Dashcam videos: accidents and other captures

Editor/Photographer

Dashcam Pages: Introduction | Types | Essential Features | Tips | Reviews | Comparisons | Videos | Ethics | For Storm Chasers | Avoid

I have been operating full-time dash camera systems in some form since the summer of 2007. When I'm in my vehicle, the cameras are always running, whether I'm photographing storms or just driving to the grocery store. That means everything that happens while I'm driving gets recorded from multiple angles. I figure it is a great insurance policy - an advocate in the event of an accident or ticket, and a source for some interesting videos.

In response to questions, I wrote a blog post about features to look for when buying a dashcam for your car. You also might be interested to read my essay on the actual risks to storm chasers to get an idea of why I have these cameras installed.

**NEW: The following HD clips are viewable in full 1080p/720p resolution on Youtube** The following is an archive of clips pulled from the cameras since July of 2007. Clips from the new cameras are listed first.

Clips from digital systems, 2008-present

Forced off the road - Marine, IL
June 7, 2015: A oncoming car executes a pass without enough room, but doesn't back down.

Louisville, KY interstate rear-end crash
June 4, 2015: A rear-end accident in the eastbound lanes of I-64 in heavy rush hour traffic in Louisville, KY. The crash is captured on the driver's side camera, the front and rear-facing camera views are included to show before and after shots.

Minor semi vs car accident in St. Louis
May 28, 2015: An 18 wheeler changes lanes and strikes the rear quarterpanel of a Ford Mustang on Interstate 64 westbound in Creve Coeur, MO. From the rear-facing camera.

Police escort geese on Interstate 70
May 25, 2015: St. Charles, MO police close the left-hand lane of Interstate 70 westbound to escort a mother and baby geese walking on the highway.

Losing $1,400 of camera gear
May 8, 2015: Shot of my DSLR and lens tumbling onto a rural north Texas highway during a storm chase, after I placed the camera on the roof of the car and drove off. From the rear-facing camera.

St. Louis snow slides
March 2, 2015: A couple of slides and fishtails while covering a snowstorm in St. Louis.

Collinsville, IL icy road spinout
January 16, 2014: A pickup truck spins out on I-55 southbound at Collinsville, Illinois during a light snowfall event. From the rear-facing camera.

El Reno tornado intercept and escape
May 31, 2013: The dashcams captured in detail the close call I had with the May 31, 2013 El Reno tornado. This footage turned out to play a crucial role in the post-event investigation.

Rozel tornado timelapse
May 18, 2013: A time-lapse clip from the front camera during a storm chasing trip captures the Rozel, Kansas tornado life cycle.

SUV wet road accident
April 18, 2013: An SUV drifts into my lane on I-64 at Albers, IL, then jerks the wheel left, loses control and slides into the median just out of camera view. From the rear-facing camera.

St. Louis snowstorm spinout
March 24, 2013: A car spins out on I-55 in St. Louis during a winter storm. From the rear-facing camera.

Minivan snowstorm traffic light accident
February 21, 2013 : A minivan gets into a fender-bender and rolls into a traffic light in a snowstorm.

Cooperton, OK tornado close call
April 13, 2012 : Caught in the outer edge of a tornado in Oklahoma. Front and rear cameras.

June 2011 deer near miss
June 2011 : Close call with a deer near Wood River, IL.

Failure to make sudden 90 degree turn
May 3, 2010: Going too fast for an unexpected sudden 90 degree turn in the road, thankfully a gravel pull-off was there instead of a ditch.

Oncoming minivan loses control
December 6, 2008: An oncoming minivan slides sideways on snowy curve and heads toward me in Charleston, WV.

Hydroplaning into barrier
June 18, 2008: Hydroplaning on standing water and bumping the center divider on Route 60 near Rand, WV. A spinout or loss of control here would have resulted in either being hit by the semi behind me or crossing into oncoming traffic.

Low-speed deer miss
September 12, 2009: Low-speed close call with a deer near Big Chimney, WV.

Deer on I-77 northbound
June 11, 2009: Close call with deer at 70mph near Sissonville, WV.

Black ice on exit ramp
February 1, 2008: Encountering black ice on a curved exit ramp near Beckley, WV.

Fallen tree limb
January 30, 2008: Running over a fallen tree limb during a windstorm in Charleston, WV.

Clips from mounted camcorders and 2007-2008 analog VHS system

Rear-end accident on I-64, St. Albans/Nitro, WV
August 27, 2003: (From Sony TRV900) Yes, I haven't been immune to being the bad driver. This clip is of a minor rear-end accident on I-64 eastbound (on the Kanawha River bridge at Nitro, WV) I was in during a chase. The cause was me adjusting my dash-mounted camcorder to record a rainbow off to the north. I was trying to watch the LCD screen of the camera (almost directly ahead of me on the dash) and the road at the same time. Traffic suddenly stopped in my lane, and I was not able to react in time. My front wheels locked on the wet pavement (my 2000 Ranger had no front ABS), and I hit the jeep in front of me, then slid sideways into the jersey barrier. Miraculously, damage to the vehicles was very minimal, and no other vehicles were involved.