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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Got run off the road! Need a dash cam.

July 4, 2011 3:20 p.m. fastbmw New Reader

My wife and the 2 kids (aged 3 and 12 weeks) decided to visit the wonderful US of A for the 4th long weekend. It sure was exciting.....

Driving south on I-5 just past Bellingham Wash, I was in the fast lane at about 70mph passing a pair of cars in the slow lane. Just as my front bumper reaches the slowest car's rear door, the S.O.B. decides to make a quick lane change. I tried to avoid him and ended up kicking the rear end out. All attempts of recovery did not work as my car ended up sliding back and forth until I did a 360 off the highway.

Thank goodness I didn't spin into the median as there was a wire fence divider and I missed a light pole on the right side by about 15 feet. I remember vividly as I hit the grass and slid about 100 feet, that I was praying "please don't hit anything, please don't hit anything". I ended up in a ditch with 8 foot high grass, wife and kids were okay, wife was freaked out, the 3 year old didn't seem to notice anything was wrong and the baby slept through the whole thing.

I got out of the car and a couple cars had stopped to check on me, but the offending driver continued on his way. What an Asshat. I called the state troopers and got towed out, damaged sustained; $177 tow fee and an exhaust packed with mud. The car drove fine after the "off", those e30's sure are tough.

I got away really really lucky. It could've ended up like this...

http://cars.failblog.org/2011/07/01/funny-car-photos-changing-lanes-youre-doing-it...

I really wish I had a dash cam...
July 4, 2011 3:26 p.m. tuna55 SuperDork

I got run off the road like that by a semi I was passing in the Volvo. he moved slower than your guy, though, I made it into the grass, all four wheels, for about 1/8th mile. No fishtailing here. Sounds like it's time to thank your creator, should you believe in one, I did, as my two and pregnant wife were in the car with me.
July 4, 2011 3:55 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I lost my tiburon in a similar situation.. except the ditch I wound up in was A; Full of water B; Steeply angled.

Glad you came out with nothing more than a lighter wallet and a shaken (but not stirred) family
July 4, 2011 4:55 p.m. Stealthtercel HalfDork

Getting a dash cam should guarantee that this will never happen again, on the same principle that washing your car causes rain and removing your winter tires causes a blizzard.
July 4, 2011 4:56 p.m. JoeyM SuperDork

http://www.7gadgets.com/2011/01/28/car-dvr-with-motion-detection/30541

beware of local wiretapping laws
July 4, 2011 5:28 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

I'm glad you're okay! Having lived in B-Ham for 3 years, and knowing how crappy I-5 driver's are, I'm sorry.
July 4, 2011 5:29 p.m. stuart in mn SuperDork

JoeyM wrote: http://www.7gadgets.com/2011/01/28/car-dvr-with-motion-detection/30541>
I followed the link to the site where they sell that thing and had to laugh at this:

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this in my bedroom to record some extreme indoor sports? Yes you may. You will need to leave the lights in the bedroom since this camera does not have a IR function.

For only $40 you can hardly go wrong, although the resolution isn't that great.

http://www.chinavasion.com/sports-action-camcorders/cvsbdc38
July 4, 2011 6:05 p.m. fasted58 HalfDork

LMFAO that was the only FAQ... good marketing

Chick actually checked my BR for cams after we watched this:
July 5, 2011 1:26 p.m. DuctTape&Bondo Reader

Some shine happy person in a Mercedes SUV decided to change into my lane this morning on the way to work. Didn't bother even looking to see if the lane was occupied. I had to get on the brakes and after a narrow miss I laid on the horn for a bit. Right in front of a CHP station at that. Acted like they didn't do anything wrong. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even hear the horn.
July 5, 2011 1:47 p.m. loosecannon Reader

I keep getting run off the road, too so now I have my GoPro on all the time, and caught an incident on camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b2ODTCbJOs
July 5, 2011 1:52 p.m. GregW New Reader

I avoid the fun of a commute to Boston by taking the bus. The bus is equipped with a camera monitor that keeps a 45 sec running record. The last 30 sec and the next 15 sec can be saved at the push of a button. I have seen bus drivers record the close calls even if no damage was done. You might be able to search for such a gadget. Now take the damn car out on a skid pad and practice some recovery from unusual attitudes. The guy cut you off but you lost control. Get some instruction and practice.
July 5, 2011 2:12 p.m. fastbmw New Reader

GregW wrote:

I avoid the fun of a commute to Boston by taking the bus. The bus is equipped with a camera monitor that keeps a 45 sec running record. The last 30 sec and the next 15 sec can be saved at the push of a button. I have seen bus drivers record the close calls even if no damage was done. You might be able to search for such a gadget. Now take the damn car out on a skid pad and practice some recovery from unusual attitudes. The guy cut you off but you lost control. Get some instruction and practice.

I actually have attended over 15 hpde events, and have over 1000 laps at our local 1.4 mile road race course. I would hope I have better than average driving skill, but unfortunately I got caught out. I think all those laps helped me avoid the other car from hitting me but left me with less than a 10% chance of not spinning the car.
July 5, 2011 3:34 p.m. Josh Dork

In reply to loosecannon:

Big fan of Doug Loves Movies!
July 5, 2011 4:52 p.m. Wally SuperDork

In reply to GregW:It's probably similar to this,

http://www.spyville.com/driving-camera-recorder-gps-logger.html

when they detect an impact or rapid movement like swerving or sudden deceleration they save the video

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