A Frightening Incident Prompts A Question

[Calamity Kris]

The Set Up:

There is quite a bit of building going on in my area.  They are waiting on re-paving the roads until the construction is complete and the big heavy trucks are gone.  Good idea.   In light of that, this one section of road has so many patches on it, you can't see the original roadbed any more.  Well, today they were out patching it again.  They would stop traffic on one side to allow the other to snake around the road work, then hold the opposing side.......  Apparently, this one BMW SUV driver was caught in the cue and was forced to wait a bit.  About a quarter mile north of the patching work, there is a fairly busy intersection.  

 

The Incident:

I came down the road that crosses the above mentioned road and pull into the left turn lane at the light.  I was first in line.  I patiently wait my turn.  To my left was a LARGE dump truck slowing and stopping for the red light on his side.  When the green arrow is lit for me, I check all lanes around me and SLOWLY pull into the intersection.  {Habit. I do that all the time.}  All of a sudden, Mr. BMW driver zips around the dump truck and comes flying into the intersection.  He was headed for my drivers door.  I slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel to the left as if I were going to bang a U turn.  Mr. BMW driver saw me and zigged around my nose and continued to fly down the road.  I continued slowly through the intersection.  I glanced up at the dump truck driver who's jaw had dropped and looked rather pale.  

 

The Question:

I've had it in the back of my mind to purchase a dash cam.  The drivers around here are either really stupid, really crazy or both.  I think God just told me I need to actually do it NOW.  I've done a lot of research and read a lot of articles.  I have one in mind that checks all the boxes but is rather pricey.  What experience to you esteemed pards have with dash cams?  What brand do you use?  Do you like it?  What would you change?  I could use some real life experience not just a rating from someone paid to give ratings.

 

Thanks so much,

CK

 

P.S.  The only reason I brought up the make of the other driver's car is because it was a LARGE SUV.  At the speed he was going, any impact from him would have been catastrophic.  

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

As soon as you mentioned BMW, I thought "Here's another one!"

Could you make out his plate number?

If you can, you might think about forwarding the video to you local LEO's

Maybe they could knock on his door and check him out.

At least that's what I learned a friend did in an incident that left him aghast. 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

There is a Youtube channel called "Wham Bam Dash Cam", that shows dash cam videos submitted by viewers. They list some camera systems that they recommend. I've looked at some, and you can go cheap or good. I believe that Youtuber "Project Farm" has tested several, too.

[Rip Snorter]

Difference between a BMW & a porcupine...

[Calamity Kris]

22 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

As soon as you mentioned BMW, I thought "Here's another one!"

Could you make out his plate number?

If you can, you might think about forwarding the video to you local LEO's

Maybe they could knock on his door and check him out.

At least that's what I learned a friend did in an incident that left him aghast. 

 

Florida doesn't issue front plates for vehicles.  There was nothing for me to identify it by except the color and the model.  The only way I knew it was an X7 was the size.  {I'm kinda a wheel nut so I'm rather familiar with most modern makes and models of cars.}

[Eyesa Horg]

Thank God you're a defensive driver Kris. That had the potential for sure, to not end well.

[Chantry]

36 minutes ago, Calamity Kris said:

 

Florida doesn't issue front plates for vehicles.  There was nothing for me to identify it by except the color and the model.  The only way I knew it was an X7 was the size.  {I'm kinda a wheel nut so I'm rather familiar with most modern makes and models of cars.}

 

Can't hurt to try, maybe there is a traffic cam the local PD can review.

 

As a group, Audi and BMW drivers tend to be the worst.

[Pat Riot]

I am not well versed on dash cams, but I highly recommend the type that goes on your rearview mirror with 2 cameras. My boss and a couple of coworkers had that type and they could some them forward and reverse or at 45 degrees each toward the front to cover intersections but the best feature was being able to reach up and turn one or both of the cameras to video events, like; someone coming to your drivers side wide to act like a jerk, recording orders at a drive through - believe it or not one of the guys that worked for me had a woman at a fast food drive through call him racially charged names and he got it on video. She was terminated. She was black, he was white. One could use that feature for traffic stops by police. 
 

I wish I could remember the brand and model of their cameras. I know they got them on Amazon. 
 

[Pat Riot]

3 minutes ago, Chantry said:

As a group, Audi and BMW drivers tend to be the worst.

Add Porsche, Cadillac drivers and around here Jeep SUV drivers. Morons that pay $20,000-$30,000 more than MSRP for their Jeeps have no business looking down on anyone. Idiots!

 

1 hour ago, Rip Snorter said:

Difference between a BMW & a porcupine...

