I've had a dashcam in my vehicle for quite some time now, with the hopes that I would not ever need to rely on it to get me out of a sticky situation. It is an additional form of insurance on top of my regular car insurance policy, and is the ultimate object of "I'm technically correct", which is of course, the best type of correct.
Last Friday, I was heading back home from a friends house, in Adelaide, South Australia, a route I've driven dozens and dozens of times before. I make a right hand turn onto Grand Junction Road, to head home, from Addison road.
Headphone users be warned
Trigger warning: loud sounds in the video when the dashcam detected the rapid spot.
Satellite image of the location where this event took place:
For those of you who don't live in Australia, yes, we drive on the left, in a vehicle that has the steering wheel on the right hand side. We are indeed upside down and mirrored to those of you in the Northern Americas. :)
As I approached the intersection, there was a stack of three cars in the right hand lane (to turn right) - which you'll observe there are two off, as per the below maps image. I pull into the left lane, as it is clear, and wait for the light to turn green. It goes green, and I accelerate away, staying in my lane.
The driver of the Red Mazda had other notions about the lane markings, and moved into my lane. A quick smash of the breaks, and some internal curses, and I was safe, my car unscathed. Were I not as alert as I was to the incoming danger, I would've been hit, and who knows what the damage would've been.
Given the angle the other vehicle would've taken into mine, I imagine the oncoming mass of the vehicle against my own would've led to a bent front axle, which would've meant a write off in the case of my vehicle, which is a 2013 Ford Focus.
As to the prospects of personal injury if the collision had occurred (and I'm grateful it didn't!) - who knows - the physics involved would be terrifying to calculate, particularly as it would've struck the driver's side of my vehicle.
I'm okay, the car's okay. It only has 52,000KM on it. I hope it will get many more.
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