Why on-bike cameras are important for your safety and other cyclists, too

Scott and Jayne were a quarter of the way into their 100-km road ride just east of Hamilton. As they approached a hilly section, Scott, an experienced cyclist, encouraged Jayne to take the lead even though the headwind was strong. He wanted to guard the rear because motor vehicle traffic felt heavier that day.

Jayne remembers feeling Scott brush past her. To her horror, looking left, Scott was flipping over the hood of a passing car. The sounds of collision and panic filled the air.

When Scott woke up the next day in hospital, he remembered having seen his parents the morning of the ride, but nothing about the ride itself. He was hit from behind and suffered a serious head injury. Now, we’re in a tough liability situation, fighting a driver who, along with a suspicious third-party witness and incredibly flawed police investigation, suggests Scott, for no reason, veered into the path of the car. The driver couldn’t avoid hitting Scott. The cyclist, with no memory of that ride, can’t easily counter that evidence.

Now five years post-collision, we would not still be ensnared in litigation if we had video footage—a chilling reminder of just how critical recording our rides can be.

More and more, I’m seeing the power of video evidence in capturing dangerous driving and sometimes, yes, even the attention of authorities. Video evidence provides an inarguable counter to the pervasive creep of car culture biases that affect investigations into collisions between motorists and cyclists.

My colleagues and I recently used video evidence that caught a motorist purposefully swerving into our cyclist client to advocate for more serious charges. Initially, the investigating officer only charged the driver with failure to give the lane, a Highway Traffic Act offence. When we highlighted the video evidence and exerted some public pressure, the constable was bumped from the case. The newly assigned detective recommended three criminal charges be laid.

Meaningful and significant charges, we hope, send a message that will deter would-be dangerous drivers. Real charges are important for our safety. Cameras, then, not only offer personal protection, but they document what we’re up against out there and the need for changes to laws and infrastructure to keep us safe. By reporting dangerous incidents, we can ensure reckless drivers are flagged and data is created on just how frequent incidents imperilling vulnerable road users are.

We’ve noticed cameras change driver behaviour, too.

A visible recording device mounted on a bike has, in my experience, helped to de-escalate several heated situations. Being active citizens and using camera footage to report road violence sends a message that 24/7, 365, the public can be anywhere and everywhere videoing the shenanigans of hostile motorists. I hope that on-bike cameras can act as deterrents to drivers who would otherwise be dangerous because they know their crimes can be captured by fellow citizens.

This individual work that you can do, too, provides a real service to all road users.

In terms of what camera to get, there is a deep rabbit hole you can go down. I’ve used devices by GoPro, Garmin and Cycliq, all to great effect. Whatever your choice, it should be guided by image quality, battery life, storage capabilities and, of course, durability. I use my camera almost exclusively in inclement weather when I know motorists are distracted by driving conditions. Above all else, if the camera doesn’t capture licence plate numbers, don’t buy it.

If you have to choose between getting a front or rear camera, consider what would best on the roads you ride. In urban centres, I see shenanigans happening a lot in front, at the approach to intersections or by motorists blocking bike lanes. So, a handlebar or head-mounted camera makes sense. In rural settings, where vehicles can pass from behind too quickly and too closely, I recommend a rear camera.

After my dad was run off the road by a 90 year old in a boat of an Oldsmobile who didn’t even see him (thankfully he survived to ride another day), I got my father the rear Cycliq camera/light. Now, Dad downloads footage of particularly egregious driver interactions and submits it to the Ontario Provincial Police in the Collingwood, Ont., area.

Charging, mounting, recording, downloading—having a camera with you as you ride is another step that you take when you prepare for your ride. You may not want yet another device on your bike. I get it. That said, as a pro-ponent of defensive cycling, I do believe in the steps you can take to mitigate the dangers along our beloved routes or on new adventures. So, I really do recommend that you ride with a camera. It may prove critical in securing compensation and vital benefits if you or a ride buddy are injured in a collision with a motorist.

Heck, at the very least, you’ll capture an epic sunrise or be able to publicly shame Purolator or Uber—a PR win in the battle for safe streets.

Ride and record on, friends.

Dave Shellnutt is the founder and managing partner of The Biking Lawyer LLP, lawyers for injured cyclists, thebikinglawyer.ca