Vehicle dashcam captures near-head-on crash on Canterbury mountain pass

A ute driver was caught on dashcam footage almost colliding head-on with a car during a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.

A dashcam capturing a journey through a South Island mountain pass caught the shocking moment a Toyota ute nearly collided head-on with an oncoming car.

South Island resident Simon, who didn’t want his surname published, was travelling down the steep stretch of State Highway 73 over the weekend with his wife, dog and baby in the back seat when he spotted the ute overtaking him on the two-lane road.

“Oh s***,” his wife is heard exclaiming as the ute continues to barrel down the right lane into a blind bend.

Seconds later, the ute pulls back into the correct left-hand lane to narrowly avoid slamming into an oncoming car with a trailer.

The wife gasped at the exchange before the offending driver again pulls out into oncoming traffic to avoid the congestion.

“No, no, no, get a photo of [the car’s numberplate],” Simon was heard saying on camera.

The video shows the ute pass on a blind corner and continue down the road’s right lane.

Talking to the Herald, Simon said he predicted the possible disaster the moment he saw the ute pass him during the dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.

“I already knew there was an oncoming car as I saw it go up the road from the left, but [the ute] didn’t because he was on a blind bend,” he said.

Simon put the ute driver’s actions down to impatience, he noted his car was part of a convoy following a campervan travelling no more than 50km/h.

“But downhill, on a slope and a windy day - you don’t want to be travelling any quicker than that anyway.”

The footage has been handed to police for review. Police said the case was in the initial phase of assessment.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency states online that for drivers to safely pass another vehicle, they must be “extremely careful”.

A ute driver may have landed themselves in hot water after dashcam footage caught them almost colliding head-on with a driver during a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.

“You must have a clear view of the road ahead, to make sure you can finish passing safely,” it says on its website.

Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson told the Herald he was horrified by the footage.

“That ute was a blink away from a fatal collision,” he said.

“That driver was not only incredibly reckless, but [they] risked the lives of innocent motorists travelling in the opposite direction.

“There are lots of idiots on our roads, but ute owners are often the worst offenders when it comes to driving their vehicles like a battering ram.”

Matthew-Wilson added that median barriers are the best protection against head-on collisions, but median barriers are not always practical on narrow, winding roads.

“The police have the power to seize vehicles being driven recklessly. I hope they seize this vehicle and prosecute the driver.”

As for Simon, his message to the public - including the driver - is one of echoing the importance of taking care behind the wheel.

“Just keep left, don’t take chances,” he said.

“Our road toll is high enough as it is, don’t add to it - just don’t take the chance.”