Do some people take hi vis/road safety too far...?

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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Ok general discussion. This is MY OPNION which I am entitled too.

I am a huge advocate of road safety and wearing hi vis. I always ride out in a hi vis vest or jacket, often a hat band too. Horse always wears front knee boots and has some hi vis covers I slap on over. He wears a hi vis exercise sheet on very dull/rainy days.

However as I stopped in a lay by today to let a rider on a lane amble slowly towards me to where it was safe to pass I had time to assess her attire.
Horse was wearing;
4 x hi vis boots
Breastplate (hi vis)
Full hi vis bridle and rein set
Hi vis Parsons rump thingy + tail guard

Rider was wearing;
Vest proclaiming 'CCTV IN OPERATION' :/
Hat band and attached to it an actual mini camera! (Helmet cam?) What on earth was she filming?
Hi vis chaps
And schooling whip with a piece of orange ribbion on the end

Her and her horse were very much a vision in neon.
she eventually reached us without so much of a acknowledgment of the fact I had patiently waited for her as she tootled up to us in a slow walk (i personally always go up a gear if drivers wait for me and neddy). Mrs CCTV did not even thank me, nothing.

My non horsey friend turned to me after and said 'well what a plonker'

I think this is exactly the impression she was probably wanting to avoid but she got even my back up. I mean CCTV in operation, its like big brother is watching you.

Does anyone think this is the wrong thing to wear on the road? for the non horsey road users does it give the impression that helmet cam users are expecting other road users to be guilty of something?

I suppose if her attitude had been nicer I wouldn't be writing this. But her over the top get up and CCTV just seemed ridiculous to me.
Opinions?
Do you use helmet cam and why?

Let's play nicely please :P
 
HelmetCam can be for recording fun hacks, good scenery, etc. I know there's a lot of youtube videos of it which seem popular.

I think the whip thing is very sensible actually, and something I'd emulate if we took whips out. In all honestly, I think that is a much more sensible get up than my sister's preferred single band tabard thing... Roads are foul, and I'd rather look like a belisha beacon than look smart and get hit.
 
I don't think you ever can have too much- if people are laughing at you at least they are not running you over!

Her attitude is a shame though after getting people to slow down and no thanks they might not bother next time
 
Helmet cam is hardly uncommon now. People use it to record their hacks and post cantery earshot video clips, but a very good reason people use them is to record when drivers (or anyone really) are acting like arses. I'd say wear what you like but don't get offended by the amount of hiviz someone else does or doesn't wear, as it's none of your business :)
 
Ignorant rider-should get a shuffle on if people waiting and always thank considerate drivers.
Never seen that on a jacket-I think most drivers won't know what it means,as won't have time to see and clock the helmet cam.
Many cyclists use helmet cams as rta's and near-misses involving them are so common. Lots of every day drivers in Russia use dash cameras cos the driving (and subsequent suing!)is quite lawless! Perhaps it's the way forward for horse riders-it'll mean payback for all those twonky boy-racers who speed past your horse with an inch to spare...:(
 
It was the CCTV in operation vest that made me presume she was recording other road users?
She was a miserable mare anyway :P
 
CCTV? What was she supposed to be filming? What for? Roads ARE foul, which is why I don't ride on them any more (and not for the last 10 years at least). Weird person.
 
Eta I also don't really think you can overdo the hi viz/safety aspect these days,unfortunately (but that's the way the roads and car-drivers' attitudes,have made it go:().
 
Oh I couldn't agree more, roads are horrible nowadays, I have limited my own hacking due to avoiding certain roads. Cannot wait to move somewhere with off road hacking.

I have just honestly never come across this before! It is interesting that maybe helmet cams are more prominent in other areas...
 
Cortez-people record purely as an evidential tool in event of an accident or near-accident. She must be hoping that people (who see she's filming)will give her an even wider berth to avoid any possibility of accusations of negligent/dangerous driving.
Most riders have no choice but to use roads.
 
I've been tempted to get a hatcam before now as our roads are awful (bad grammar.. The drivers are awful not the roads!)

Would love to be able to not touch a road. Sadly where I live, and for miles around, you can't not ride on the roads as the bridle paths are so few and far between
 
Well after driven home at 9.15 pm and seeing two riders with no hi vis. I myself was wearing Hi vis as i have to at work. I pulled at it as pointed it to them as they thanked my O/h for slowing and going wide. Would not mind but one was on a bay other was on a black and white cob only just made out it was a horse as seen its white bum as we headed up the road. Makes me mad. I wear it for my safety at work and when i ride my horse. Why can,t they if they love there hoses so much???
 
