With the massive proliferation of cheap GoPros and other cameras, it seems like every second of Russia's free-for-all roads are now recorded. These are the thirteen most unbelievable moments from the year.


We've already detailed why Russians are obsessed with dash cams, but the short of it is that it's a madhouse out there. Writer Marina Galperina put it simply: having a dash camera is better protection for the shit you run into in the vast expanses of Siberian nothing than a lead pipe under the dash. But you might still want that lead pipe.

We got these videos from YouTube, LiveLeak, and the ever-vigilant staff of CarScoop. Given just how many people started putting dash cam recordings on the Internet in 2012, we're sure we missed something. Post the YouTube link of whatever video we forgot in Kinja below.


Now, in chronological order, are the greatest Russian dash cam videos of the year. Which video do you think is the craziest, and which person was the luckiest?

Supercop Holds Onto Speeding Car

We don't exactly know how this cop ended up gripping onto a car going about 40 mph through traffic, but we think we're better off not knowing. The mystery of Russian Supercop remains.

Speeding Car Misses Pedestrian By Inches

It's not just how a random car shoots at highway speed within inches of a passing pedestrian that makes this video so classic. It's that the walker is totally unfazed and just continues through the intersection.

The Luckiest Guy In Russia, Part One

Our first pronouncement of the luckiest Russian we'd ever seen came in July, when a guy at a gas station was caught between two crashing vehicles. Unreal.

Driver Dodges Two Lanes Of Oncoming Trucks

This video typifies the Russian dash cam experience: rural road, oncoming truck barreling directly at your face. This video took a spin on the formula by having trucks fill up both lanes of traffic. The brave driver barely makes it to the shoulder in time.

A Boat Passes A Car On The Highway

Yes, that's a boat flying past a car on the highway. The boat passes on the right, too. What an asshat.

A Jet Buzzes A Freaking Car

In September we saw a goddamn Sukhoi fighter buzz a car on a remote stretch of highway. The video got so big that Russian authorities started to look into the matter. This is right around when Pussy Riot was in the news, too.

A Car Enters An Intersection And Ends Flipped Into The Air

Russian roads aren't quite like American roads because Russian roads are exciting. You might go into an intersection and then BAM! A downed tram wire flips you into the air. See? Exciting.

The Luckiest Guy In Russia, Part Two

Our second luckiest Russian came in September. We have no clue how the driver of this truck took a massive head-on collision and leaped out of the broken, windowless front unscathed.

This Is What It Looks Like To Nearly Get Crushed By A Logging Truck

Final Destination is real, and it's in Russia. Here we see a logging truck flip over into an intersection nearly crushing the camera car with tumbling logs.

Angry Driver Nonchalantly Shoots At Another Motorist

Remember when we said you should maybe still carry a lead pipe under your dash? Road rage is a problem in Russia, and little was crazier than this young dude popping a few shots at an offending car right in the middle of a city, right in the middle of traffic. And he's so calm about it.

The Luckiest Guy In Russia, Part Three

Our third and final candidate for luckiest guy in Russia was the passenger who emerged unscathed from this holy crap how did anyone live crash. In fact, the driver survived as well, but was hospitalized with broken ribs.

Driver Survives Being Sandwiched Between Four Trucks

Not only did this driver survive getting smashed between two pairs of massive trucks, he was listening to The Cure's "Close to Me" at the time. This is why we can't stop watching Russian dash cam videos.

A Truck Full Of Cows Flips Over, The Cows Are Unfazed

Just to show you that the Russian Dash cam juggernaut never stops, this video of a truck full of cows flipping over in front of a recording dash cam happened just the other day. Since this is the former Soviet East, obviously the cows get right back up like nothing happened.