Cyclists turning to helmet cams as insurance against motorists

The relationship between motorists and cyclists can be volatile at times, which is why it probably isn’t surprising that cyclists are turning to helmet cams as a way of protecting themselves with insurance claims.

Regardless of how motorists (and Shane Warne) feel about cyclists, a Monash University study a couple of years ago stuck helmet cameras on 13 different cyclists around Melbourne in order to track cycling accidents. The research discovered that of the two crashes, six near-crashes and 46 times riders had to take evasive action, 87 per cent were the fault of the driver. So it’s no surprise that a growing number of cyclists are investing in helmet cameras to protect themselves come insurance claim time if they do have an accident.

The SMH has a great story on the growing trend, and the way cyclists are using technology to protect themselves, as well as resolving disputes about who was at fault in an accident. It turns out that knowing you’re being recorded is a great way to diffuse the frustrations many drivers have on the road.

But the real question is that given these cameras are now so cheap, why they aren’t mandatory not only for cyclists, but also drivers? How many minor (and major) road accident disputes could be resolved if cameras were mandatory for all cars? I’m guessing a lot of them…

Via: SMH