In the last few years, dashboard cameras (dashcams) have become increasingly popular. Some insurance companies offer discounted rates for those who install such cameras, and some companies whose workers drive for their jobs may require the use of dashcams. Dashcams can help to clarify who was at fault for a collision and can also make it easier to identify the parties involved. They can be useful after a crash, even though they do nothing to actually protect someone from the risk of causing or otherwise being involved in a collision.
Few people on the road are as vulnerable as cyclists. They can easily get hurt in even low-speed crashes and can often end up overlooked by those in bigger vehicles. Thousands of people regularly bike in Los Angeles, and some of them will end up injured by drivers. Those motorists may try to flee the scene of the crash or place the blame on the cyclist, who will have to prove their version of events. Thankfully, bicycle-specific “dashcams” exist for bicycles to help cyclists prove fault in the event of a collision.
There are both handlebar and helmet cameras
As digital cameras have become higher-resolution and smaller, the viability of a bicycle camera has increased. They are no longer so large that they affect the operation of the machine. The two most common forms of bicycle cameras that people can install include options that fit on the handlebars of the bicycle and options that directly mount on someone’s helmet.
Either can be a valuable addition to someone’s bicycle safety gear. If nothing else, the footage captured by those cameras can help establish that the motorist was the one who caused the crash. In a scenario where there is a hit-and-run incident, the footage captured by a handlebar or helmet camera could help someone track down the driver who hit them and then didn’t stop. If a cyclist cannot identify the motorists who hit them, they may have a hard time pursuing compensation for their injuries.
Investing in thoughtful safety gear can make a big difference for a cyclist who wants to avoid a crash and those who want to better protect their interests if one should occur.