The joke is Porsche’s and Pocupines.
BMW drivers are just fools. Arrogant, abrasive self centered fools. 

[Rip Snorter]

♫ Oh, Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...

[Cypress Sun]

Glad you had the situational awareness to be cautious, it saved you from serious injury or death.

 

To be bluntly honest, the cops won't do anything without property damage or injury...even if it was on camera. My understanding is that they have to actually witness the infraction. They can, and will in the event of serious injury, issue a subpoena of the video for use as evidence in court if the offending driver was charged.

 

In reality, the video is most useful to prove accident fault to the insurance companies and to (try to) get fair compensation for damage or injuries incurred.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

2 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Difference between a BMW & a porcupine...

Yes, sir…

[Rip Snorter]

2 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

Yes, sir…

Old joke, I never heard the Porsche version.  And like all generalizations - very questionable.  Had a friend a good many years back, very decent guy, had got a used BMW - maybe 525? His pride and joy.  Devout Christian.  Can't imagine him going off the reservation because of a car.

[Michigan Slim]

I had my crews close roads rather than go one lane -because of BMW/AUDI/MERCEDES drivers. Screw them all. 

I stepped in front of a Mercedes speeding at us one time. Hit me you bastage. 

[Calamity Kris]

1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said:

Glad you had the situational awareness to be cautious, it saved you from serious injury or death.

 

To be bluntly honest, the cops won't do anything without property damage or injury...even if it was on camera. My understanding is that they have to actually witness the infraction. They can, and will in the event of serious injury, issue a subpoena of the video for use as evidence in court if the offending driver was charged.

 

In reality, the video is most useful to prove accident fault to the insurance companies and to (try to) get fair compensation for damage or injuries incurred.

 

The primary reason I would like to have one is for the litigious aspect.  Should the BMW driver have actually hit me I would have video evidence of who was at fault, with back up evidence like a picture of the signal light etc. 

[Rip Snorter]

You are on the right track. Was hit from behind  by a big pickup at a light. Being into photography, had a digital camera with me.  Wasn't perfect, the car a bit of a collectible and minty, but the photos I took got me out pretty well financially, ex the time for the repair and the record of a hit on a rareish car.  The latter, I'll likely have the car till I die, maybe not so much.

[Michigan Slim]

Not for the squeamish. My camera helped the sheriff, a family knew what happened to a loved one, and a young ladies family knew how lucky she was to be with them. I ran to the young lady. I knew there was nothing anyone could do for the lady in the blue SUV. 

I AM A FAN OF HAVING CAMERAS!  Every vehicle in our family got one from my son. Those in his business vehicles show six different angles. 

 

On second thought, I removed the video. Suffice it to say, it helped having it. I should never let my wife see how close I was to being in the wreck though. 

[Three Foot Johnson]

I bought a very basic dash cam from Walmart a few years ago for under $30, and have caught a couple interesting things. One was an impaired driver on the Interstate swerving across both lanes off the shoulder and into the ditch on each side numerous times. We called 911 and the county sheriff immediately responded in his personal car and civilian attire. Turns out he lived only a couple miles away.

 

Another was a tire that came off a trailer house being towed down the Interstate behind a semi - you can see the semi and trailer at about the five second mark in this clip. The tire went down the Interstate, into the ditch, and back up into the oncoming lanes. The driver of the pickup that hit it started to pull over, then pulled back on the Interstate and kept going. The semi driver never stopped either - it's certainly possible he didn't realize the trailer had shed a tire. 

 

 

[Matthew Duncan]

This is what I have:  Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, Tiny Size, 1080p and 140-degree FOV

I purposely didn’t want one that recorded my speed too.  Hate to have my own dash cam used as evidence against me.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

5 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

♫ Oh, Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...

“…my friends all drive Porches, I must make amends…”

[Calamity Kris]

 

11 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

♫ Oh, Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...

5 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

“…my friends all drive Porches, I must make amends…”

 

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends
So, oh, Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

[Calamity Kris]

7 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

This is what I have:  Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, Tiny Size, 1080p and 140-degree FOV

I purposely didn’t want one that recorded my speed too.  Hate to have my own dash cam used as evidence against me.

 

My car has HUD feature that projects onto the bottom of the windshield.  I'm going to have my speed displayed either way.............

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

Full disclosure:

I am a Project Farm fan. He drives manufacturers nuts because he will not accept free items or sponsors for his evaluations.

 

 

[Chantry]

13 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Old joke, I never heard the Porsche version.  And like all generalizations - very questionable.  Had a friend a good many years back, very decent guy, had got a used BMW - maybe 525? His pride and joy.  Devout Christian.  Can't imagine him going off the reservation because of a car.

