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Am I the only person who wonders why there are so many people driving around with dashboard cameras? Other than cops, I've never seen a car with a dash-cam, but there are jillions of non-cop dash cam vids on YouTube.
 
Jim_R said:
Am I the only person who wonders why there are so many people driving around with dashboard cameras? Other than cops, I've never seen a car with a dash-cam, but there are jillions of non-cop dash cam vids on YouTube.
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They're cheap, and will provide evidence that, contrary to what the other driver says, the light was green.
 
Ouch. I lost some friends about 5 years ago and can't imagine but that it must have looked like that. All four of 'em were killed including my Kindergarten teacher and his wife and two daughters that I played with in a small ensemble. That was a very sad week.

Ryan
 
I was in the middle of something nearly similar. The only difference was a median.

Driving on I-70 through western KS at about 1am, a day after a blizzard. There were 2 clear stripes on each lane from tire wear, and about an inch of ice/frozen slush everywhere else. I was in the right lane and what traffic there was was moving at about 45mph. I saw a car in my rear, then side, mirror creeping past at about 50-55mph. Just as his back corner passed my front corner, I saw him get out of the clear stripes and onto the ice. He wiggled just a bit, I took my foot off the gas to slow down and make room and I thought "He'll be OK as long as he doesn't tap the brakes." Just as I completed that thought, I saw the brake lights blink on, the car fish-tailed, spun backwards into the median, rolled, and came to rest upside down. I moved off to the right shoulder, grabbed my Maglight, and stepped onto the highway. It was so slick my feet went right out from under me and I landed hard, flat on my back, in the middle of the right lane of an interstate at 1am hoping I wouldn't get killed. By the time I swam off the road, and then got to the car, all four occupants were out and no one was hurt. I still have that Maglight, and it still has the dented end cap.

We've had a rash of crossover fatalities around here - and that video is pretty graphic.
 
Graphic video but I think drivers should be exposed to those sorts of things. It will raise caution and awareness. Like pilots reading NTSB reports.

Recently i was driving along in the snow and I was behind one of those nissan cube things. Doing about 40mph in a 55 zone, it was snowing pretty hard and conditions were starting to get bad.

I blinked and the cube - its headlights were pointed directly at me. I let off the gas and lightly applied the brakes so as not to break traction... the cube did about 3 360's and got caught in one of those wire median things designed to keep accidents like that from happening. Otherwise it was going straight into oncoming traffic
 
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My Volunteer Fire Department covers about 7 miles of interstate 78. We get called out there plenty often for a volunteer department. Every scene I have been to since 1997 involving a semi results in the semi winning. The miracles are when the people in the car(s) were not killed. Even worse is 19-20 year-olds on their crotch rockets doubling the speed limit. Poetic justice is when they ignore warnings of rotor wash knocking over their motorcycles and blowing dust/debris in their eyes. "See? Maybe if you obeyed rules and heeded suggestions your buddies wouldn't be getting their first helicopter ride."
Video's like that are the next best thing IMO to actually being part of the rescue effort that embeds necessary respect for the machines far too many people take for granted on a daily basis.
 
Got caught out in a freak storm a few years ago and was passed by a car on the interstate going about 5 over. Turned to Angie and said we'll see him in the ditch up ahead.

Shortly there after he lost control and went backwards off the left side of the road, across the devider and airborne into oncoming traffic. He ended up right behind the semi that was coming.
 
I posted because I've also seen this "fishtail and cross oncoming traffic" dance. In the one I saw the driver was also okay after a rollover at low speed in the opposite ditch.

Dad helped with one where the vehicle was an older pickup truck with a 17 year old female driver. Rolled three times in the opposite ditch. Managed to miss the oncoming traffic barely.

She was shook up, and fine, but the initial accident led to two more. The couple in the Jeep Grand Cherokee that clipped a Buick sedan head-on after moving over on the two-lane too far to avoid accident workers, were also fine. They ended up on their side in the same ditch.

The little old lady in the passenger seat of the sedan took the car's visor to the head slicing her open across her forehead and was choppered to Denver.

Kept dad, and an off-duty volunteer firefighter, and an off duty State Trooper pretty busy checking on folks for a while. Dad joked later that when he pointed at the Jeep and said he'd run down there to check on them while the firefighter should head for the Buick, that he'd forgotten he hadn't run like that since his Navy days. Trooper wasn't there yet at that point.

