Was expecting the driver to be the lucky one.

They guy must have shiat his pants

Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

Anyone remember the pedestrian on the corner that has a car roll over him, but it's the side dented from the impact that sent it rolling and he survives?

/probably could have described that better...

meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

I do this on all my bike rides. Have been thinking about setting cameras up in my car as well. They're not exactly expensive these days.

/ In a perfect world, we'd all have a camera in our car and a "report traffic violation" button that sends the video in to the police who can issue a ticket if they agree.
// Getting the ball rolling on that will probably take longer than making ubiquitous self-driving cars, so will be moot point.

meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's a kind of protection from shiat like people backing into you and claiming you hit them or something. That's probably not all there is to it, though, but the 'dash cam' does seem popular out there.

serial_crusher: / In a perfect world, we'd all have a camera in our car and a "report traffic violation" button that sends the video in to the police who can issue a ticket if they agree.

The people who had to sift through all of the panicky button-pusher videos would shoot themselves.

Dr.Fey: Anyone remember the pedestrian on the corner that has a car roll over him, but it's the side dented from the impact that sent it rolling and he survives?

/probably could have described that better...

Yeah, I remember that one.

Snopes is on it.

Clicky

meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

There's a whole shiatload of reasons, but one of the bigger ones is that it's impossible to get self-insurance on older cars - you can only get liability for the other guy's car. So a dash cam provides cheap evidence if you're ever in an accident and the other guy's insurance company denies your claim.

Anyway, here's probably the best article ever written about it.

The_Philosopher_King: Lsherm: meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?
There's a whole shiatload of reasons, but one of the bigger ones is that it's impossible to get self-insurance on older cars - you can only get liability for the other guy's car. So a dash cam provides cheap evidence if you're ever in an accident and the other guy's insurance company denies your claim.
Anyway, here's probably the best article ever written about it.

What I want to know is why the drivers in Russia are so bad? I was watching a lot of these videos and I am stunned at the dumb moves. People turning left from the right hand lane. Pulling out in traffic without looking. This truck driver is a good example. How could he of thought he could make it? Is there no driver training or testing?

Part of it is selection bias-- only the "oh shiat!" moments make it to YouTube and get linked to.

That said, I'd bet that Russians drive drunk A LOT more often, and that passing the driver's test depends more on the size of your bribe than your skill behind the wheel.

I could be wrong, though.

Riche: The_Philosopher_King: Lsherm: meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?
There's a whole shiatload of reasons, but one of the bigger ones is that it's impossible to get self-insurance on older cars - you can only get liability for the other guy's car. So a dash cam provides cheap evidence if you're ever in an accident and the other guy's insurance company denies your claim.
Anyway, here's probably the best article ever written about it.

What I want to know is why the drivers in Russia are so bad? I was watching a lot of these videos and I am stunned at the dumb moves. People turning left from the right hand lane. Pulling out in traffic without looking. This truck driver is a good example. How could he of thought he could make it? Is there no driver training or testing?

Part of it is selection bias-- only the "oh shiat!" moments make it to YouTube and get linked to.

Pretty much this. Stupid drivers are everywhere. Any given day, there are accidents like this in every state of the US. What we don't have (yet) are ubiquitous
Dash Cams.... in Russia, everybody has them, or pretty close to everybody. Here in the US, it's probably less than a percent of drivers with dash cams, and it's more out of the "cool" factor, doing it for technology's sake, rather than expecting to use it in insurance proceedings.

I think we'll see these more and more... and I'm surprised GPS units haven't started offering this as a feature. I would think this would be a natural "killer" feature for GPS (especially if it recorded location and other info optionally, either on video or in a stream). Thinking about the GPS, I'd probably mount the camera externally and connect it to the unit (so you position it once and leave it)

When WalMart offers a dash cam for $30, everybody will start using them.

'Lucky"? No, "lucky would be winning the lottery.
All that guy did was get his truck smashed into.

Mudcloth: Dude in the back of the truck in the gas station wasn't too lucky. Woke him up from his nap, at least.

He might have just been sitting on that toilet that got smashed up.

The_Philosopher_King: What I want to know is why the drivers in Russia are so bad?

I'm not saying it's women drivers. But it's women drivers.

Pelvic Splanchnic Ganglion: Smeggy Smurf: The_Philosopher_King: What I want to know is why the drivers in Russia are so bad?

I'm not saying it's women drivers. But it's women drivers.

Silly rabbit! Women aren't allowed to drive!

Doesn't stop them does i*CRASH*

meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

So they can prove it wasn't their fault.

serial_crusher: In a perfect world, we'd all have a camera in our car and a "report traffic violation" button that sends the video in to the police who can issue a ticket if they agree.

Has anyone kicked you square in the nuts yet today?
If not, I'd like to be the first.
We have far more than enough spiffy little, Buddy Junior, "good citizen", cop wanna-bees as it is.

Yeah, yeah, you're on a bicycle.
Congratulations.
Who the hell cares? I was a bike messenger in Manhattan for a while, so yes, I've seen a few traffic violations here, and there, and STILL I have never had such a blatantly helmet wearing to the mall retarded thought like that cross my mind.

I wouldn't mind having a camera in my car though.
Not to call the cops, but to protect me from the cops.

I once had to take off from work to defend myself from a red light ticket, which given I had multiple vehicles insured, would have cost me thousands.
After months of postponements, it actually went to trial.

Yeah, I know, CSB.

