Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
A helmet mounted video camera carried by a Sydney cyclist has caught a road rage incident by a car driver, highlighting the harrassment that cyclists face on our roads on a daily basis.
Related: Critical Mass to Ride Harbour Bridge in November | Wheels of Justice | Vote 4 Cycling
The video incident ocurred on Friday, 26 Oct 2007, at about 9:15 am on Victoria Road on the cyclist's way to work. The video camera, mounted on the cyclist's helmet, recorded the interchange between the motorist and cyclist. Although the sound is patchy the video provides a graphic story of motorist road rage. Many cyclists can tell similar stories about road rage and aggressive and abusive drivers.
The cyclist described the incident:
"Here am beeped by a black van. When I catch up 20 seconds later, I ask whats the problem. He's busy talking on a phone (hand free) so we trade hand signals. I fake a spit on he car, and ride off. 2 minutes later he uses his horn again, cuts me off (I slap the side of his van). He turns the corner, gets out and we have a standoff (he is to close for the camera)."
After the first brief interaction, the driver cut in front of the cyclist dangerously, then did a left turn into a side street and stops. He then gets out of his car shouting at the cyclist and approaching so close that he is not in camera frame. He pushes the cyclist while shouting abuse, and then turns around and walks back to his car.
The incident is witnessed by another driver who is seen on camera offering to be a witness.
According to the cyclist in a post on the Sydney Critical Mass list the incident was reported on the police assistance line who advised that a report should be made in person at Balmain Police Station. The matter was duly reported at Balmain police station with rego number (SJP-333) and vehicle and driver description. The cyclist was told that the rego number did not match the vehicle description on their system (A red mazda).
The cyclist returned later with still images from the video of the car, number plate and driver and was told by a police constable that they will ring the driver to warn warn him of is behavior. There was no concern expressed that the rego details did not match the details on their system.
As the number of cyclists on the roads increase due to peak oil, traffic authorities need to target driver behaviour with education programs. While most drivers behave in sensible and polite fashion, it is the small minority who abuse their use of a license to driving dangerous equipment at speed, and abuse and intimidate fellow road users and their rights.
The media must also bear the blame for inciting road rage with repeated articles stirring up driver hatred of cyclists and sometimes encouraging road rage attacks. The Wheels of Justice continues to highlight examples of poor journalistic practice and incitement of road rage, the most recent piece by columnist John Birmingham in the Brisbane Times expressing a wish that he had a ‘Metal Storm’ weapon fitted to his car to deal with cyclists. (Brisbane: He Died with a Metal Storm Slug in His Head - WOJ 31/10/07)
The RTA has produced a television add (Youtube) as part of a campaign to target speeding which is a start. Simon Jardak engaged in road rage after a woman made a "small penis" hand gesture made popular by this add. He threw a bottle at her, which cost him a conviction and a $400 fine for maliciously destroying or damaging property. ('Small penis' gesture 'provokes road rage' - news.com.au 13/10/07)
The above case is an example of road rage against another vehicle driver. How often have the police acted in incidents against cyclists or pedestrians to the point of court action and convictions? The police need to adopt a zero tolerance policy with regard to road rage irrespective of who is on the receiving end. Until they take action against agressive and bullying road users, as in the case of Simon Jardak, incidents of road rage against cyclists and pedestrians will continue with impunity.
Zero tolerance
Why'd'ya disable comments Takver? Didn't you want anyone disagreeing with you? Why not tell us his numberplate, make of car and other identifying info and be damned! Ah, there it is, SJP-333.
More than likely he's a resident of Balmain. Look out for the bastage, people. I know what I'd be doing (in the dead of night with a spray can).
Ring the driver, ha, I bet they never did.
Re: Zero tolerance
No, I didn't go into comment settings when I published the article.
Rego and sound
I'm wondering whether the rego "didn't match" the vehicle description on the police system because that bullying driver was a policeman and the cops weren't going to take action against one of their own.....
Also I wish the whole dialogue could be transcribed here. I could hardly hear any of it.
Diet
Probably true
Yes, it could well have been a cop, or a cop's relative. This is what they do.
The cyclist was a goose
It's obvious that the cyclist is out looking for confrontation.
The driver showed an enormous of restraint in not reactiving to this mans provocation.
