The fact that the first video of last week’s meteorite to make the rounds was a Russian dashcam video wasn’t surprising; it seems like one in every five videos on YouTube these days is from a Russian daschcam. But after a year or so of making that humorous observation, I finally got curious. Just exactly WHY are there so many Russian daschcams? The answer turned out to be kind of politically and economically enlightening. When Russia finally embraced free markets, it was inevitable that insurance companies would be part of the new equation. But it also became quickly evident that these insurance companies would operate like a lot of things in Russian capitalism, and be rife with corruption and deceit. As people started making claims, and companies started refusing to pay, a court of law was the only solution. And the best evidence in court? A video. Voila, a new industry blossoms, the Russian Dashcam business. And of course, on the other end of the consumer/provider relationship, resourceful Russians quickly adapted, and started jumping on the hoods of cars to try to make personal injury claims. There are other reasons than insurance though; apparently you want to be mindful of highway psychopaths and corrupt cops. Get a more detailed explanation here. In any case, this week’s missing links are a roundup of the best dash cam videos we could find. We omitted quite a few that recorded obvious human tragedy. If you want the hard stuff, you’ll have to visit the Ru CHP LiveJournal community. Videos below.

Luckiest Dude In Russia

The “luckiest dude in Russia” is a common claim (see more luckiest dudes below) but I might assert that “being lucky” would involve avoiding an accident in the first place.

Don’t Mess with Baba

Hilariously, this video was overlayed with a “Meet Russian Women” ad when I viewed it.

The Apocowlypse

Not to be confused with the Aporkalypse.

The Other Luckiest dude in Russia

The Other Other Luckiest Dude in Russia

Giving New Meaning to the Term “Trolley Car”

Who knew a car could get “clotheslined”?

Who Needs Air Traffic Controllers?

Apparently, it’s not just the drivers you have to worry about…

No Really. Who Needs ‘em?

Maybe this really IS the Russian version of in-flight navigation

Or Maybe The CARS Are In The Wrong Place

I mean, it’s hard to tell a runway from a freeway in a dashcam video.

An Unexpected Turn

We featured this a couple of weeks ago. Now I think I know who made it.

If a Pedestrian Is This Confident…

…you might want to ask yourself why, before things escalate.

More Life In Russia

If you only watch the dashcams, you might think Russians are a crazy lot. Here’s a broader look at everyday life in Russia.