9 Close Calls You Won't Believe These People Survived

Is it better to be lucky or smart? Every time you are in, on or near a moving vehicle, you are putting yourself in harm's way. You can be smart about it and do whatever you can to make yourself safe. But you never really know what's going to happen, so you need luck on your side, too. These people had a lot of luck.

Mind the gap

http://youtu.be/xFLjk88HBwg

At the great Phillip Island circuit in Australia, a Mazda MX-5 racer is hunting down his rival in a Porsche Boxster. Drag racing down the pit straight, he tries to squeeze Porsche-man towards the wall, leaving a letterbox of a gap between them. He probably wasn't expecting the second-placed Corvette to fly through the gap, doing about a million miles-per-hour.

What the truck!?

http://youtu.be/qqDrnR2bWk4

Russia's roads are among the most dangerous in the world. So since you can't really be safe, you better be lucky. This truck driver is very lucky, landing on his feet after being thrown from his cab in a crash that completely wipes his motor out.

Watch your head

http://youtu.be/CzJOY0nzKIw

You're out for a nice gentle bike ride on a sunny summer day. Alright, it's a race. But still, you're riding with your mates. Or maybe they're fierce rivals. Whatever, everything's lovely until someone steps off their bike, which cartwheels down the track and comes within microns of hitting you in the face. That'll really ruin your day. And your leathers...

Sacre bleu!

http://youtu.be/GIoh62czyRc

The law of forces dictates that (generally) you're protected from danger if you stand behind a massive wall, but this old French bloke has another technique that seems to work, too. It's called standing still. Well, I suppose it's easier to miss a static target than a moving one...

Run away

http://youtu.be/dQHMogAda4U

...But there's still no harm in simply running away. This marshall turned and ran, rather than stare disaster in the face. Although a tree stops the barrel-rolling Suzuki before it catches up with him.

Gravel rash

http://youtu.be/9rwXnTpJtEY

Pikes Peak's newly fully paved surface has removed some of danger from the legendary hill climb for the spectators, not just the competitors. Dangers like getting a face full of aggregate when a driver inexplicably slides wide on a turn right in front of you.

Snow hope

http://youtu.be/QUV8PENjdDM

Back to Russia for this blood-curdling moment. A huge lorry loses control trying to stop on a snowy highway and skitters back and forth across the road, without hitting anything. Miraculously. Though you probably couldn't even put a Rizla in the gaps.

Toyota terror

http://youtu.be/xhWzmSESA2I

Being an American Highway Patrol officer must be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Not because you have worry about the people you pull over. Because of the dopey idiots who crash into you while you're making a stop. Like this RAV4-driving numpty, who sends the poor policeman flying into the carriageway (he gets straight up and runs to safety).

Do as you're told

http://youtu.be/0DYk0rQ7CCE

Another traffic stop, another numbscull. This time the officer very politely asks the lady he's ticketing to stand at the side of the road, so she doesn't get hurt should someone pile into the cars. Seconds before someone piles into the cars.