Home Video Cameras, Fast Cars, and Video Sharing Sites

Has anybody else ever contemplated how the combination of these three things may lead to an increase in traffic fatalities? After viewing some of the stuff I've seen on streetfire and youtube where people are running their cars hard on busy suburban streets, I have to conclude that there must be an increased incidence of severe "street racing" type accidents because the driver's are in front of a camera and feel pressure to perform so their video gets ranked higher on video sharing sites.

I've been blown away by some of the footage I've seen that seems very dangerous.

Fair theory or just speculation?

most def..
this can happen with all the safety in the world...and things like fast n furious didnt help.

folks seem to think they are invinsible.

Gotta show off for that camera at all costs it seems at times with some.
Definitely a dangerous mixture.

Deb

Not that I'm a 'On my high-horse' kind of guy but as I have pointed out in other threads, I am no longer participating in any videos of my race car on the street. As a matter of fact, other than a slow cruise around the block my car will not be on the street at all other than to load onto the trailer.

The Pro-Mod incident in Tennesee a while back cooled me from that type of behavior.

I dig doing a smoke show for my neighbors but Tennesee showed just how quick the poop can go wrong. Just because nothing like that has happened to me in 35 years of driving doesn't mean a thing. It's like motorcycle riders - there's two types: Those riders that have crashed, and those riders that haven't crashed...yet.

I will be doing videos (expect some before the end of September) but they will all be confined to the drag strip. They will be created for the memories and enjoyment of my immediate family, but since I consider (most of) FM family I will post them up here as usual.

I know, I'm starting to sound like a wuss.

I find street racing safer then people with a cell PHONE in their EAR!

But a chatting street racer is by far the worst!

Not that I favor street racing at all. But its like a double edged sword.
If one does'nt get you, The other one will.

Yeah, but stop and think...what do people do and NOT film. People still do dumb stuff when the camera isn't watching. When you hear the phrase "Hey ya'll, watch this!!!" or "you wanna' bet?", you know some dumb stuff is gonna' happen...and yes, mostly by younger drivers trying to show off.

There's a difference in doing dumb stuff in a place that is meant for dumb stuff, and a place like a busy neighborhood or a busy street.

I just wish people would take it to the strip and prove your car there, in a controlled area; not where $#!+ can go wrong, and go wrong very quick.

That First video was on a racetrack..

The second video was on a regular road... The unobservant drivers likely didn't even see the friggin 4 foot wide speed bumps....

But I totally agree that the camera and internet site thing has added to the mess....

As teenagers in the 70's and 80's we did our share of street racing, but we had a little bit of sense to pick a half safe area.

Last year I went out and watched the local street races one night. Plenty of really stupid kids, that seem to have a very limited ability to think what if?

The street was lined with telephone poles and trees, and they were going 100MPH+, other idiots driving up at high speed and pulling the E-brake to spin out in front of the crowd not 10' from the car. Amazing nobody got hurt. I was parked well away behind a big transformer.