Its function is to record motorists on roads in case of an accident but the dashcam video technology has caught much more than that, as several Kent drivers have found out.

From cars skidding on ice on a motorway to youngsters riding on the back of a truck, high-speed chases by police and even some extremely bad driving - here, we take a look at some examples which have happened in the county.

Police chase caught by driving instructor

A driving instructor caught the dramatic moment a fleeing car mounted a kerb in a bid to get away from police.

Darren Willett, of Willett's School of Motoring, was 30 minutes into a two-hour lesson when his learner driver had no other option than to stop when a silver Subaru car was headed straight towards them.

But when the oncoming car was just yards away from hitting Mr Willett's Hyundai i30 in Cecil Avenue, Sheerness, it decided to mount the kerb and continue along the pavement.

The incident happened in August 2019 and Mr Willett said he was shocked by what he had witnessed.

The moment a learner comes face-to-face with a car heading straight towards her

"I heard the sirens and then suddenly saw the Subaru turn into the road ahead of us," he said.

When asked how his learner driver was after the ordeal, Mr Willett said: "She didn't feel up to continuing. "It was only her third lesson."

The car was pursued by police through a number of roads including Marine Parade, Unity Street and Vincent Gardens and it was abandoned in Minster Road, Minster.

Here the driver tried to run away, but police caught up with him and arrested an 18-year-old man from Sheerness.

Youths riding on back of truck

This dashcam video captured the moment youths hitch a ride on the back of a truck.

The footage was caught by an astonished motorist in St Dunstans Street, Canterbury, one July afternoon last year.

One young man can be seen jumping on the back of a truck as it approaches the roundabout near a Sainsbury's supermarket.

He soon jumps off before alighting again when he is joined by some of his pals as the vehicle drives off.

The lad jumps on the back of the moving truck

The driver who captured the footage can be heard beeping and shouts: "What are you doing?"

He then drives off in another direction, but it is not clear if the driver of the truck ever realised the lads were riding on the back of his vehicle.

Passenger tries to get out of moving car on motorway

This is probably one of the more bizarre pieces of footage caught on dashcam in the county.

The shocking footage, captured in February last year, shows someone trying to get out of car which is travelling along a motorway at about 50mph.

The dashcam footage shows someone opening a car door on the M20 between West Malling and M26.

It captures the horrifying moment someone opens a car door between junction 4 for West Malling and junction 2a for the M26 towards Sevenoaks.

Jaimie Russell, who witnessed the incident, estimated the car was travelling at around 50mph.

He said: "The event is honestly unbelievable but fortunately no one seemed to be seriously hurt. Maybe a sprained ankle.

The shocking moment a car door is opened on the M20

"Just glad no one fell out as there is no hard shoulder to avoid someone in the road."

Biker mounts pavement and narrowly misses pedestrian

This dashcam footage captures a biker narrowly missing a pedestrian in Jeffery Street, Gillingham, in February 2020.

The footage shows a motorcyclist racing down the pavement whipping past the pedestrian.

The biker then rejoins the road and undertakes a car as another rider comes into view. This person also weaves through the traffic.

The pair then pause briefly at a zebra crossing, before speeding off as a pedestrian crosses the road.

Their reckless actions were caught on dashcam footage by Lianne Partington, who at the time said: "There were three of them, one was a bit further up.

"I could hear a motorbike on my right, one shot past on my left on the pavement.

The biker racing along the pavement

"It was not far off the kids' coming out of school time and it really shocked me."

Driver on wrong side of road jumps red light

An impatient driver was caught on camera driving on the wrong side of the road and jumping a red light.

Dean Johnson, managing director of Signs & Imaging, was leaving Morrisons in Princes Park, Chatham, in May 2017 when he narrowly avoided colliding with the oncoming vehicle.

Rather than waiting in the queue, the BMW had pulled out on to the wrong side of road, drove around a pedestrian crossing and jumped the red light.

Mr Johnson, who runs the Medway City Estate-based company in Strood, captured the incident on his dashcam.

Speaking to KentOnline at the time, he said he thought there were four people in the car.

The BMW on the wrong side of the road

He also said when he looked in his rear view mirror he could see the car overtaking more vehicles as it headed up Princes Avenue.

Car skidding on ice on M2

And finally, during the recent snowy and icy weather, the moment a car skidded on ice on the M2 motorway near Sittingbourne was caught on camera.

It happened on the London-bound M2 between Faversham and Sittingbourne on February 9.

It shows traffic travelling along the snowy stretch close to Junction 5 for Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Maidstone - when all of a sudden a vehicle loses control and spins to the side of the carriageway while a lorry hits the brakes.

The video was recorded by Christopher Taylor who at the time urged people to take extra care because of the icy conditions created by the snowfall across Kent.

Kent Police had warned drivers to only travel if their journey was essential, and a police spokesman at the time: "Highways were informed due to reports of ice on the road."

The car spins on ice on the M2 near Sittingbourne

And read here about the Kent residents whose doorbell video technology has also has captured more on camera, from sonic booms to outrageous deliveries and more.

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