No idea why this person was running a dash cam while traveling but the images he caught made me cringe. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRyZSTJ2jqA]YouTube - Truck crashes into oncoming traffic Canada 23.01.2011[/ame]
He is DA## lucky he had a clear lane to move into, outstanding reflexes. Funniest Home Videos that is not.
I've had something similar happen to me. The pickup in front of me wasn't so lucky. Nor was the pickup's driver :sad:
Yep... great reflexes on the driver, and not too much overcorrection on the emergency lane change. He/she didn't get away unscathed, though... look at 26-27 seconds in... something must have wailed on the windshield as a crack suddenly appears. I've often wondered about putting a recurring loop solid-state camera system in a car... something that records everything that happens on a memory card that only holds 1 hour of data. This way, you would have a record if something interesting/bad happens (you are in an accident), but then all of the boring highway miles back and forth to work would be deleted. If something happens, you just pull the flash card to keep the recording and replace it with another one.
According to the driver with the cam he credited his ability to avoid the wayward semi to the time he has spent on a road course and autocross....
Yeah, but as long as it is in my control (and not Big Brother's) I'm good with it. It would have been handy for my Brother-In-Law, who was hit by a 16 year old kid who drove home, had his father who owned a body shop repair any trace of the accident from his car. The kid then denied that any accident occurred. The more I think about it, the more and more I like this idea!
Hmmm... someone seems to have done this already. Not my ideal solution, but not bad! Advanced Car Camera | Vehicle Black Box Car Camera | GPS Data Logger | G-Force Sensor
I'd love to know what type of cam set-up he was using. I saw the link that Aaron provided, but I'm going to look at other alternatives. I do a LOT of interstate driving and as a result, I have witnessed a LOT of accidents and while my verbal testimony in court was very helpful, such a camera would provide another good source of testimony in court. I've witnessed motorcyclists who've been hit. I've witnessed a car run a red light while making a turn and hit the car in front of me so hard that it literally sheared the rear axle from the car in front of me. As for myself, I've been almost hit so many times it isn't even funny! In fact, I'm always willing to pay someone to install an airhorn onto Schultze for those moments when someone drifts into my lane or actually DELIBERATELY cuts in front of me with only inches to spare. Such a camera would've been GREAT to have when I avoided becoming a hood ornament on the MACK 2.5 ton dumptruck back in December. It would been clearcut proof that the damages Schultze incurred were a direct result of the dumptruck driver (city truck!) and I would'nt have had to spend $500 for my deductible. There was a member on the sewing site who actually had a cam in his MINI...I guess I could try to find the thread later and see if he lists the model, etc.
If you use an iPhone there is an app, iDriveRec, that is currently on sale for 99 cents that records video as you drive and overlays it on a Google Map. I've not tested as of yet, it is on my list for review for one of my other sites, Gearhead Apps.
I like the idea of a permanent dedicated unit. That way I can keep track anytime the vehicle is being used.
Here is the thread from the sewing site: MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring - My new security/dashcam/DVR set-up I haven't scrolled through all the pages, but the info is there.
Interesting information at that link; however, it's very "Big Brother" since the driver doesn't have immediate access to the information logged. It was also off-putting that there wasn't any cost information listed anywhere on the website; you are required to contact the company and in my experience, that usually means hard-sales and/or monthly subscriptions. Thanks for sharing the link; perhaps it will be an option for someone.
Another iPhone app is iCar Black Box. Reading over the features it looks like it could work pretty well. Probably a battery killer app so would need to use with a power cord to the phone.