Re: The cyclist was a goose
A fake spit ... what's a fake spit ?!?! Much like the drivers fake threats they did nothing but upset the cyclist. You could have removed every other fact and teh result would have been the same. You culd walk at a set of lights and fake spit somebody so I think the cyclist lost it there. He was worse and the one who provoked
G
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
you soundlike a cunt. So fucking what, you were cut up by some cunt in a car, go about your life. If you wanted to do something you should have stopped and bashed the cunt, but instead you are only able to whinge on the fucking internet. you and the driver are both cunts. weak as piss.
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
When that driver pushed you That Is Assult
if you walk into the cop shop and they say the stills dont match the car... there are not many other combinations of what the pics look like. It would take the IQ of a child and the time of 30 seconds to confirm the car to owner.
Anything else is incompetence by police. Report it to the NSW ombudsman immediately.
if you dont. your a whinger and remove this story as a whinge.
The guy driving the car attiude is very normal and should be made an example of.
the media need something local anyway.
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
Of course, the guy in the car is an idiot. However, I can see where lots of the frustration and anger from car drivers comes from. Being Dutch, I am used to cycle through busy cities, however, gave up in Sydney after three accidents in three weeks. Car drivers just don’t see you. I ride a motorbike now, and often witness bicycle riders break traffic rules. They don’t wait for red lights and cycle on the foot path. When I asked a cycler once why she didn’t wait for the light to turn green the answer was "you are just jealous!". "Of what?" I asked her, "for breaking the law?". I can run red lights too on my motorbike, or even take the foot path. But I don’t. Even the cycler in the video decides to take the foot path because he doesn’t want to wait for the light. I could have done the same on my motor bike. Even a small car can do this. What will happen to the world if we all start doing this?Again, the guy in the car is an idiot. Still, as a cycler you have you right to slap the car. In a way I believe that you did ask for this reaction. If you don’t like this reaction, you should not have engaged the guy at the light. In my eyes you are just as much an idiot for engaging the road rage.
Anyway, enough of my lecture :) enjoy the cycling!
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
Lots of people would be killed and injured, when cyclists do it nobody gets hurt and when the light turns green motorists and cyclists are not jammed up against each other or stuck behind one another.
It is often much safer for a cyclist to cross a red light.
Im not denying its illegal... many many things are, but obviously in this case th law needs to be updated to encourage a safer environment.
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
Lots of people would be killed and injured,
I don't agree, as a pedestrian I had a few near collisions with bicycle riders on the foot path. And besides, very often it would be safe for me to ride the footpath on my motorbike too. Where does it end?
I am curious to know how you think we should change the laws so that its safe for every one. Cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. I think its not a matter of changing the laws, its a matter of attitude change. The attitude of car drivers (who get frustrated too quick) and of cyclers (the arrogance of some of them).
I think that only if cyclists are willing to stick to the law we can have a think about changing the law. However, looking at the current law, it sounds very safe to me if cyclers stick to it: always wear bike helmet, always use red and white lights when dark, always have a red reflector to the rear, obey traffic lights and signs, don't cycle on footpath if your older then 12 years, give hand signals when turning, ride on the left side of the road (not in the middle so cars cant pass). Sounds pretty safe dont you think?
cyclists are not jammed up against each other or stuck behind one another
But you bring up an interesting point: when cyclists cross a red light, cars wont get stuck behind them straight away. Which means less frustration for the car drivers. Which, of course, is safer for cyclists. But in the after a few mins the cars will get stuck again. Unless the cycler allows the car to pass.
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
It ends when you look at the statistics for people killed in transport accidents.
It is important (and legal) to take up the lane so boof heads in cars dont squeeze you in to the gutter or better yet a car door. I have lost a friend to the dreded car door (its so fucking hard look before opening) and have been hit and near missed by more doors then i can count.
People in cars are sitting on their butt pussing an accelerator, its not "harder" to wait for a safe time to overtake. Car drivers will sit quite happily for hours every day in traffic, but get stuck behind a bike rider going up hill for 30sec is like an attack on their human rights.
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
"Car drivers will sit quite happily for hours every day in traffic"
You really think so? Trust me, they dont...
Re: Helmet Cam Captures Road Rage Against Cyclist
Happily is probably the wrong word. But the point is that average joe car driver is much less inclined to behave like the idiot in the video if they are stuck behind a car, a taxi, a truck or a bus then they are if they find themselves inconvenienced by pushie.
I see it every other day, drivers waiting for reverse parkers, double parkers and taxis drivers counting money/picking up passengers don't chuck wobblies, but a pushie will unlock some primal urge to chuck a hissyfit.
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