. You can also show from other footage that you are typically a rule-following cyclist who knows how to keep themselves safe.
If you have to go to court or negotiate with an insurance company reticent to cover your full costs, the footage of the driver at fault behaving irresponsibly can help you secure the best results possible given your situation.
There are other benefits of having a cycling camera
Obviously, being able to refer to clear video footage in the event of a cycling crash caused by a motor vehicle is a powerful motivator to invest in a cycling camera. There are other benefits to having video footage of your rides.
You can save portions of the footage from your most scenic rides so that you can enjoy them even when you are no longer able to travel those trails. You can share footage of your recent rides with your coach if they are not physically present with you during training to allow for better feedback and more improvement if you are a competitive cyclist. The most cutting-edge cameras with cloud storage can potentially even help you identify and track down someone who steals your bike.
Identifying tools that can help you protect yourself on the road will reduce the impact you experience from a bicycling collision if you ever get hurt in one.