Trooper pulled over behind the Buick, saw the head injury on an elderly lady and decided he needed to call for the chopper and block off the road, so it turned into a couple hour affair.

This was all on the straight stretch of US 285 southwest of Kenosha Pass.

Very dangerous two-lane there. With closing rates of 120 MPH+ and no median, I'm always watching for vehicles crossing over lanes there. Too much traffic, not enough road. :(
 
Highways, were cars and trucks hurtle headlong at each other only inches away. Pretty dangerous huh? Makes flying look pretty safe in comparison.
 
dell30rb said:
Graphic video but I think drivers should be exposed to those sorts of things. It will raise caution and awareness. Like pilots reading NTSB reports.

Recently i was driving along in the snow and I was behind one of those nissan cube things. Doing about 40mph in a 55 zone, it was snowing pretty hard and conditions were starting to get bad.

I blinked and the cube - its headlights were pointed directly at me. I let off the gas and lightly applied the brakes so as not to break traction... the cube did about 3 360's and got caught in one of those wire median things designed to keep accidents like that from happening. Otherwise it was going straight into oncoming traffic
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When my generation was growing up we got to watch gory stuff like Mechanized Death, Signal 7 and other VERY gruesome movies.... They imprinted in my mind the end product of metal on metal.. I swear I drive safer.... Nowadays they don't dare show those because junior (might) be traumatized.... As a side note,, most of those old movies where made in Ohio for whatever reason... To this day, I have NEVER driven in Ohio..:nonod:

As much as I would like to believe the people in that Suburban survived my guess is probably not...

be careful out there guys and gals.....
 
N801BH said:
When my generation was growing up we got to watch gory stuff like Mechanized Death, Signal 7 and other VERY gruesome movies.... They imprinted in my mind the end product of metal on metal.. I swear I drive safer.... Nowadays they don't dare show those because junior (might) be traumatized.... As a side note,, most of those old movies where made in Ohio for whatever reason... To this day, I have NEVER driven in Ohio..:nonod:

As much as I would like to believe the people in that Suburban survived my guess is probably not...

be careful out there guys and gals.....
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How old are you? They made me watch Red Asphalt and gave the "2000lbs of car controlled by only 4 points the size of your palm" talk when I got my license back in 98 or so.
 
Jim_R said:
Am I the only person who wonders why there are so many people driving around with dashboard cameras? Other than cops, I've never seen a car with a dash-cam, but there are jillions of non-cop dash cam vids on YouTube.
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In all honesty, I've always wanted a dashboard cam too. Only exception is that I want the ability to easily and securely wipe the contents after non-eventful drives.
 
N801BH said:
When my generation was growing up we got to watch gory stuff like Mechanized Death, Signal 7 and other VERY gruesome movies.... They imprinted in my mind the end product of metal on metal.. I swear I drive safer.... Nowadays they don't dare show those because junior (might) be traumatized.... As a side note,, most of those old movies where made in Ohio for whatever reason... To this day, I have NEVER driven in Ohio..:nonod:

As much as I would like to believe the people in that Suburban survived my guess is probably not...

be careful out there guys and gals.....
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I remember those moves in driver's ed, back in the mid-70s. I'm pretty sure I remember they were made by the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Now, our local PD & FD puts on a demonstration at the high schools, usually around prom season. They simulate a car wreck, complete with kids acting as the victims. Not quite the same, though.

Growing up as an Army brat, I remember the entrance to some of the posts where we lived. There would be a sign that showed the number of days since the last fatal car accident, and a wrecked car underneath the sign. They'd swap out the car once in a while whenever they reset the counter back to zero - I always wondered if that was 'the' accident car or not.
 
