Autoblog

Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor, Russia

After the Good-Samaritan-fest that was the last Russian dash cam video, it's back to our regularly scheduled program of scamming and madness. This time, it's a woman who attempts to pretend she's been hit by a car and rendered unconscious, the same tired con-job that happens to be one of the primary reasons that Russians probably perform more surveillance on themselves than the state does.

It's a remarkably bad job of method acting on the woman's part (is she drunk?), but we'll give her credit for persistence. The worst acting job you'll see all day is on video just below.

Continue reading Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam

Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good things get captured by Russian dash cams too

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Russia

The camera has no favorites, takes no sides - it captures whatever's in front of it, good or ill. We're used to seeing the ill side of Russian streets through the lenses of ubiquitous dash cams, but there's plenty of good to go with it if a video from YouTube user ArkadiYM93 is any indication.

You've probably never seen so many old ladies and cats and peacocks helped across the street, as you do in this five-minute clip. You probably also haven't seen a man lift a car to get it unstuck. You can start the feel-good part of your day by watching the video below.

Continue reading Good things get captured by Russian dash cams too

Good things get captured by Russian dash cams too originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 May 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why do Russian drivers have so many dash cams? [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:01:00 EST

These days, it seems like the internet runs on the fuel of Russian dash cam videos. From clips showing meteors falling from the sky to plane crashes and close calls, it almost seems as if every driver on Russian roads is filming at all times. As it turns out, that's nearly true. According to Wired, several factors have culminated in the current explosion of dashcam videos. Those include everything from shady traffic cops to insurance scammers to the design of the legal system itself. Combine those issues with Russia's notoriously dangerous roads, and drivers have become keen to protect themselves with cameras.

Wired has taken a closer look at the dash cam phenomenon and its rapid expansion. You can read the full article here. We highly recommend taking the time. You can also watch a classic dash cam clip below.

Continue reading Why do Russian drivers have so many dash cams? [w/video]

Why do Russian drivers have so many dash cams? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spectacular meteor strike captured in Russian dash cam footage

Michael Harley — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

Chicken Little would have lost his cookies, yet the Russian driver in this video appears to have kept his wits about him despite the unannounced arrival of a massive fireball falling from the early morning sky - a spectacular event caught by an automotive dash cam - that injured nearly 1,000 people in Siberia.

While scientists estimate that tens of thousands of meteoroids fall from the sky each year, most are just tiny particles that burn up unseen. Only about five thousand are large enough to be really visible (at this point called a "fireball") and then break up and explode to earn the name "bolide." The bolide in the video left an impressive smoke trail of particulate during its ablation, but it also sent nearly a thousand Russians to the hospital for injuries suffered when its sonic blast blew out windows.

In case you are wondering, meteoroids enter the atmosphere at speeds between 25,000 and 160,000 mph. However, like a bullet hitting water, the earth's thick air quickly slows them (rapid compression of the air in front of the rock creates the familiar fiery glow) to a more palatable 200 to 400 mph before they impact the surface. The good news, especially for those who are worried about such events, is that most burn up and never make it all the way down. Check out the video below.

Continue reading Spectacular meteor strike captured in Russian dash cam footage

Spectacular meteor strike captured in Russian dash cam footage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russian trucks crash into each other, one driver nails the dismount

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Work, Russia

After an accident, most of us are left scratching our heads as to what we do next, but the guy pictured above is probably scratching his head wondering how he's still alive. Captured from the dashcam of this Russian driver, a massive collision between two big rigs shows that while seatbelts definitely save lives, sometimes it doesn't hurt to have luck (make that a lot of luck) on your side, too.

It isn't clear if the truck in front of our camera was trying to squeeze into a left turn, execute a passing maneuver or simply or simply trying to avoid a stopped truck in the road, but either way, there wasn't enough room. The result was this blue truck slamming into the side of the turning truck at a pretty good clip. This truck driver, obviously not wearing his seatbelt, was ejected out of the cab through the windshield, but more impressive/amazing is the fact that ends up sticking the landing in a way that might leave Gabby Douglas or Aly Raisman feeling a little jealous.

While we can't say for sure whether or not this driver suffered any injuries, we sure hope he learned his lesson and buckles up in the future.

Watch how this truck driver miraculously survives his ejection in the video below.

Continue reading Russian trucks crash into each other, one driver nails the dismount

Russian trucks crash into each other, one driver nails the dismount originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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