Cycle cams offer a glimpse of justice – just don’t get too comfortable

There’s a quiet reassurance in clipping a cycle camera onto your handlebars. It won’t make the roads safer – not immediately – but it does give you something else: a sense that, if the worst happens, you won’t be completely powerless.

Because when the roads fail you – when someone passes too close, swerves across your path, or worse – that little blinking lens on your handlebars or helmet is the witness that never forgets.

Unlike almost every other country across Europe, the UK has no system of strict liability, which would place automatic responsibility on motorists in crashes with more vulnerable road users, unless proven otherwise. It's a common-sense approach to speed up justice and reflect real-life power dynamics – but one we’ve somehow decided is too radical.

Instead, British cyclists find themselves relying on memory, witness goodwill, and legal systems where police, judges, juries, and lawmakers are almost exclusively drivers. In this stacked deck, cycle cameras become the only impartial observer in the room.

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The good news is that police are paying attention – at least in some places. The Metropolitan Police, among others, now allow cyclists and drivers alike to submit video evidence of dangerous driving through online portals. And it works: more than 20,000 submissions to the Met have led to action in around two-thirds of cases.

That’s not nothing. A well-documented close pass, an aggressive driver swerving too near – these are no longer shrugged off as “he said, she said.” They’re now data. Evidence. The kind that leads to warning letters, penalty points, even prosecutions.

It’s a glimpse of what justice could look like...until the system starts buckling

In Wales, a cyclist submitted footage of a "bad" close pass in the rain. A few months earlier, it might have prompted action. This time, he got an email: no further action. Why? Too much footage. Not enough staff.

In other words, because cyclists have responded in droves to the invitation to help make roads safer, police forces are now struggling to keep up. South Wales, Avon & Somerset, the Met – one by one, forces are quietly reducing what they will act on. Close passes, wrong-way drivers in cycle lanes, intimidating behaviour: all now falling below the bar unless they meet a new, undefined threshold of "serious".

It raises uncomfortable questions. Who decides what counts as dangerous? Why are basic road safety breaches being triaged? And why is the burden still on the most vulnerable road users to police their own protection?

Cycle cameras may offer a measure of empowerment – a lens through which cyclists can finally tell their side of the story. But when the system starts ignoring that footage, what we're left with is more frustration, not less.

While you’re here…

Rain or shine, ETA Cycle Insurance has your back. Whether your bike gets stolen, damaged, or breaks down mid-ride, we’re here to help you keep riding with minimal fuss. Cycle Rescue, our 24/7 breakdown service for cyclists is included for free. Because getting caught in the rain is one thing – getting stranded is quite another.

Cycle Rescue is free with ETA bicycle insurance

If you suffer a breakdown (including punctures, or even a flat e-bike battery) while out cycling, our 24-hour Cycle Rescue team is on hand to arrange transport for you and your bicycle to a safe location. The service is included for free with ETA cycle insurance, along with:

• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)
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The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.

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