Tiny Bicycle Camera Helps Solve Hit and Run

Howdy my friends,


This story is a few months old, but shows good use of technology.  It's a remider that not all drivers are scanning down the road and allowing cyclist 3 feet of riding space. 


Tiny Bicycle Camera Helps Solve Hit and Run: Investigators in Berkeley, Calif. were able to use tape from a tiny camera mounted on a cyclist’s bike to track down an alleged hit-and-run driver. The camera was mounted on the bike of a friend of Brazilian racer Bruno Gregory to record his cycling performance so he could improve his technique. As the two were riding through the leafy streets of Berkeley, footage shows a black car swerving into the frame, slamming into them. The bikes went down and the car took off.
Luckily, neither Gregory nor his friend were seriously hurt in the collision; in the footage you can see them talking in the aftermath. They are only slightly bruised, but their bikes were seriously damaged.
The incident might have ended there, were it not for the tiny camera mounted on the bike of Gregory’s friend. They turned the tape over to police and posted it on YouTube, where it’s already been viewed more than 200,000 times.
Police were able to slow the video down and enhance it enough to see the car’s license plate number, which investigators traced to 43-year-old Michael Medaglia.
Medaglia claims he wasn’t driving that day, and that the car had been stolen. Police say they aren’t buying his story, and arrested him for felony hit and run, along with several other charges, including drug possession and violation of probation.


The video that abcnews ran can be seen here. 


I have also linked the actual video taken from the bike.


Part of my agreement with my wife when I started riding was to add safety devices/apparel when on the roads.  The brain bucket is a given as well as my mobile phone, and sunglasses, but I also use a rear flashing light everytime I'm on the road, as well as a front light, if I happen to ride at dawn or dusk, a bike mirror and a RoadID.  Granted, it wont stop an idiot from being an idiot, and it wont make you faster, fashionable, or stronger on the bike, and since I am not an elite racer with a support car following me, I'd rather be as well prepared as I can, especially when most of the rides are solo.      


What do you practice to stay safe on the roads?  Share with your comments or send me an email.  You can also follow me on twitter @mindbodybike.

 

Until the next time,

Keep your mind sharp, body fit, and pedal hard

MB&B