Double-yellow lines exist for a reason, particularly on tight canyon roads with little visibility and fewer places to turn off. As straightforward as it may seem, lane discipline is the difference between a leisurely drive on an open road and a potential head-on collision mid-corner. If you ignore that, things can go very wrong very quickly.

Instagram user MX_1996_ experienced those consequences in a canyon a few days ago. Dashboard footage shared to their account shows their NA Miata holding its own lane into one blind corner before coming around another to find an E36-generation BMW 3-Series entirely in the oncoming traffic lane exiting another. The 3-Series driver brakes and attempts to dart back into their lane, but the moment they become visible to the other driver leaves no opportunity to avoid a crash.

Given that it was hit head-on, scenes from the accident posted by the Miata owner show that the car held up remarkably well for the type of impact shown in the onboard video. On the BMW, however, two suspension corners are bent badly out of shape and suspension components seem to be significantly damaged.

"This car was my dream. I bought it during a real tough time in my life, and this car helped me every minute," the Miata driver wrote on Instagram. "For the crash, no major injuries to the people in both cars. Hopefully this will be a lesson in not double laneing during the day. If he did the exact same thing during the night I would have seen his headlights and would have been able to slow down much earlier."

Stay in your lane, folks.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car