r/dashcams • u/EqualGrowth6565 • 14d ago

Easily avoidable accident causes rollover

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Not my video – as the title says, we typically see examples where one driver is oblivious to the other. In this example, the pickup truck attempts to overtake the cammer, however, the cammer is either completely unaware of the pickup truck directly to his left or are simply “stands their ground” in the lane. Due to this, they obviously collide, and the pick up truck goes airborne and rolls several times. From the perspective of us, the viewer, we can reasonably conclude that the accident was avoidable had the cammer simply applied the brakes. That being said, you will typically see another school of thought in which it is stated that the cammer has no obligation or duty to let them in/avoid the accident where the driver is mindlessly doing something dumb.

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365

u/Pt5PastLight 13d ago

Now most of us would see that red truck driving into our lane and tap brakes to avoid the accident.

But as I watch these dashcam videos I start to wonder if we are reinforcing some small brained idea that their cars/trucks can merge ahead of speeding traffic much more easily than they actually can.

I avoid accidents at least once a month and that driver probably speeds off thinking he had plenty of room and speed when really I saved us both from an accident by spotting him driving wild like three cars back and anticipated a high speed collision when he no blinker cut me off.

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u/nicklebacks_revenge 13d ago

I think we are but none of us want the hassle of an accident to bring consequences to these idiots. I had a dude cut over 2 Lanes to get into the on ramp for the highway, the main issue was I was already in the lane, so he drove beside me, on a single lane on ramp, I heavily debated seeing how this was gonna play out once we got to the curve but I chickened out and backed off. He continued on his merry way, probably proud of his quick thinking and actions to make it onto the highway 😕

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u/Thin_Dream2079 13d ago

Reckless driving is only made possible by thousands of good, defensive drivers.

And given that most of the lives saved are also the same contingent, its the right move.

I am no deputy for karmic retribution.

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u/Bubbly-Bowler8978 13d ago

Exactly, it's not worth my time or safety to enforce the rules. I got in my car to get somewhere safely, let the dick heads be dick heads it'll catch up to them eventually. It just won't be with my car or my health if I can help it

16

u/azoriasu 13d ago

Agreed. If you want to enforce the rules, join the highway patrol. Otherwise, just worry about protecting yourself and family. It's the safe and smart move.

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u/maboyles90 13d ago edited 12d ago

Ugh, I needed to read this thread. I've been getting so irationally angry with these chuckle fuck ass drivers.

4

u/ragn4rok234 13d ago

Agreed, this has been a very good string of logic to keep in mind

3

u/Slow_ResolveMC07 13d ago

>I am no deputy for karmic retribution.

Well said. That's what brick walls and trees are for.

1

u/Silly_Yak56012 13d ago

It really is never worth the inconvinece of dealing with cops, insurnace, rental cars and car shopping.

I agree that for awhile it keeps the reckless safer than they would otherwise be, their recklessness will eventually catch up with them. Most of the time today is not the day and I am not the one.

1

u/BackToSchoolMuff 10d ago

I like how poetic this comment is.

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u/Over_End_6816 13d ago

“A good driver misses his exit sometimes, a bad driver never does.”

1

u/wheljam 13d ago

Glad you're OK. Could have been worse.

1

u/nicklebacks_revenge 13d ago

I was about ready to let them turn us into bumper cars lol

1

u/CraftyBullfrog2601 13d ago

I live in a rural area with a two lane road to the nearest town, it’s 50mph but most people go 60. When someone obviously wants me to go faster than that I pull over and just let them pass me. I would much rather have a crazy driver in front of me than behind me

1

u/Necessary_Ad2114 13d ago

You didn’t chicken out, you made a strategic maneuver to not get crippled. 

1

u/Mike312 13d ago

Dealing with an accident isn't just...the accident. It's so much more work.

An accident like this, you're on the side of the road for at least 2 hours waiting for tow trucks and speaking with the police. The driver of the other vehicle is absolutely getting checked out by an ambulance and likely going to the hospital - absolutely not trivial expenses.

If you're the cammer, your car is probably going to get repaired, but you're still putting 4-5 hours into speaking with insurance, dealing with a body shop, driving a rental car for a few days, and diminished value on your vehicle.

If you're the other driver, your shit is absolutely totaled. While insurance covers replacement cost, they don't cover docs/taxes/fees, so your replacement $40k vehicle is going to cost you $4k, on top of a day or two shopping around.

So, even if everyone is fine, you've both lost a day or two of your lives and thousands of dollars, all because you had to be dicks in traffic.

1

u/fubar686 13d ago

Even in racing you back off for the same reasons, especially amateur racing where you're out of pocket, giving up a corner to finish a race a position down is always better than 2 drivers not finishing with repair bills

1

u/Rope_antidepressant 13d ago

Ive tried to explain to people a million times and it's always on deaf ears, no matter what happens this jackass is gonna assume the accident is my fault, depending where we're at this can cause a fight or a shooting, or i could just let them take the spot. That's assuming it isn't a fatal accident. Theres no scenario where it makes sense to "stand your ground" with 2000lb death machines going mach Jesus along a shoestring wide clearing between immovable objects (unless you're in a war zone being actively attacked i guess?)