The headcam I can understand, but the CCTV vest! I can't imagine many non-horsey road users that wouldn't feel a little miffed reading that. Definitely not the sort of hostile message that horse riders should be giving out to fellow road users :(
 
I have just red this post, then popped back to facebook to see I would say the same lady your talking about putting her pictures onto Horses & Road Safety Awareness page wearing all the stuff you said even a picture from behind with showing her CCTV in operation hi viz :p

Just looked again & the only thing she has missing is the breastplate so maybe not the same person.
 
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Ah my mate is on it.
No lady I saw was on a little dun cob type. But this must be where the idea is from.

I am coming round to the idea now I know more about it but I wonder if it could come across in a less hostile fashion to non horsey road users... ?
 
On the basis that I think both you and the horse should be visible from all directions (in case you do become separated) I don't think the rider/horse combo was totally OTT.

But then again I am one of those crazy people who have been known to hack out in the semi-dark with a huge array of lights and hi-vis ;) :p.
 
I'd love a helmet cam, but it's down the list of stuff-I-need-to-spend-money-on. I don't go on the roads much really but it would be nice to record the odd scenic hack and stuff. I rode out with someone wearing one though, and they were constantly behind me which I wasn't keen on, I was hoping my bum didn't look big on camera, what with cameras adding 10lbs and all :D
 
I'm not sure that you can wear too much hi-viz, the whole point is that other road users can see you in time to take evasive action. My mare is truly bombproof, if it were legal I could hack her along the hard-shoulder of the M62 but both she and I wear plenty of hi-viz, in order to make sure that none of the half-blind numpties that I encounter when driving my invisible car send her flying. I don't have helmet cam and wouldn't have thought to warn people if I had but I can see that it could be useful - many cyclists use it.
I do wish riders would thank people who accommodate them on the road.
 
Certainly no harm in wearing masss of hi vis, although you probably would eventually reach a point wear adding more was pointless. Camera wise, I can't say I blame her and I do think that helmet cams have the potential to massively improve road safety for riders and cyclists - a few prosecutions based on headcam footage and word will get round locally.

She does seem to have been lacking in manners though
 
No comment on the hi-viz, but hat cam and CCTV vest? Seriously :confused::eek:

Really can't think of anything more boring than watching a video of a ploddy hack - apart maybe from watching cricket.......

Awfully rude woman too after you'd pulled over! You should have got out of the car and told her she was giving riders a bad name by not thanking you - would have made the vid slightly more interesting :rolleyes::D
 
You can never have too much Hi-viz but it's important to use manners too - drivers don't have to slow down!

:o - {whispers} - I wasn't planning on taking Boyo on road today - but he was in a good mood so I carried on (Very quiet roads) - no hi-viz (felt every vulnerable without it) - but I made the point of nodding to and thanking drivers as they passed us, all waved back or smiled, one shouted 'beautiful horse' out the window :) - so manners do make a difference but really kicking myself for not donning the hi-viz as we wouldn't have needed to turn back to the woods today :(

Oh and from time to time I do wear a camera - cost £15 off ebay - good picture and sound - better than the £100 sports cam
 
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I think too much is not necessary .
The CCTV thing would seriously piss me off especially as she did not thank you .
That sort of approach alienates people.
 
Sounds like a woman with issues... She must have had a bad experience in the past, but there's no excuse for not thanking.

I quite fancy one of those helmet cams, just to make fun cantery type videos.. As long as they don't record sound, wouldn't like anyone to hear my singing!
 
Are hat cams legal on public areas after all not meant to take photos of kids, even at school Fun days.
 
horsesatemymoney said:
I don't think you ever can have too much- if people are laughing at you at least they are not running you over!

Her attitude is a shame though after getting people to slow down and no thanks they might not bother next time
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this completely^^ BUT if said rude rider, sorry road rider is reading this, perhaps she will make a point of learning some manners & remembering to use them..or I'm afraid to say she will be beautifully illuminated as a moving target-easier to take aim at! Then the hat cam can be like a Selfie shot version of happy slapping to save the driver the bother!

Manners cost nothing. Infact they are more likely to save lives on the road. Remembering manners when people acknowledge you & make your ride as safe as possible as you've requested,could in turn save the life of the NEXT riders that driver meets. Think about it. I've really got to bite my tongue with some riders near me as this rude fashion really winds me up so much it grates my bell & rings my gears!:D
 
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