N801BH said:
As a side note,, most of those old movies where made in Ohio for whatever reason... To this day, I have NEVER driven in Ohio..:nonod:
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During one of my classes in Fire/Rescue School we had to watch a training video about how deadly an airbag can be, particularly to the rescuers on the scene. In the video is a case where there were four firefighters working to extricate the driver and the tool they were using deployed the airbag blasting three firefighters out of the car. More ambulances were needed as a result. This happened in Ohio. Kinda strange...:dunno:

Matthew said:
Growing up as an Army brat, I remember the entrance to some of the posts where we lived. There would be a sign that showed the number of days since the last fatal car accident, and a wrecked car underneath the sign. They'd swap out the car once in a while whenever they reset the counter back to zero - I always wondered if that was 'the' accident car or not.
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Some High Schools in my area have a DUI simulator they put driver's ed kids in to show the effects of impaired driving. One school I know of also had a wrecked car (from DUI) out front for a while. IIRC, MADD sponsored that one.
While I was stationed at Fort Bragg we also had the DUI lawn art next to the safety sign. The whole post got a day off if we made it so-many days with no accidents.
 
Those signs may have said something about the last time there was a drunk driving accident, rather than a fatal. It's been a long time, but that's how I remember it.
 
Matthew said:
Those signs may have said something about the last time there was a drunk driving accident, rather than a fatal. It's been a long time, but that's how I remember it.
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I think you are correct, now that I think a bit more about it. Then again, at the time Bragg was pretty well known to have a lot of DUI's, maybe our fatality rate was also high. It definitely sucked when the number returned to zero due to a loss in our company though. That might be why I am confused.
sorry for the creep:mad2::mad2::mad2:
 
airbornejohnny said:
During one of my classes in Fire/Rescue School we had to watch a training video about how deadly an airbag can be, particularly to the rescuers on the scene. In the video is a case where there were four firefighters working to extricate the driver and the tool they were using deployed the airbag blasting three firefighters out of the car. More ambulances were needed as a result. This happened in Ohio. Kinda strange...:dunno:

.
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Question.... when you arrive on a car crash and need to cut someone out. How do you disable the airbag so no one gets hurt.... further...?:dunno:.

Cut the battery cable first.:dunno:
 
N801BH said:
Question.... when you arrive on a car crash and need to cut someone out. How do you disable the airbag so no one gets hurt.... further...?:dunno:.

Cut the battery cable first.:dunno:
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Yes, however most are on a capacitor, so it still is possible for it to deploy. There are devices made for the steering wheel bag that basically strap around and cover the wheel. With all the side impact bags and passenger side bags nowadays, there is still a threat to be dealt with. The car in the video (which I think was a Nissan) was rather unusual in its wiring though. The wires for the bag were under the center console of the car, which was where the FF's were spreading (they had to move the seat IIRC) and is not usually where they are located.
Some cars are easier to work on than others, and the experience of the individual operating the tool can have a major impact as well. Many of the "hollywood" scenarios it's all dramatic and they "have to remove the roof" when often IRL that simply takes too much time or jeopardizes the structural safety of what is left of the car.
The next tech that scares the pants off me is electric cars (involved in a wreck). I am not very up to speed on them, however the amperage they operate on could do some serious damage, and it isn't as simple to check as a deflating airbag is:yikes:
 
That is one of the most awful things I have seen. Those poor people.

:sad: :eek:
 
Tom-D said:
As soon as he became involved with the bow wake from the box van, he was forced out of the track, and started to hydroplane in deeper snow, over corrected and it was over.
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After looking it over carefully, someone also pointed out that it looks like that's a Yukon or Tahoe or similar, which are Rear Wheel Drive if they don't have the 4WD option.

Looks about the same as my model year (2004) which has both "Auto" 4WD and forced 4WD High/Low settings besides 2WD.

On that road in those conditions my "Auto" would have been on. Not to use it, but as an indicator of road condition.

It's not as intelligent as a true AWD system at the level of say, Subaru's, but it'll get the front tires involved to some extent and it switching on is a sign the road is worse than you thought, and it's time to slow down... lots. Or just park it.

It looks like (s)he hit the bow wave of the delivery truck and tried to accelerate through it and got the back end loose. It looks like RWD and not knowing how to drive one, is involved.

My Yukon is particularly susceptible to bow wave from flat/larger vehicles. There's a lot of surface area out front for the air to shove against, and steering on GMC trucks isn't exactly know for being "tight". On the Interstate in dry conditions I anticipate the "shove" and mildly steer into it when passing a semi at high speeds.

Once the back end came loose, there's only one option then... Get off the accelerator and get the back end straight. There's no traction control in anything on this truck frame until you get to late model Escalades. Very few have it, even then. Usually included in the upgraded airbag suspension package.

