The Dude
abides
I don't have a helmet camera, but I like the idea for liability purposes. I've seen quite a few riders who use them for "vlogging" (video blogging for you geezers). And I've wondered, is that safe?
Take for instance, this video below. I was browsing motorcycle videos from this week on YouTube and it came up. I don't know anything about the vlogger. But after watching it, I think it has to be distracting.
The rider is on a California freeway. Looks like he's on a SV based on the gauges, and he mentions it's a liter bike. He starts off shadowing a guy riding a sport bike in shorts. Then opines about the wisdom of buying a motorcycle to save on gas (neglecting all other costs but fuel). Then suggests that new riders start out on a 600 if they're going to be doing much riding on the highway. Not because they'll grow out of a 250 too quick, but because the wider tires on a 600 are better on the highway. Never heard that one before. So anyway, after listening to him, I am not all that confident in his judgement. I grow more suspect as I see him talking with his hands as he describes tire width. But he's riding pretty rationally. He's moving with the flow of traffic and appears to have good following distance.
Then he comes up on a lane closure causing traffic to slow to a crawl. Even with more than enough following distance, he can't reign it in before reaching the car in front of him and is forced to split lanes (of course that's completely legal, but I don't think that's what he wanted to do). Watching that, I wondered if his vlogging played a role.
So what do you think? Is vlogging the same as talking on a cell phone when you're driving? Or is there a better comparison? Is it safe? Have you done it?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQAMD8-4cJk]YouTube - Panic stop & Truck almost kills motorcycle rider‏[/ame]
Take for instance, this video below. I was browsing motorcycle videos from this week on YouTube and it came up. I don't know anything about the vlogger. But after watching it, I think it has to be distracting.
The rider is on a California freeway. Looks like he's on a SV based on the gauges, and he mentions it's a liter bike. He starts off shadowing a guy riding a sport bike in shorts. Then opines about the wisdom of buying a motorcycle to save on gas (neglecting all other costs but fuel). Then suggests that new riders start out on a 600 if they're going to be doing much riding on the highway. Not because they'll grow out of a 250 too quick, but because the wider tires on a 600 are better on the highway. Never heard that one before. So anyway, after listening to him, I am not all that confident in his judgement. I grow more suspect as I see him talking with his hands as he describes tire width. But he's riding pretty rationally. He's moving with the flow of traffic and appears to have good following distance.
Then he comes up on a lane closure causing traffic to slow to a crawl. Even with more than enough following distance, he can't reign it in before reaching the car in front of him and is forced to split lanes (of course that's completely legal, but I don't think that's what he wanted to do). Watching that, I wondered if his vlogging played a role.
So what do you think? Is vlogging the same as talking on a cell phone when you're driving? Or is there a better comparison? Is it safe? Have you done it?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQAMD8-4cJk]YouTube - Panic stop & Truck almost kills motorcycle rider‏[/ame]