When it comes to road safety, things can change in an instant. One BlackVue DR970X-2CH user recently shared footage of a multi-vehicle collision that unfolded in a matter of seconds on the A34 Newbury Bypass in the UK. Thanks to the camera’s front and rear coverage, the entire sequence of events was recorded from both angles.
What Happened
The incident took place in broad daylight on the dual carriageway section of the A34, a busy two-lane road. The BlackVue owner was traveling in the right-hand lane behind a couple of cars, which were in turn following a lorry. When the lorry ahead began to brake, the flow of traffic naturally started to slow.
However, what followed was a classic example of how quickly a chain-reaction collision can escalate. As the BlackVue driver’s car slowed, a van approaching from behind failed to stop in time. The van struck the rear of the user’s car, forcing it into the vehicle in front. From a glance at the footage, this might appear to be a simple rear-end collision—until you look at the rear camera feed.
Rear Camera Tells the Full Story
The rear-facing DR970X camera provides crucial context: just before hitting the BlackVue owner’s car, the van is itself struck from behind by yet another vehicle. This secondary impact is what caused the van to surge forward uncontrollably, leading to the collision with the BlackVue owner’s car.
Adding to the difficulty of the situation, a large semi-trailer truck was passing slowly on the left at the time of the incident. This effectively boxed in the BlackVue owner’s car, leaving no space to swerve or escape the unfolding impact ahead.
Why Dash Cam Coverage Matters
This incident is a textbook case of why dual-channel dash cams—offering both front and rear views—can be invaluable in telling the full story. On paper, a rear-end collision might automatically place blame on the car directly behind. But the footage makes it clear that the van driver may have had no chance to react due to being pushed by another vehicle first. The BlackVue owner provided the footage to help the van driver as well.
The rear camera’s perspective becomes especially important for insurance claims and liability assessments, where details like this can significantly alter the outcome.
In this case, the driver did everything right—maintaining distance, reacting to the lorry ahead, and staying in lane—but still found themselves involved in a collision with nowhere to go. Fortunately, their dash cam captured everything, front and rear.
Don’t wait until AFTER something happens. You never know what awaits you on the road. Get your dash cam today here.
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