Doesn't look like (s)he lifted. Looks more like they tried to accelerate harder to push through it. Initial loss of control was to the right, into the delivery truck.

That was one chance to live. Lift. Slow. Let it straighten out and don't fight it. The wheelbase is too short.

Second chance was at the collision with the delivery truck. It wasn't going anywhere laterally. The yank of the wheel to move away from it triggered the second loss of control to the left.

Could have just continued with sides scraping and light steering to separate and slow to pull over.

Scraping paint and fenders is better than a total loss of control.

Second chance to live.

There's more than one mistake in that video, for sure.

Also disproves a theory you hear 'round here from lots of husbands (sorry, stereotypes I know but...) who's wives drive AWFULLY who buy them a big truck for "safety".

Their money would be better spent on a Subaru and some driving lessons on a skid pad.
 
denverpilot said:
The yank of the wheel to move away from it triggered the second loss of control to the left.
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It really looked too abrupt to be a yank of the wheel. My guess is that the front bounced off the truck, but the back didn't bounce as hard, altering the 'heading' of the SUV.
 
That or they just shyed away from the truck while passing it and got into the slush in the middle of the road.

Ever notice how reluctant people can be to pass another vehicle?
 
What an unbelievable and tragic accident caught on video. I travel to Lake Tahoe very often, and during the winter I'd estimate that 90% of the snow-related spinouts and collisions are 4WD/AWD vehicles. These people just don't understand that 4WD gets you going quickly but does just about nothing when you need to turn or slow down/stop. I've never had a problem with cables/chains and front-wheel drive.
 
I don't think they quite made it to the bow wake, looks more like they were drifting into the snowy slush and not in the wheel paths, over corrected to get back into their lane and became a pinball...terribly sad.
Certainly true about folks with 4wd. It provides a false sense of invincibility a lot of people. I have a sierra pickup, same 4wd as denverpilot described, but I NEVER use the automatic option, especially with the plow blade mounted. I drive in a different manner with 4wd engaged because handling is so different, so I prefer to know whether 4 wheel is on or standing by.
 
Grandpa's advice was: "4WD isn't to get you out and around in it, it's to get you home out of it. Even then, sometimes you just pull over and wait."

The biggest workout my 4WD gets are two things: Getting me out of my side-driveway so I can get the John Deere snowblower out, and real off-roading on rocky Forest Service access roads to mountain-top radio sites.

Y'all may be right about the SUV not making it to the bow wave. Hard to say. Definitely ugly though.
 
Did any of them survive? That was awful. Give a little bit of warning next time.
 
Looked to me like they lost control as a result of driving into the slush/ice in the middle of the road. Car got tugged left from the slush/ice, they over-corrected right, hit the truck, and then over-corrected or bounced left. Pretty depressing to watch.

DavidWhite said:
Did any of them survive? That was awful. Give a little bit of warning next time.
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You don't survive that sort of accident.
 
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He looked in his mirror, (a bit too long) and there was a cop, gaining on him. Maybe thinking he was about to be pulled over, or just concerned he was blocking the lane.
Either way that 1/2 second of redirected attention let him drift into the LH snow ridge. His speed was ok for the clean surface but not the ridge. Sudden reduction in cF + increase in drag on the left side and around you go.
 
If this has been brought up I apologize, but having yur cruise control on in conditions like that, or when the pavement is wet or slippery is very dangerous also. As the system tries to maintain speed it can break the wheels loose and cause a spin.

This accident was cause by too much speed, over correction, and dangerous road conditions.
 
Probably like everyone else who watched this, I felt disturbed and wanted more information about who was involved and what happened. I was hoping to post a link, but sadly the only information I was able to find was on sites where people seem to get off on viewing gruesome accidents. Some even described this accident as "funny." I feel like I need a shower now! What is wrong with people?!!!:( Anyway, if what I found can be believed -- and again, I couldn't find a truly reliable source for this information -- this accident happened in Russia and killed the driver of the "SUV," a Nissan Navara, which was really a pickup truck with a cab (this might explain why the thing seemed to be more obliterated upon impact than one would expect). The driver of the tractor-trailer was reportedly injured, but survived.
 
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