A CENTRAL West road safety expert has weighed in on debate surrounding a collision and said that it could have been avoided.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Footage of a collision that was posted to the Dash Cam Owners Australia Facebook page has divided opinion with some people claiming a slow-to-react motorist could have avoided the smash.
In the video a black four-wheel-drive can be seen pulling out of a side street and crossing two lanes of traffic to make a right hand turn onto a main road.
Footage take from a vehicle with a dashcam fitted shows it clipping the rear of the four-wheel-drive after failing to apply the brakes in time.
The video then shows the black vehicle speeding off, but later stopping on the side of a nearby road.
- WARNING: Offensive language in video
The clip was taken in Adelaide and since it was posted on Tuesday has been viewed more than 133,000 times and ignited a heated debate.
Page user Mark Williams posted: “You good sir have the reaction time of a turtle”.
While another user, Adam Schilling, disagreed.
“Everyone blaming the dash cam car for not braking fast enough or soon enough and ignoring the fact the other guy did a runner,” he posted.
“Some people on here have major issues with figuring out the person in the wrong.”
Long-time road safety expert in the Central West and owner of Calare Academy of Road Safety, Matthew Irvine, said having a dashcam in your vehicle can lead to negative driving habits.
While dash cams can occasionally make a positive contribution to our driving, many drivers simply see them as a way to ensure they can blame someone else for their own poor driving attitudes.
- Road safety expert Matthew Irvine
“While dash cams can occasionally make a positive contribution to our driving, many drivers simply see them as a way to ensure they can blame someone else for their own poor driving attitudes,” he said.
Mr Irvine said “that’s exactly what’s happened” in the video that was posted to the Dash Cam Owners Australia page.
“Yes, the driver of the black SUV should not have pulled out, however the driver of the dashcam-equipped car could have braked enough to avoid a collision,” he said.
Mr Irvine encouraged people to think about their action while driving and to always watch what was going on around their vehicle.
“Internalise your actions and always be prepared to compensate for the errors of others,” he said.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
