Unlawful cell phone use by motorists is endemic. Nevertheless, somewhat than throw up his arms, Londoner Mike van Erp invested in a digital camera to document and report harmful drivers.
The metropolitan police has prosecuted over 20,000 motorists because it began accepting video proof by way of a web based portal. Mike, higher generally known as @cyclingmikey, can take credit score for over 800 of them.
As you would possibly anticipate, Mike’s efforts to deal with highway hazard earn him a torrent of on-line criticism. For instance, he’s routinely accused of breaking privateness and knowledge assortment legal guidelines.
Simply as properly that Twitter’s very personal ‘blackbelt barrister’ @dshensmith stepped as much as reassure cycle cam and dashboard cam customers. His video is properly value a watch, however in a nutshell, there’s nothing unlawful about recording and reporting lawbreaking motorists.
Biking Mikey: “unhealthy driving is basically tolerated by society”
In an interview an the Guardian, Mike van Erp explains: “I similar to to assume that with the facility of 1 I’m making an attempt to vary a bit of little bit of highway security. Most individuals who cycle realise that unhealthy driving is basically tolerated by society. It’s not thought of a very severe factor. But it’s claiming 1,800 lives a yr within the UK alone, and 27,000 are significantly injured. That’s a fairly severe toll, isn’t it?”
Cycle cameras – a vital evil for immediately’s roads?
Cycle cams make you’re feeling much less helpless on hostile roads. Within the occasion of a highway site visitors incident, video footage goes a good distance in direction of guaranteeing authorized redress – a cycle insurance coverage of kinds.
We’re one of many solely nations in Europe to eschew presumed legal responsibility – a standard sense legislation that makes motorists accountable for accidents triggered to pedestrians and cyclists. Because of this, courtroom instances relaxation on one particular person’s phrase in opposition to one other. Until there’s video proof for the courtroom to think about.
The moral alternative
The ETA was established in 1990 as an moral supplier of inexperienced, dependable journey companies. Over 30 years on, we proceed to supply cycle insurance coverage (covers cargo bikes), breakdown cowl and mobility scooter insurance coverage whereas placing concern for the setting on the coronary heart of all we do.
The Good Procuring Information judges us to be the UK’s most moral supplier.
