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Portishead cycle club fits cameras to bikes to protect from 'dangerous' drivers
Just seen this: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/cycle-club-fits-cameras-bikes-5863526
Portishead Cycling Club - one of the largest in the area - has purchased ‘multiple sets’ of cycle mounted cameras to use while out on rides.
As well as protecting riders against dangerous drivers the cameras will be used to educate and hold their own cyclists to account when out on the road.
The cameras will be in operation on all club rides.
The cycling club has been working closely with Avon and Somerset Police’s Road Policing Unit as part of its ongoing work addressing the vulnerability of those on two wheels.
In the first six months of 2021 of such work, the force received 1,484 camera uploads with evidence of road related offences.
This resulted in 1,667 warning and prosecution letters being issued.
Following a trial period Portishead Cycling Club made a successful application to the Police Community Trust for a grant to purchase a number of front and rear camera light sets.
I'm curious as to which cameras they got as it's not mentioned in the article - any Portisheadians here?
(Also, what's the best route from Portishead to Bristol as I've got a gaming friend that lives there and I may end up cycling late at night back from Portishead and the Portbury 100 could be scary at night)
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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32 comments
i'm not certain how a camera, recording video, 'protects' you from the actions of a
dangerouscareless driver. some sort of EMP that trashes the ECU if they get too close?I'd sign up for one of those on KickStarter!
But yeah, cameras are more to improve general road safety rather than providing direct protection although drivers may take more care if they spot that you're a cyclist with a camera.
Trouble is, you need a big coil winding to generate an EMP - and they tend to be heavy.
Perhaps a party-popper type device containing metallic chaff that could confuse a radar based emergency braking system into slamming on the anchors. Would have to be biodegradeable though...
I've been doing my own research (i.e. found some videos on YouTube) on EMP devices:
An electrical expert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5M6YKR7wUw
LockPickingLawyer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWpOdvMUegI
Nah - that's just messing around, the only way to do EMP properly is the nuclear option...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse
Its the only way to be sure.
I've popped into the comments on the original article, to put the usual BP anti-cycling Gammons right. If you've got a strong stomach, do the same.
So assuming they took action against every subject videoed, that means 183 letters went to those submitting the video.
Yeah, I wondered about that. I interpreted it as them sending multiple letters for single uploads as I've never had any warning letters from them after uploading. I've had them reply and informally warn me about making a forbidden left turn and one instance where they questioned my road positioning (it was intended and received as friendly advice but I replied with my reasons for taking that particular line and they appreciated my thoughts on that).
Or a some videos show more than one miscreant driver?
I think it's a combination of more than one offence per driver and more than one offender per submission, if I remember the original A&S tweet correctly.
More digging required on those numbers as they seem very large for a year let alone 6 months and the follow up rate too doesnt tally really.
They're Chilli bullet cameras according to this - https://www.portisheadcycling.com/cameras
Thanks, I hadn't heard of them before but they look pretty good for the price.
Presumably they use them for both front and rear?
Just ordered one for the rear + 3.90 p&p
£6 for spare battery
hurry up with the review please!
Despatch date is 10/09; 1-3 days delivery
So is that Oct 9, or 10 Sept?
British dates for me - none of this US mumbo-jumbo.
(reminds me of a web form at work which could only be used for the first 12 days of the month)
I would be prepared to compromise on the yyyy-mm-dd which makes both sides feel they have won
That looks like a nice little camera.
The camera looks interesting,might try and find some footage to see what kind of quality you get, especially in low light as that tends to be where you lose out on digital sensors that are less costly.
But the wording in the paper bugs me, club cyclists shouldnt need to video their rides to show they follow rules and its false equivalence anyway.
A helpful post - well I never.
Apparently they've upped the chip set. The Pro version looks worth getting but you're still going to need a co-axial light to capture reg numbers in poor light. I highly recommend the practice of calling out the reg number as you see it. The Mark I eyeball is still better than any camera at night.
Yes on the link Nigel shared (cheers btw) theres a video where they show the comparison between MkI and MkII in grey overcast murky conditions which was exactly the kind of thing I was after.
But could you explain how the coaxial light would help ? I've tried various lights over the years but theyve never seemed to help improve video footage.
I guess a coaxial light ensures the retroreflective plates reflect back straight to the camera. If you use an off-axis light then most of the reflection misses the camera.
But you might just find a coaxial light causes the plates to blow out in the image, if the camera's auto exposure is mostly influenced by the rest of the (darker) scene.
Looking at the old/new comparison video, it seems like the exposure has already been increased to favour darker areas of the scene whilst sacrificing highlight detail in the sky. So bright number plates might be a problem.
Sheepway, and then dismount for the footbridge across the motorway into Portbury? Or the 'normal' cycle route so Sheepway then round the (unlit) backs of all the car storage parks for the docks and into Pill?
I think you can also go Clapton Lane out of Portishead (by Gordano school) and then Naish Hill and into Portbury, but that might be a bit out of the way?
Have a look at these on Google Maps and see if they'll work for you.
Thanks.
The Sheepway looks like a good alternative. There's a cycle path that leads to the M5 bridge (by Pill) and then along the Portway, but I might be tempted to go along Martcombe Rd and use the Suspension Bridge.
TBH Peter the Portbury Hundred is a scary road full stop. I would never ride on there, not even if you paid me! The way people drive on there... <shakes head>
I've been along it a couple of times during the day and I know what you mean. It's far too busy for its size, but then it's not as though people can use the train instead.
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