Safety body to use real life footage from dashcam owners.

I drive so many cars a year it’s easy to overlook things. Like in the case of the McLaren 720S, there’s a V8 behind your melon that could send you into orbit. But lately I’ve been a little more cautious with my driving, having kids does that but I also don’t want to end op on Dashcams Australia. 

Well ANCAP Safety, Australasia’s independent vehicle safety authority has had a light bulb moment.

As part of a new national community awareness campaign, it has sent out a call to arms for members of the public to share their footage

But why?

ANCAP Communications Director, Rhianne Robson, said, “We’re calling on everyday Australians and New Zealanders to be part of our next campaign by submitting dashcam vision of common crash scenarios,” 

“The campaign will focus on the benefits of two key vehicle safety technologies – autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and active lane support systems (LSS) – and how their presence can turn a negative outcome into a positive one.”

I watch a lot of these videos and offer wonder why such tech allowed the incident to occur. Many new cars have AEB, but I’m yet to see it in action on video. I’ve had it activate for me once, saving a very expensive rear-ender.

Dashcam owners capture some of the best vison, prangs, near-misses with pedestrians or even cars running off-the road.

These single-vehicle crashes and the above will form part of ANCAP’s next national advertising campaign later this year.

“Dashcam footage clearly demonstrates that everyday mistakes happen to everyday people, yet a mistake on the road – whether it be yours or someone else’s – does not have to be fatal.”

“By involving the community in the development of the campaign, we’re not only giving them the opportunity to be part of the road safety solution, we’re generating early thought and discussion around the function, benefits and availability of these now common and affordable technologies,” Mrs Robson said.

Real life accidents being caught on tape, then being used for research. I’m down with that.

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