[satish.gawai]

Hello BHPians and forum-readers, I am going to share an experience that happened earlier this year which underlines how essential a dashcam is

God.. reading your post feels like a horror story to me. I was just imagining myself at your place while reading the entire episode. hats off to you to show the guts to pen it down.
I can imagine how traumatic it is for you to recover (though it wasn't your mistake) and be there on the road, especially on the same road again.
This is a lesson learning to me. The first thing I will do is to purchase the nice dashcams for my vehicles.

Thanks and have a speedy recovery.

[sarav100]

Originally Posted by EvilZombie

On the topic of Dashcam, I always thought of getting one but was worried it may mess up my car warranty.

Don’t worry about warranty. All dashcams can be plugged into 12V charging socket of your car. Dealer/manufacturer shouldn’t have any issue with claiming warranty if you’ve powered dashcam via 12V socket available in almost all cars.

[One]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Hello BHPians and forum-readers, I am going to share an experience that happened earlier this year which underlines how essential a dashcam is - I did not pen it down for a long while owing to the traumatic ordeal the incident itself was, the PTSD-ish reaction I had afterwards, as well as considering sensitivities of others involved.

Thank you for sharing your ordeal as a lesson for all of us. Hope you get back up as soon as possible

[Mr. Nobody]

Where's the dashcam video being talked about here though?

[OffRoadFun]

Thanks for the post.
Dashcam is the most important accesory in the car. I myself have a couple of narrow escapes due to rashly driven two wheelers cutting off and I realised if something happens, culprit is going to be me (the car driver), regardless of who is at fault.

In fact, I have also had a couple of instances in ORR Bangalore where two wheelers deliberately feigned an accident and tried to create a ruckus to extract money from me. Dashcam is handy in those situations where a mob justice is feared.

I captured a video below myself on ORR Bangalore where a lady driving the two wheeler hit the car from behind, for no reason.
Its anyone's guess who will be held guilty by the crowd.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...hcam-well.html (Why you need a rear dashcam as well)

[CarML]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience here and highlighting the importance of dashcams. Glad that you are safe.
From the photos shared, it definitely doesn't look like headlight is that of a two wheeler. It is so bright! It would have blinded you and indirectly caused momentary delay in taking any decision (if at all any alternative was possible).
I often see two wheelers riding with high beam all the time even within city limits. Modern motorbikes are equipped with very powerful LED headlights and are equally dangerous as four wheelers when driven with high beam. Coupled with high speed, it is a recipe for disaster.
Hope you get back to driving your beloved Thar soon. Thanks again.

[blackwasp]

I have shared this thread with others in my circle and has led to many opting to buy dashcams. Thanks for sharing this experience with others. You had the backup of dashcam, but it sends chills up my spine if such a situation occurs with someone without any dashcam.

Meanwhile, your thread encouraged me to post my experience as well of having a dashcam quite recently. I have posted the video and details here (Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em).

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Everyone I know who's known about the incident and saw the video for themselves a dashcam pronto.

This is my first vehicle with a dashcam, and I'm thankful that I got one!

The vehicle has seat load sensor to beep the seat belt remainder on both seats, as well as a seat belt sensor that shows if the seat is buckled or not. Considering there was no one sitting there, and both these sensors would have validated that, it definitely was not necessary for the airbag in the co-driver side to deploy. But because it did, the dashboard had to be opened up as a part of the repair to replace the co-driver airbag!

This observation led me to buy another dashcam with GPS and speed recording so that in case I'm in a situation similar to this (I really hope not!), I'll have the vehicle speed before the incident clearly recorded in the video itself.

It's great to know that the Dashcam saved you from all the trauma and I wish you a speedy recovery from the after-effects of this accident. I also appreciate you penning this down for everyone's benefit. This incident seriously goes to show the importance of having a dashcam and I'm already researching on getting one for my primary car.

Having said that , could you or someone who has a gotten one can share a few details / models of the dashcam to source from Amazon maybe?

Aside, wouldn't it be prudent to get the dashcam hardwired and let it continue recording even when the car is parked? Apart from such incidents on the road, there isn't dearth of miscreants , who want to get involved in any sort of nuisance. A parked car is equally vulnerable. What would be the pros / cons of doing this instead of connecting it to the 12V port?

