[Scalded Dog]

Yesterday, as I was heading home from work, there was a bicyclist, about age 30, on the road, riding (mostly) on the right shoulder. I was going about 25 MPH, he was at about 15 MPH. Just before I overtook him, he hit a bump in the road, and suddenly there was bike flying one way, and biker flying in MY direction. I swerved hard (no time to check for traffic there, but hitting a car would be far superior to running over a person... luckily, no cars anyhow). For a moment, I thought that I had run over him after he hit the ground. Luckily, no...


I parked so as to prevent other cars from running over him, and went to check on him. He was laying in a pool of blood, teeth knocked out, abrasions and cuts everywhere, mostly on his head. He was conscious, though. I called 911, and blocked traffic. Rancho Cucamonga does not take long to respond: In just a few minutes, cops, paramedics, and fire trucks were on scene. Lots of motorists also stopped to render aid.


The question was, how did he wipe out? He responded to the cops' questioning that he "just crashed." Cops asked him if he got hit by a car, and he said that he did not think so. He thinks that he just crashed, but he did not know how or why. They eventually hauled him away in an ambulance.


The scene, however, LOOKED like I had just hit the guy: Bike and bloody dude laying on the ground, with my car parked all funny next to him. I am sure that the cops who took the report (including my witness statement) must certainly THINK that maybe I hit him. And, since we live in an age where everybody wants to get paid, I am aware of the distinct possibility that the victim may, at some point, determine that since he doesn't really know what happened, that maybe he DID get hit by a car.


However, faster than a speeding bullet, wearing a cape, and some tights, my dashcam is there to come to my rescue! I have it all on video, downloaded and now saved to multiple computers. It clearly shows that I had nothing to do with his crash, and that he simply hit a bump, and wiped out.


I intentionally did not mention to the cops at the scene that I have dashcam footage: I do NOT want them confiscating the camera as evidence, where it will not only be lost forever, but would also render me unable to use that footage in any way. Instead, I gave my statement, was released, and went home to view and download my video. It is simply saved as an insurance policy, just in case anything else ever comes up.


Maybe nothing will ever come of it. Perhaps there will never be a need for it. I just installed the camera a few weeks ago. But... I certainly have far less worry over this incident, knowing that I have video proof of what happened!

[Sir Nuke]

good for you.....and in this day and age.....I would not be surprised that this will be an option available when you buy a new car in the near future.

[Mr Twisty]

[JakesRJT]

I've thought long and hard about a dash cam...this is just another example of why they are great.

[Drumminxx]

That is the reason why I got one a few weeks ago too. I hope I never need it but it is a good insurance policy.

[RubyCamaro]

Good that you got it recorded. Which dash cam did you get?

[USMCSSGT-RET]

Glad to hear it helped out. I hope I never have to use the footage from mine!

[KeepItShut]

I missed the link for the video, did you take it down?

[skipinminn]

LOL I have a go pro I can't figure out how to use :( I'm so not TECHIE. :(

[dcpatters]

I am going to get one and use the video evidence to convict all of these modded camaros running around and terrorizing everyone.

[Taco Time]

This is a good example of why a dash cam is one of two things I am very seriously considering adding to my car!! (Also some sort of switch that must be flipped inside the car before it can be started. It will be hidden.)

What dash cam are you using? Where'd you get it?

Where's the video?!?!?

I get you not wanting to give the video to the officers on the scene, but now that you've taken it home and copied it have you considered taking a copy of the video to the police station?

[ZYBORG]

In for vid..

[Scalded Dog]

I've got the Falcon 360... I liked it so much, that I bought a second one for my wife's car, and hardwired the cameras into both vehicles. When I asked the manufacturer about getting an additional power cord so that I can use the camera in other vehicles, they sent me one at no charge.

(I ordered it online... it's generally offered for around $130, including a 32gb SD card (worth about three hours of recording, which perpetually records over the oldest, unwanted footage), the power cord, link cord, and shipping. Google it, you'll find lots of places offering the Falcon 360... front and rear facing lenses, audio, night vision. No GPS, no shock sensor.)

I did not post the video on here, just because it actually reveals a lot of personal info that I did not want publicly posted... where I work, the address, and a personal phone call (audio is on) I made. And... the video isn't THAT thrilling, anyhow... just a guy falling off of a bike. I have the camera set to record in 10- minute long sections, so the video is ten minutes long, for five seconds of mildly interesting mayhem. I am sure that a five- year old with better tech skills than me could have that edited into a slick, short, sound- free clip in about a minute, but, I'm no five- year old.... haven't got those mad skills!

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

good for you.....and in this day and age.....I would not be surprised that this will be an option available when you buy a new car in the near future.

I am very surprised that it does not seem to be a manufacturer's option in any vehicle. But I am even MORE surprised to find that there are apparently NO retail stores from which to purchase dashcams.

I think that there's a huge void to be filled: A retail location that sells dashcams, installs them, and can offer professional advice about them. As it is, virtually ALL dashcam sales are online, information is all online, and there is a lot of room for misinformation, scamming, cheap stuff, and general dashcam tomfoolery!