U.S. drivers are roughly three times more distracted than their U.K. counterparts — and London-based YouTuber CyclingMikey might deserve some of the credit. The sometimes-controversial social media star has racked up millions of views with his GoPro videos of drivers breaking common traffic laws like texting behind the wheel, and he's reported thousands of those crimes to the police. But is he a safety hero or just a narc — and how would his tactics go over in the United States, where both cops and cars hold a different place in an our culture?
Check out a recent ride the Global Cycling Network took with CyclingMikey himself. And if you're curious, read about our own criminal mischief-maker Gersh Kuntzman, as well Streetsblog USA's past discussion of the role of direct action and even vigilantism in the fight to make streets safer.
Friday Video: This British Cyclist Has Gotten Thousands of Motorists Fined For Dangerous Driving
But is his project doing more harm or good — and would it fly in the U.S.?
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
In NYC, Unlicensed Drivers Comprise One-Quarter Of Street Fatalities: Data
Unlicensed drivers are linked to fatal crashes much more often now than pre-pandemic
Tuesday’s Headlines Need Exercise
Every hour in a car increases the risk of obesity by 6 percent, while walking a kilometer lowers it 5 percent.
Opinion: Stop Asking If People Want to Ride Bikes
"We shouldn’t be aiming to nudge a few percentage points in public opinion. Our goal should be to make freedom of mobility so compelling that people demand it."
When the Government Says You’re ‘Weaponizing’ Your Car
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have been brutalizing and killing people who they perceive as threats. Is mass automobility multiplying their pretext to do it?
Should Monday’s Headlines Carry a Carrot or a Stick?
Human beings generally don't like being forced to do anything, so Grist wonders whether policies like car bans could actually be counterproductive?
Chicago Explores Black Perspectives on Public Transit
"We're not going to fix decades of inequitable investment in one year, and things like the high-frequency bus network and the Red Line Extension are really important, but the work isn't done."
