I’m afraid to use my helmet camera....

[Troy]

I got a helmet cam a while ago. I had an incident on the road that made me buy it. At the time, it made sense because I was commuting to work on a bike daily.
That’s no longer the case and hasn’t been for at least 2 years now.

Ever since, I’ve never used the camera because the bike has become a weekend toy.... and I’ll shamefully admit that the weekend rides are more “spirited”.

If or when I have an accident, I’m afraid the footage will be used against me...  of course, I’ll be to blame and I accept that. You could say maybe I should use the cam for that reason, to keep things under control.
 

Anyone else been put off using a cam for this reason or am I only the looney toon?

 

 Be honest 

Edited April 24, 2021 by Troy

[Bender]

2 minutes ago, Troy said:

I got a helmet cam a while ago. I had an incident on the road that made me buy it. At the time, it made sense because I was commuting to work on a bike daily.
That’s no longer the case and hasn’t been for at least 2 years now.

Ever since, I’ve never used the camera because the bike has become a weekend toy.... and I’ll shamefully admit that the weekend rides are more “spirited”.

If or when I have an accident, I’m afraid the footage will be used against me...  of course, I’ll be to blame and I accept that. You could say maybe I should use the cam for that reason, to keep things under control.
 

Anyone else been put off using a cam for this reason or am I only the looney toon?

 

 Be honest 

Nope, I either have it on loop and ride sensible or have it so it only records the small pre set time when I push the button, obvious risk with latter is being in a ditch unable to push a button but it's a compromise  

[SometimesSansEngine]

https://youtu.be/6lWbwqYZ43E

[KiwiBob]

30 minutes ago, SometimesSansEngine said:

https://youtu.be/6lWbwqYZ43E

For an alternative view ... "When the camera is attached to you and not the vehicle, the police still have the power to seize the equipment, without a warrant, under Section 19 of PACE. So, as long as an officer has reason to believe you have committed an offence they can take away any recording equipment that may be used as evidence, to later use in court against you".

 

https://www.bikerandbike.co.uk/can-police-seize-your-dashcam-and-helmet-camera-footage/

[SometimesSansEngine]

@KiwiBob tbh I'm less interested in the bickering over seizing evidence, more in the idea that if you're riding like a bit of a dick it may be used against you when deciding any reduction in payout

[fullscreenaging]

Dash cams & bike cams are a double edged sword. 
I have a dash cam, front and rear in the car

I don’t have any camera or recording equipment on the bike....

[Trooper74]

Michael Schumacher .... your helmet was not designed or tested with an additional mass / moment arm attached to it ...

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I use a chest mount. And if being honest it does make me ride a bit more sensibly. I would not mount a camera on my helmet because A) in an off you don't want something that could potentially make things worse, and B) it makes you look like a nob.

 

 

[onesea]

Mine when I use is mounted to bike, no speed recording. 

Some riding might be spirited but then my view is if your not riding like a knob. The police probably won't over analyse the rest of footage. 

 

Obtaining an accurate speed from a camera cannot be to easy? They are going to have to rely on measured distances? Timings camera recording at exactly constant speed etc

[Ian Frog]

Some riding might be spirited but then my view is if your not riding like a knob. The police probably won't over analyse the rest of footage. 

 

You have far more faith in our boys in blue than I !

Cheers

Ian

[Fleck]

After the incident place sd card on finger nail and flick it as far away as you can. Preferably into an overgrown area

[Bender]

2 hours ago, Fleck said:

After the incident place sd card on finger nail and flick it as far away as you can. Preferably into an overgrown area

Just don't get seen doing it, perverting the course of justice is likely a way worse sentence than what you were pulled for  

[Pie man]

2 hours ago, Fleck said:

After the incident place sd card on finger nail and flick it as far away as you can. Preferably into an overgrown area

Assuming you've still got capacity to do so, and not flat out in a ditch.  

[Gerontious]

21st century problems eh... such a dilemma.

[Steve_M]

Remember that (some) Kawasaki bikes (it may apply to others) hold a record of the last thirty seconds or so of data about throttle openings etc. “ to aid in incident investigation” (my car has this facility, too). 
 

You may as well leave the camera on ... ???

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

17 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Remember that (some) Kawasaki bikes (it may apply to others) hold a record of the last thirty seconds or so of data about throttle openings etc. “ to aid in incident investigation” (my car has this facility, too). 
 

You may as well leave the camera on ... ???

I remember a lady complaining that Vauxhall wouldn't honour the warranty on her Corsa. The engine has failed whilst her son was driving it, and - "He's a very sensible and careful driver."

 

Well a glance at the ECU data suggested that the engine had let go at galactic rpm, we suspected a missed shift whilst giving it some beans. She was somewhat crestfallen when the data was presented to her.

[S-Westerly]

My sat navigation records the max speed and average speed regardless. I can reset it but that's after the fact. 

[TimR]

Look at it this way the footage may aid your treatment in the event of an accident .

 If no witnesses etc it can add insight to mechanism of injury etc 

[rennie]

I don't have 1, never really thought about why but you could have a point 

[onesea]

27 minutes ago, TimR said:

Look at it this way the footage may aid your treatment in the event of an accident .

 If no witnesses etc it can add insight to mechanism of injury etc 

I am reckoning if it’s that serious medically if they see the footage you will be alive or fooked... I was going to say fine but that would be very lucky.

 

3 days ago I saw some one who had been discharged on scene having had his car leave damage in a tree trunk 5 foot above road level on a 60mph road, he had a lucky day.

 

[Bender]

3 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Remember that (some) Kawasaki bikes (it may apply to others) hold a record of the last thirty seconds or so of data about throttle openings etc. “ to aid in incident investigation” (my car has this facility, too). 
 

You may as well leave the camera on ... ???

Remember the guy that claimed his vw I think had gone mental and he couldn't slow down, ended up dead, ploughed into rear of a trailer, ecu was obliterated but they captured last few seconds from airbag system as ecu dumps some of the info in that as a backup, data said no steering input no brake and accelerator pressed down.