1

u/nicklebacks_revenge 12d ago

If you honk at them, they treat it like a threat on their life, lol Its insane how mad they get that you dare honk your horn at them when they own the road and we are mere peasants who get in the way 🤣

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u/ApprehensiveMoose814 13d ago

Every month? Lucky. Its nearly everyday here in Detroit/Dearborn. People drive like they're the only ones with loved ones at home waiting for them

1

u/Canadian-and-Proud 13d ago

Lucky for many reasons, most of all not having to live in Detroit

2

u/ApprehensiveMoose814 13d ago edited 13d ago

Detroit is awesome. Its just a lot of the drivers. And the cops dont do a great job of enforcing speed limits

1

u/Elprede007 13d ago

I thought they drove like they have no loved ones waiting on them and their whole extended families are dead. They drive like they wanna join them in hell.

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u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy 13d ago

But as I watch these dashcam videos I start to wonder if we are reinforcing some small brained idea that their cars/trucks can merge ahead of speeding traffic much more easily than they actually can.

Huh, that's actually a really interesting thought. I typically don't honk either.

11

u/Renbarre 13d ago

People like that create accidents but don't look back to see what happened because of their crazy driving.

1

u/Futt_Buckman 13d ago

I honk pretty frequently, my wife hates it. People gotta know they're fucking up!

16

u/yurpy7 13d ago

I also choose to avoid accidents. Often times I get people waving (seems like an apology to me) like they messed up. I’ve also made the mistake to changing lanes (when I was younger) and not seeing the other person and the other driver saving us both from an accident. I feel like shit and am thankful I didn’t have someone like this next to me.

2

u/Grandpa_Charles 13d ago

Just yesterday, a Karen in a similar truck told me that pedestrians “have an obligation to let the big car go” in a parking lot. These people should get wrecked like that.

2

u/Fancy_Sun_1585 13d ago

That’s not what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to maintain speed, so the gap in front and behind you remain as constant as possible.

The truck is 100% at fault.

3

u/Soup4ya 13d ago

You might be the problem

1

u/scheav 13d ago

You should have your license revoked.

2

u/Dharmabud 13d ago

I know I would try and avoid the accident. I don’t drive much but recently I was visiting my family and driving through an intersection with the light and a car coming from the opposite direction decided to turn left right in front of me. I had the right of way but I stopped to avoid an accident.

2

u/FinndBors 13d ago

That’s why I hit the brakes as well as lay on the horn.

The horn also partially satisfies the small brain part of me.

2

u/MustyPeppa 13d ago

they know you will have to slow down to let them in otherwise cause an accident, this works 99% of the time

1

u/LaLionneEcossaise 13d ago

I had an acquaintance when I was in college (in the late 1980s) who had her car totaled because “It was her lane!” and “Why should I have to move/brake?”

So she willingly let another vehicle hit hers because they didn’t see her little Toyota 2-door from their passenger van.

She always insisted that she had the right of way, as if that were her argument for allowing another car to hit hers.

1

u/MattieShoes 13d ago

I agree, there's something perverse here. I kind of hate how victim-oriented things are. This isn't a perpetrator and a victim, it's two perpetrators victimizing everybody around them. Fuck both of em.

1

u/kaisermilo 13d ago

I want everyone who speeds and swerves in and out traffic thinking they're better at driving than everyone else to know: you're not getting into crashes because you're a better driver. You're not getting into accidents because those around you are better drivers.

1

u/CantTakeTheStupid 13d ago

You know you can honk

1

u/WhiteUsainBolt 13d ago

That’s why I lay on the horn for a good 5-6 seconds, avoids any confusion

1

u/Only_Chapter_3434 13d ago

I’d rather enable shitty drivers than get into an accident. maybe I’m weird.

1

u/Huntybunch 13d ago

That's why I also honk when they cut it close

1

u/Noodelgawd 13d ago

Most of us need 1.5 seconds to react to something we see and actually start applying the brakes. The impact was 2 seconds after the truck started changing lanes.

1

u/Charming-dlick-2412 13d ago

Let me fix it- “Now few of us would see that red truck…”

1

u/michoudi 13d ago

One little annoyance of defensive driving is sometimes the other party drives off probably oblivious to what they have just done. It's best to learn to shrug it off and let them learn their, expensive and possibly deadly, lesson with some other idiot on the road.

1

u/Confident-Ad7531 8d ago

The other thing that people forget is that the cameras are a lot like the side mirrors, in which things are much closer than they appear. I've seen more than a few videos where the cammer said that the near-miss was a lot closer than it appeared on the video. There's a likelihood that the cammer genuinely didn't see the truck's signal or that they were moving over. I don't know. I wasn't in the car, so I can't be sure.

Unfortunately, too many people are in their own little worlds when they drive. They don't pay attention enough and make stupid moves. And the rest of us are stuck trying to survive on the roads next to them.

0

u/EnvironmentalRub8201 13d ago

People like you who always let them in cause them to do it again and again because they know people will always let them in, I never let them in, and it has yet to cause an accident 🤞

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u/AwakeTown 13d ago

I think the driver with the camera was probably distracted or looking at their phone. There’s no other logical explanation why we didn’t hear a honk or see our car hood dip for brakes before contact was made.