CGI video of car evading police under truck goes viral… again

A video supposedly shows a car evading police by sliding underneath a semitrailer. But that isn’t what happened. Let’s look at the facts.

NewsLit takeaway

This video of a sports car evading police by sliding under a semitrailer appears to show a real-life version of a fantasy that has been playing out in blockbuster movies for decades, but this viral video is even less realistic than those movie stunts. The YouTube user who scored a viral hit with this video in 2019 shared a follow-up video explaining how it was created. After filming footage of highway traffic, this YouTuber used computer animation software to create the sports car, truck and police vehicle. While the video of the road is real, all three of the vehicles featured here are fake.

This video was debunked in 2019, but it continues to circulate online and generate millions of views for social media accounts that share it without credit or disclaimers. This kind of content is called “engagement bait,” which is employed to generate views and clicks that social media accounts use to build an audience and monetize content.

It provides two important lessons for better social media behavior. First, take a moment to critically analyze content before you share it. Was it posted by a credible source? Are there any credible news stories about it? Second, if it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Debunk this on your own by performing a reverse image search.

• “Did This Car Evade Police By Swerving Under a Moving Truck?” (Dan Evon, Snopes.com).
• “Fact or Fiction: Video shows car driving under a moving semi?” (Michael Rozzen, 10News).