The Cycliq team (l-r): Anthony Minchin, Andrew Hagen, Kingsley Fiegert and Ryan Chatfield. Photo: Josephine McDonald
Craige Pettit is lucky to be alive. Last October, the avid cyclist and two friends were involved in a road incident just outside Bunbury.
"A car came from behind us at 80km/h and cleaned all three of us up," he said.
"One of my mates fractured a hip in three places and had a badly cut head. My other mate broke his scapula and I walked away with four broken ribs."
Luckily, Pettit was riding with a Fly6 on the back of his bike - a new, innovative high-definition camera, which recorded the entire incident.
Fly technology creators Andrew Hagen and Kingsley Fiegert designed the device specifically for cyclists.
"Many of our users claim it's like there's someone else with you on the ride, looking out for you," Mr Hagen says.
Mr Pettit said riding with the Fly6 camera allowed cyclists to view footage if an incident occurred.
"We went back and watched the video of the incident, which showed we were well and truly inside the white line," he said.
With more cyclists using devices like Fly cameras, police have access to high-definition video and audio footage.
Mr Hagen said the Fly technology wasn't designed to capture incidents with motorists but instead gives cyclists a sense of the ability to enact justice.
"If something does happen to you, you've got the hard evidence there and you can show the police," he said.
"Prior to Fly6, all cyclists had was anecdotal evidence.
"Speed cameras are already implemented throughout Perth to catch speeding motorists on the roads, and this technology is really looking at the same principle."
Mr Pettit, a member of the South West Cycle Club, said he's noticed more cyclists riding with the Fly cameras.
"Each week you see more people turn up with these on. It's more of a protection thing, and we hope drivers become aware that cameras are on bicycles," he said.
Mr Hagen said motorists were the biggest challenge to cyclists at the moment and he hoped the technology would broaden awareness of cyclist safety on our roads.
"We want motorists to know there are cameras out there. We don't need to convince cyclists why they're good. We've just got a big picture where we hope motorists become aware of cameras," he said.
The success of the Fly6 technology has led to the development of the Fly12.
"The name is a combination of two sayings... 'a fly on the wall' and the military term for in front of you, 'your 12 o'clock'," Mr Hagen said.
"It's watching out for your front, while Fly6 has got your back."
The pair are trying to raise funds through a Kickstarter campaign, which you can donate to here.
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