“Lawyer up and sue this idiot into poverty:” how Garmin helped to solve hit-and-run
A cyclist has revealed why it's a good idea to get a dash cam-like device for your bike, too.
Image by Nick Lachance | Getty Images
A cyclist has revealed why it's a good idea to get a dash cam-like device for your bike, too.
A Reddit user shared how their Garmin Varia, a radar tail light that alerts users of an approaching vehicle, helped them in a hit-and-run accident.
The user shared that they were intentionally hit by a car while riding in a shared-use lane. While they didn’t have a chance to get the car's license plate, their radar tail light did that for them.
The user then shared a video of the accident, which showed how a white car hit the bike rider and sped off. Since it got the license plate of the vehicle, the user was able to file a police report, resulting in the car driver getting charged with leaving the scene and property damage.
The user also shared that after the driver hit them, they also made a police call themselves to report that the bike driver was “harassing motorists and banging on cars.”
“Not only did the Garmin make it possible to catch the guy, but it saved me from possibly running afoul of the police for something I didn't even do,” shared the Redditor.
The post has started a discussion online, with users sharing their experiences. Some encouraged the user to sue the driver for an intentional attempt to hit them and falsely accusing them of causing chaos on the road.
“Lawyer up and sue this idiot into poverty,” wrote one user online.
Users were also interested in the device that the biker was using. The Redditor shared that they were using Garmin’s Varia RCT715 radar camera tail light with a built-in rear-facing camera.
The device, which can now be purchased with a discount for $300, not only includes a built-in camera that in case of an accident automatically saves the footage, but also has a radar that lets bikers know when a car is approaching.
Many agreed that it's a convenient device, with the original poster sharing that such an accessory could make the difference between “having a long physical recovery, and having that plus having to declare bankruptcy and lose everything.”
“This was definitely the best case advertisement for the product I can think of. Very glad you're okay,” replied another user.
Having a camera installed in a car isn’t a novelty, and it seems that it could become a thing with bikes, too, as noted by another Redditor: “As someone who religiously installs a dash cam into every car I’ve ever owned to CYA, I really ought to get one of these for my bike. Thanks for the inspiration.”