Not all BMW & Audi drivers are horrible.  Here in the Northeast it tends to be entry level to mid range cars driven by men in their 30's that are the problem: high rates of speed, weaving around cars and tailgating are the most common problems.

[PowderRiverCowboy]

I know alot of Muscle car owners use Blackvue

https://blackvuenorthamerica.com/collections/dashcams/camera-coverage_front-and-rear?srsltid=AfmBOop8blHoAEH0TBMXi125CpLFW7gQ_ZXgB3XWkGrfa-_FLgHItINd

[Calamity Kris]

2 hours ago, Chantry said:

Not all BMW & Audi drivers are horrible.  Here in the Northeast it tends to be entry level to mid range cars driven by men in their 30's that are the problem: high rates of speed, weaving around cars and tailgating are the most common problems.

 

Agreed.  I only brought up the make of the car 1) because it was easy for me to identify and 2) with it's size, it would have nearly obliterated my much smaller car at the speed I estimate he was traveling, which I believe to be upwards of 45 mph.

[Calamity Kris]

3 hours ago, Lawdog Dago Dom said:

Full disclosure:

I am a Project Farm fan. He drives manufacturers nuts because he will not accept free items or sponsors for his evaluations.

 

 

 

Thank you!!!  I will check that out.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

18 hours ago, Chantry said:

 

Can't hurt to try, maybe there is a traffic cam the local PD can review.

 

As a group, Audi and BMW drivers tend to be the worst.

 And among the most entitled and arrogant behind the wheel.

Some folks are becoming intolerant of their behaviour however and are taking action on their own.

One, I saw at the f]grocery store parking lot; the driver decided to take up two spots in the crowded lot, only to return to find shopping carts zip tied to the door handles of their vehicle.

My son observed another at his grocery store, who must have been followed into the lot and parked. When they returned, someone had written on the car with a Magic Marker, " Aggressive Driver. Beware."  

[Finagler 6853 Life]

19 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

Add Porsche, Cadillac drivers and around here Jeep SUV drivers. Morons that pay $20,000-$30,000 more than MSRP for their Jeeps have no business looking down on anyone. Idiots!

 

The joke is Porsche’s and Pocupines.
BMW drivers are just fools. Arrogant, abrasive self centered fools. 

 

Hey!  Go easy on the Porsche drivers.     I drive mine like, well I am, an old man.   Intersections are the worst. For some reason people don't see me coming.  I'm dodging other drivers constantly.  Mine is 23 years old and I hope to have it long enough to put collector plates on it.

 

Worst drivers in my area are the young bucks with pickup trucks.  Between the hormones and the horsepower, they have a hard time keeping it under control.

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

23 minutes ago, Finagler 6853 Life said:

Worst drivers in my area are the young bucks with pickup trucks.  Between the hormones and the horsepower, they have a hard time keeping it under control.

Bingo!!!!

Actually, any generalization of bad driving based on car make or age or gender is inherently flawed.  I see just as many jerks in MBs as in VWs.  The camera idea has merit.

 

LL

[Calamity Kris]

8 hours ago, Lawdog Dago Dom said:

Full disclosure:

I am a Project Farm fan. He drives manufacturers nuts because he will not accept free items or sponsors for his evaluations.

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Calamity Kris said:

Thank you!!!  I will check that out.

 

His top rated is the brand I've been looking at.  😁  I feel much better about my thoughts.

 

Thanks again for the info!!!

[Red Eye Jim]

It's on Prime Day special.  I just bought 2. 

 

[Pat Riot]

4 hours ago, Finagler 6853 Life said:

 

Hey!  Go easy on the Porsche drivers.     I drive mine like, well I am, an old man.   Intersections are the worst. For some reason people don't see me coming.  I'm dodging other drivers constantly.  Mine is 23 years old and I hope to have it long enough to put collector plates on it.

 

Worst drivers in my area are the young bucks with pickup trucks.  Between the hormones and the horsepower, they have a hard time keeping it under control.

I do understand. I drive a Mazda Miata. 

[Cypress Sun]

5 hours ago, Finagler 6853 Life said:

 

Hey!  Go easy on the Porsche drivers.     I drive mine like, well I am, an old man.   Intersections are the worst. For some reason people don't see me coming.  I'm dodging other drivers constantly.  Mine is 23 years old and I hope to have it long enough to put collector plates on it.

 

Worst drivers in my area are the young bucks with pickup trucks.  Between the hormones and the horsepower, they have a hard time keeping it under control.

 

You know the old saying....'If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the Porsche!"