A trial has been launched in Devon that will see cyclists wearing helmet-mounted cameras to record acts of dangerous driving, allowing them to report the offence to the police.
The new trial is being hailed as a way of improving cyclist safety, which is obviously a very good thing. Although the cynic in me sees it as a thinly-veiled attempt at boosting the counties road traffic conviction numbers!
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The move is part of a wider initiative called Operation Snap which was incepted in the summer of last year. The premise if that those road users with dashcams who manage to capture dangerous or illegal riding can submit the footage to the relevant police force.
The new trial in Devon is aimed at cutting the number of close calls that bicycles have with other road users, something that could be a particular problem on some of the county's narrow and twisting country lanes. Should the trial successfully increase convictions safety it could be rolled out to the general public nationwide.
Devon County Council cabinet member for highway management Stuart Hughes said: “This trial is being undertaken because we’ve seen lots of reports of motorists not knowing the safe distance to leave when overtaking cyclists and they pass too close to them.
“If they’ve witnessed driving that’s dangerous, they have the reassurance that they can upload their footage to Operation Snap.
“The cameras look like helmet-mounted lights, so they’re not particularly noticeable, but we want motorists to know that close passes are potentially being recorded."