I acted as my own lawyer, (mainly because I didn't know that people even got lawyers for such a thing, so being I came to the party empty handed I decided to brazen it out), and got to question the cop on the specifics of the "case".

"Officer, do you specifically remember me going through the light?"
"Yes"
"Do you remember my car?"
"Yes, It's a blue Chevy, it says right here."
"A sedan? A convertible?"
"As I remember, it was a 4 door".
"So what, an Impala? A Malibu?
"I'm not sure, It could have been either".
"So you don't recall?"
(annoyed)"Well no, not specifically"
"Then I guess you don't recall, that we are discussing a truck, and not a car, a really, really big truck, which by the way, is a 3 door, and can fit the entire contents of this court room inside, with room to spare"

Judge "can I see your registration?...Maximum gross vehicle weight 18,000 pounds. Dismissed".

It still cost me a few hundred dollars though.
The cop didn't care, it's just easy overtime, and they dearly love when you dispute a ticket.
They don't care at all whether you win, or lose, unless you are stupid enough to insult them, or make it personal.

I once pled insanity on a parking ticket, and won.

meehaw: Does everyone in Russia just automatically get a camera when they buy a car? Why the hell are there so many people in Russia taping driving down a regular old road on the off chance they will catch an accident?

No, it's pretty much a necessity. In Russia dash-cam footage is the only real way to substantiate your claims in the court of law.

Here's an article that explains the reasons in a little more detail.

SoCalChris: TommyymmoT: The cop didn't care, it's just easy overtime, and they dearly love when you dispute a ticket.

Some states will allow a trial by written declaration for moving violations. Cop gets no overtime for it, and for them to respond is just more paperwork. I've had a few tickets dismissed using this method, and had friends who did the same. And if the court somehow rules against you, in California you can request a new trial. Only downside is that you have to pay the fine up front, and it is refunded to you. Still beats having the ticket, and having to go to traffic school though.
================
New York State.
Not very far from my house, there was an EMT, who split from his wife, and needed a place to stay, so he moved into the fire house.
The guy was listed as "on the clock", for 96 hours a week, 56 hours of course, being overtime pay, and exponential overtime holiday pay.

When they determine the amount you should receive upon retirement, they go by your highest earning two years.
Needless to say, this guy retired at 46, at a rate of compensation, that would make more than a few people with advanced degrees jealous, even during their prime earning years.

serial_crusher: / In a perfect world, we'd all have a camera in our car and a "report traffic violation" button that sends the video in to the police who can issue a ticket if they agree.

Still pining away for the "good old days" in East Germany?

Let it go, man, 'cos it's gone!

slotz: Wait a minute. How did showing a truck registration negate the citation for running a red light in a blue Chevy? Are you suggesting that the judge didn't think you might own more than one vehicle, and so therefore dismissed the charges?

My guess is that part of the argument hinged on whether or not he could have safely stopped, seeing a yellow light, or if he was safer to just roll through (as in a larger vehicle for whom stopping short is not really an option).

LasersHurt: slotz: Wait a minute. How did showing a truck registration negate the citation for running a red light in a blue Chevy? Are you suggesting that the judge didn't think you might own more than one vehicle, and so therefore dismissed the charges?

My guess is that part of the argument hinged on whether or not he could have safely stopped, seeing a yellow light, or if he was safer to just roll through (as in a larger vehicle for whom stopping short is not really an option).

...or that the cops testimony was false. If the police officer cannot recall the events correctly, it boils down to the driver's word against... nobody else's word. In most states, this is enough to dismiss the charge (not everywhere).

Traffic law is a terrible mix of "civil infractions" vs. actual criminal code between individual states. The difference is huge when it comes to due process and burden of proof. This is why places like in Texas, lawyers can get pretty much any ticket wiped out, but other states, like Michigan, your chances of success are around 2%.

/Lives in a state where traffic violations are civil infractions
//No proper due process, cops can phone in cases, claiming they were three-eyed aliens driving, and magistrates still rule against the drivers

I don't know what they are shouting in russian but I bet it is something like "Wake up!!! Wake up" or perhaps "Look out!! Look out!!!"

LasersHurt: slotz: Wait a minute. How did showing a truck registration negate the citation for running a red light in a blue Chevy? Are you suggesting that the judge didn't think you might own more than one vehicle, and so therefore dismissed the charges?

My guess is that part of the argument hinged on whether or not he could have safely stopped, seeing a yellow light, or if he was safer to just roll through (as in a larger vehicle for whom stopping short is not really an option).

The citation simply said blue, 1980 Chevrolet, plate #xxxx, it doesn't state the type of vehicle anywhere on it, and the cop had to prove he remembered the event.
The ticket had been issued a few months prior, and by not eluding to the fact that it wasn't even a car, I got him to admit he didn't remember what my vehicle even looked like.

darch: TommyymmoT

So every cop is a OT-abusing sociopath, huh?

Your broad brush- is quite broad.

/on duty in 26 minutes
//no, really

You're the one with the broad brush.
I was merely stating that in my area, the cops don't mind, and have no hard feelings if you contest a ticket, because if the trial doesn't occur on their usual shift, it's usually overtime, and easy duty just sitting there waiting for the case to be called.

GriffXX: Whenever one of these threads pops up and someone asks why there are so many dash cams, I like to post this.

If somebody did that to me and I didn't have a dash cam, I would have to pull forward a few feet, and then back up to see what I just ran over, just to get my money's worth out of the suit.