TANGAZO


Thursday, February 5, 2015

The vigilante cyclist: Man uses helmet-cam to film rogue motorists on his commute to work and helps police get more than SEVENTY motoring convictions (but his job is a London BUS driver)


  • .Bus driver cycles to east London depot from Harlow in Essex
  • .He started his filming campaign after his bike was hit by a motorist
  • .The 37-year-old says his footage has now helped secure 70 convictions
  • .He has three cameras on his bike and helmet and a very loud horn 
A vigilante cyclist has been dubbed 'the most hated man on two wheels' after using hidden cameras to help convict scores of drivers for motoring offences.
Bus driver Dave Sherry, 37, uses three video cameras on his helmet and bike to capture footage of driving he deems dangerous. He also has a loud trucker's horn fitted to his handlebars to ward off vehicles.
During the 40-mile round-trip commute from his home in Harlow, Essex to a depot in east London, bus driver Mr Sherry lets motorists know his views on their driving. He has even given a police officer a ticking off.
Scroll down for video 
'Vigilante cyclist' Dave Sherry uses three cameras mounted on his bike in his campaign against bad driving'Vigilante cyclist' Dave Sherry uses three cameras mounted on his bike in his campaign against bad driving
'Vigilante cyclist' Dave Sherry uses three cameras mounted on his bike in his campaign against bad driving
He takes his evidence to police and councils and says the footage has been used to secure 70 convictions for driving offences including speeding, overtaking too close and running red lights.
He says he has secured two convictions for assault on him by angry drivers and is having a taxi driver investigated over claims he went the wrong way round a roundabout.
Mr Sherry says he is now so notorious that he often has to fend off attacks from irate drivers, including several who have thrown punches.
The London bus driver said he is now 'Britain's most hated cyclist'.
He said: 'I do what I do because I want to make our roads safer for everyone. If people follow the Highway Code there would be so many fewer accidents and casualties.'
Mr Sherry started filming drivers cycling from Harlow to his east London bus depot two-and-a-half years ago after he was involved in an accident.
He said: 'Someone hit the back of my bike and the police said they couldn't do anything because it's my word against them.
'That spurred me on, so I went and got my cameras.'
A number of the videos show cyclist Mr Sherry being attacked by drivers angered by his actions
A number of the videos show cyclist Mr Sherry being attacked by drivers angered by his actions
As well as helping police investigate driving offences - he says two drivers have been prosecuted for assaul
As well as helping police investigate driving offences - he says two drivers have been prosecuted for assaul
Father-of-five Mr Sherry dismisses the vigilante label he has received but has faced a backlash from motorists and has been assaulted twice on the roads.
He said: 'It might be strange that I'm also a bus driver too but I'm just trying to make a difference. I sit on the fence.
'I'm a cyclist, I'm a driver, I'm just trying to ensure there's space on the road for all of us by bringing bad drivers to justice.
If I catch you, you are going to be very, very sorry. I'd rather act as a deterrent than see someone on the floor - it is like a war zone out there
'Vigilante cyclist' Dave Sherry 
'I'm doing the nitty gritty stuff people don't want to do. I might have a bad reputation as Britain's most hated cyclist, but so be it - I'm proud of what I do.
'If they want to call me a vigilante then fine, you have to play the bad guy sometimes, but I don't commit offences I just record them.'
He added: 'If I catch you, you are going to be very, very sorry. I'd rather act as a deterrent than see someone on the floor - it is like a war zone out there.'
Mr Sherry, who has driven buses for 12 years, got a van driver cautioned after he was physically assaulted after capturing a display of dangerous driving.
In the latest video Mr Sherry posted to his Youtube account, he caught a woman endangering his life by pulling out in front of him at a roundabout in Waltham Forest, north London.
He said: 'I reported it at when I finished work and got an email at 10am the next morning saying they are going to prosecute her.
'She got a lovely little note from the police that morning. Everyone must remember: we have a right to ride a bike but it's a privilege to use a car - and you can lose it at any time.'
Films he has shot using the cameras are posted on YouTube and show drivers remonstrating with him
Films he has shot using the cameras are posted on YouTube and show drivers remonstrating with him
Mr Sherry claims to have helped secure 70 convictions using the three cameras on his bike and helmet
Mr Sherry claims to have helped secure 70 convictions using the three cameras on his bike and helmet
The bus driver insists he posts the videos to highlight bad driving and to keep the roads safe for cyclists
Mr Sherry is unapologetic to those caught by his cameras and says: 'It's like a war zone out there'
Mr Sherry straps £1,000 worth of cameras to his bike for his daily rides and even resorted to wearing body armour for protection against motorists.
To stay safe he dresses head to toe in fluorescent clothing and took to wearing £80 body armour after he was assaulted in the line of his self-appointed duty.
He was punched in the stomach by a furious van driver, who police confirmed received a caution for ABH, in June 2013.
He said: 'He just saw red and went for the attack. He properly knocked me back with a punch and I smashed the back of my head on rocks behind me.
'I had to go for an MRI scan and I had a minor concussion but luckily no bleeding on the brain.
'I've been verbally assaulted plenty of times too. But I don't have time to mess about with them any longer.'
Mr Sherry captures up to 30 driving offences in a busy week, carries nine spare batteries so he can change them for every journey and rides a £2,000 carbon fibre Mekk 2G bike.
He also has a £200 Garmin computer on his bike to record the time and location of each traffic violation he captures.
As well as a camera mounted on his helmet, he also had one of the front and one of the rear of his bikeAs well as a camera mounted on his helmet, he also had one of the front and one of the rear of his bike
As well as a camera mounted on his helmet, he also had one of the front and one of the rear of his bike

RISE OF THE HELMET CAMS: GROWING NUMBER OF CYCLISTS USING DEVISES

Mr Sherry is not the only cyclist to attempt to shame drivers with videos shot from helmet and handlebar cams.
Lewis Dediare - also known as 'Traffic Droid' - has a camera mounted on a three-foot pole protruding from his modified bicycle.
The 39-year-old also carries a ruler to measure his distance from cars and brandishes a 'red card' at offending road users.
Like Mr Cherry, he also uploads his footage to YouTube and Twitter and will often hand it over to police so the drivers can be further punished.
Lewis Dediare - aka 'Traffic Droid' - also posts footage from his helmet and handlebar cams online
Lewis Dediare - aka 'Traffic Droid' - also posts footage from his helmet and handlebar cams online
Mr Dediare's antics were filmed for Channel 4 documentary The Complainers last year.
He says his naming and shaming video clips have resulted in around 200 police warnings every year, as well as several prosecutions.
The telecoms officer set out to take action against poor driving in 2009 when he was hit by a car which failed to indicate as drove into his lane while out cycling.
He broke two ribs and also injured his back and hip, but when he learned the driver had only been given a driving education course he felt more needed to be done to warn motorists of the dangers they pose to cyclists.

No comments:

Post a Comment