SA, Adelaide most wild dashcam footage revealed

From near misses to downright bizarre behaviour, SA’s roads can be a terrifying place. This collection of unbelievable dashcam footage shows just how crazy it can get.

Adelaide and SA drivers have got a bad name.

From not being able to stay in the left-hand land if not overtaking, to casual speeding no matter what the situation is, we’ve got some room for improvement.

For Dashcams Adelaide founder Jerry*, who has chosen not to use his real name, the indifference of the state’s drivers has become a side hustle.

Jerry’s Facebook page Dashcams Adelaide has become one of the most well-known in SA, and has even helped police solve crimes.

“We receive videos almost daily of terrible Adelaide drivers,” he said.

A preview of some of SA's wildest dashcam videos of 2022.

“From near misses to crashes, sometimes we get so inundated with videos we don’t share them all, or get quite a backlog.

Jerry said he and his team of page admins sunk hours into the page with an aim to highlight how dangerous taking unnecessary risks on the road can be.

“(The videos) show what the roads are like in Adelaide and the risks people will take just to arrive five seconds earlier, or to get one car ahead, at any cost,” he said.

“SAPOL also watch the page and do occasionally act on the videos with people prosecuted.

“We’ve had a couple people ask for vision or information on crashes and stolen cars which have then helped the victim.”

And while the footage can be breathtaking, there is a serious side to dangerous driving.

In 2022, 66 people have already lost their lives on the roads and another 665 have been seriously injured.

Police Minister Joe Szakacs said the holiday period was a dangerous time on the road, and reminded drivers to take extra precautions.

Police Minister Joe Szakacs. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

“We want everyone to get to their destination safely,” he said.

“As people visit family and friends this holiday season, make sure you check your speed, wear a seatbelt and keep your eyes on the road.”

Here are the wildest videos of 2022.

Permission has been given to use all of the videos in this story.

Paralowie alleged drink driver

Startling dashcam footage emerged earlier this year allegedly showing a drink driver swerving across the road, mounting a roundabout and crashing into a fence.

The alleged incident unfolded on Sunday evening off of Fairbanks Drive at Paralowie, just metres from a local park and childcare centre.

A witness to the crash said he and another citizen intervened to remove the driver from the car.

“I opened the passenger door and said, ‘you’re not going anywhere’ and (the other citizen) snapped the key in the ignition,” he said.

“The driver got out and just fell on the floor.”

Tow ball terror

Apologies if this video begins to haunt your nightmares, but that’s the reality of it.

Imagine innocently driving along the South Eastern Freeway and you notice something bobbling down the road.

It turns out it’s a three kilogram hunk of metal, and it’s hurtling towards your face.

Not for me, thanks.

Aldinga death dice

There’s a reason SA Police remind everybody year after year, holiday after holiday, “be careful on the roads”.

One, there’s more people out there, but two, there’s people like this driver making outlandish decisions to overtake.

In this example, there isn’t even a lane. It’s hard to fathom what this driver was thinking.

Even a partner in labour isn’t a good enough excuse for this behaviour.

Southern Expressway truck crash

The good old Southern Expressway has claimed many a car during its controversial tenure as the premier roadway of the south.

There haven’t been many more daunting than this one, however.

A cement truck, without warning, cutting across lanes of traffic and smashing into the guard rail – scary.

Davoren Park dangerous driving

This dashcam footage was more than just wild.

It played a part in the conviction of a mother who missed three signs, hit a car and a truck at an intersection, injured her own family has narrowly avoided a prison term.

The District Court in February suspended the driver’s, 36-year-old Devon Park mother Natasha Vaye’s, 22-month prison term on condition of a two-year, $100 good behaviour bond.

“The only explanation for your offending is that the collision occurred through gross inattention,” Judge Ian Press said during sentencing.

Her crash was in a notorious part of the northern suburbs that is now subject to a government road improvement plan.

Motorcyclist’s Hills near miss

There’s a reason some motorcyclists get a bad name, and this is a good example of why.

The Adelaide Hills has long be a favoured jaunt for riders with sweeping bends and picturesque views, but the road rules still apply.

This rider might’ve been caught up in the serenity, but no doubt they quickly snapped back to reality when they had their life flash before their eyes.

‘Rider with a death wish’

Anybody who has driven along Military Road knows of its notoriety.

From street racers doing cruises, to motorcyclists thinking they own the road – it can be a dangerous place.

Even if you’re minding your own business, like the drivers in this footage, i’s who you share the road with that can be the real danger.

Luckily for this rider, he avoided clipping one of the two cars he swerved between, likely avoiding losing their life as well.

Learning learner

We’ve all been there.

Your first drive, learning the ropes, and you make a false move.

Everything gets harder as you panic, you try to correct but overcorrect – it becomes a mess.

This learner, however, might’ve made the biggest mess any learner driver has ever made.

Luckily for them the roads were clear and, after avoiding crashing into a stobie pole and swerving to the opposite die of the road, they were able to right the ship and get back on track.

‘Bloody close shave’

As far as near misses go, this is about as near as it gets.

Mere millimetres separated this car, which failed to give way at the intersection, from being t-boned into oblivion.

Rumour has it the little country SA town of Sevenhill is still talking about it.

Dashcams Adelaide creator Jerry aptly described the situation: “bloody close shave, so much for giving way!”

High speed Meadows smash

It’s not strictly dashcam footage, but it’s still unbelievable.

The high speeds of country roads can be lethal, but in this example the drivers were tremendously lucky.

Hurtling into another car in a 100km/h zone doesn’t normally end well, and it didn’t in this instance either.

Teen terror’s allegedly stolen Mazda

The driver of this white Mazda was allegedly underage and the car was stolen car.

It happened earlier this year at Elizabeth amid a spate of similar offences.

While police say there hasn’t been a rise in youth crime, this alleged offender is lucky they didn’t take out the dashcam driver’s car or they could’ve been facing even more serious charges

Ute driver slips and slides

It might be a little hard to make out, but you can almost picture the exact moment this driver realises he maybe shouldn’t have made the outrageous decision to overtake.

The ute goes slipping across the road after making the choice to cut it fine on an overtake before heading across to the wrong side of the road, sliding backwards towards a ditch, and eventually dropping into a ditch.

Hopefully this was a reminder to the driver that two minutes off your trip isn’t worth your life.

Southern suburbs monos

It’s hard to imagine what was possibly going through the mind of this rider as he popped a wheelie while standing on the seat of his motorbike.

No doubt he thought it was pretty hardcore, but he’s just about the only one.

SA Police condemned the rider’s Southern Expressway stunt as viewers of the video far and wide questioned whether the rider had a “death wish”.

Around the corner, on Dyson Road at Lonsdale, another dirt bike hero tried to emulate the other rider about a month later.

Again, any viewer of the video was similarly unimpressed with the rider’s behaviour.

While the advice to many young lads is to get out of the house and head outside, perhaps these two would be better off performing their dangerous hobby online instead.

SE Freeway wild truck crash

It could have been horrific, and it no doubt brought back awful memories of other crashed in the same spot.

And the moment this truck came uncontrollably speeding down the South Eastern Freeway off track, drivers in its path probably thought their time was up.

As luck would have it, nobody lost their lives in the crash.

Instead, the horrifying near miss prompted renewed discussion about how dangerous the perilously steep road is, and the best way to stop awful crashes from ever happening again.

Originally published as SA, Adelaide most wild dashcam footage revealed