Coming to the deployment of airbags, I had a major accident wherein I crashed my Sonet into a pillar majorly damaging the front RHS. However, all the 4 airbags (including the seat airbags) were deployed. It was just me traveling with absolutely no load on any of the seats! Yet, all the airbags got deployed. I seriously don't know how the working of the airbags is triggered. But if there is no passenger in the co-driver seat, than ideally airbags on the LHS shouldn't be deployed. Atleast, this is what I used to think.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Hello BHPians ...

Thank you very much for taking time to open this down.

Dash Cameras are surely savers in incidents are these where the onus is not usually based on logic but vehicle size or impacted parties influence.

Also goes to show that major incidents are not necessarily happening during long trips / highways, but also can happen right around the corner to ones destination / frequented roads.

Safe driving, all.

[noo.b]

Thank you for posting this. You have done a great thing in trying to teach others through your terrible ordeal. I really wish that you get over the trauma it has given you, and do so soon. Really brave of you to go through it in great detail while still being sensitive to the ones who could by riled up by the details of the actual impact.

I was sitting on the fence about dashcams, your thread has nudged me in the right direction. I was actually going to pick up an Insta 360 X3 for my general use instead, now i will buy dash cams instead for both my cars.

[ridealong_vr04]

I hope that your recovery from the traumatic experience is swift and smooth. Indeed, having a dashcam is essential these days for added safety and security.

[Amrit@wheels]

First things first, I am glad to hear that you are alive and well. I can only imagine what a 135km/hr impact would have looked like, no matter what the vehicle is. Let me share my experience with you. Last year, I was involved in a 'minor' accident, but it gave me weeks of sleepless nights and also killed my confidence in driving. I took a break from driving and work, spent some time with friends and family, and once I felt better, only then I got back on the road. All I want to say is that it is alright mate, it wasn't your fault, there wasn't much you could have done. Sending you a big hug. Chin up.

[100Kmphormore]

This reminds me of what Sully depicted - an experienced Captain going through the same after his landing into the Hudson. I had the same happen to me in 2019 during my office commutes on my then Ray scooter, a couple of cars so much on the wrong side head on and about to crash into me that I just stopped then and there after I passed them, one of them breaking off my mirror. Informed my manager of this, took the day off and WFH for a week. Commuting to college on the busy Kanakapura highways during 2016-18 amidst the racers in KSRTC was not even close compared to these idiots in the city.

A friendly suggestion is to stop looking at that video altogether. Just save it at multiple places to safeguard yourself in the future, and after that please try forgetting about its existence. Thanks once again for posting this narrative and all the best for a speedy and full (mental) recovery.

+1
Dont blame yourself. The writings on the wall as to who was wrong. Try to forget and move on, if possible availing office cab for your office commutes

[FAIAAA]

Thank you for sharing, what is indeed a very traumatic experience, with everyone in public interest.
Reading this while on a road trip and the first thing I will do, when I get back, is to install dashcams on both cars. Wish you the best.

[sgmuser]

Oh that's some seriously lucky bloke you are. You're blessed and the guardian angel was sitting right next you on this day. It's traumatic but look at the positive side. You're in a solidly built vehicle and sitting high. I think you did good not just to you but as well to your whole family by choosing this vehicle on that day. Imagine this is being a small car. All good. Take a break. Get a driver for sometime to drive you around. Time is a great healer. Keep yourself positive. You will get over this. RIP to the biker. Still trying to understand what he was trying to do. I believe he might have been blinded by the speed simply and got into that tunnel effect they call it I think, then brain froze? Because I don't see any attempt of him to slow down, stop, change lane at all in this whole story.

Yes I understand the dashcam did a great help but personally pls try to avoid night drives as much as possible. Start early in the morning like 5 onwards and leave the city by 6 or 7 if it's a long drive. It's not that easy to drive in the nights especially in narrow single lane roads and even in dual lanes in highways. Day lights gives better perspective compared to the night so that we prepare well ahead.