Thread: Why Do We Have Crashes

Originally Posted by Ian

..... I drove over 200,000k last year, probably 180 on cruise. The only way you can make coffee without stopping. (Joke)

Only if you are in a Winnebago!!!

Didn't they have to pay out on that one or is it also an urban myth?

the aqua plane disaster thing only happens on the old systems on rear wheel drive vehicles that take the vehicles speed from the front axle... thats rare now but in theory if all circumstances were just so it could still happen....

Ive had the pleasure of a couple of causes of accidents personally in the last couple of days

1. poor vehicle maintenance... going to pick up alex from kindy I was going at the limit (80)in the rain (straight road and Ive got plenty of traction in the wet on that road for normal circumstances) when out of a t intersection this old white wagon came down onto the intersection and began to slide leaving me in the situation of having to take evasive actions, Even with a perfect road I wasnt going to have time to brake to a halt and not hit him I couldnt swerve onto the road in front of him due to an oncoming truck so i braked hard and took to the country. If idve been over the limit hed been a second or two later leaving whereever he came from or me earlier or id had a trailer on well you can imagine the end result. If Alex had have been on board Ida ploughed him, I reckon ida hit him at about 40kph better than the risk i took going country as is its cost me my a frame ball joint, a wheel bearing (ok a pair) and one tyre.

2. the mobile road block and road drag racing

got that one today idiots in high powered ricers take up all the lanes and slow to a stupidly slow speed then go like the clappers up the next hill leaving the guys in the trucks and the laden 4x4's to struggle back up the box up the hill and costing time.... If they are drag racing there will be a block of 4 or more some to rolling block the road the rest in front to race...

I came across this today with the trailer on in a 100 zone crested the hill was engine braking in top and holding speed when around the corner I found the rolling road block (doing maybe 20khp) and a set of cars getting ready to drag... the road was mostly empty I had both lanes to play in and they hadnt blocked the emergancy lane.. Into that, full noise and sliced in in front of the cars getting ready to drag about 15 seconds later Ive got me a rolling box block (one in front, one beside and 2 behind) happening and the young gits are not happy (copping abuse from the spanker in the passanger seat in the one alongside). I wont describe the ensuing events as they probabley arent strictly legal but Im happy to report that some of the things I learnt on some of my military drivers course work really really well at encouraging idiots to go be somewhere else...

and not a new scratch on big red or the trailer....

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Never read the email but have been sitting as a passenger in a car when it happened.

So maybe my experience was a dream! Can you point me to the research that proves it so.

Always happy to learn new things!

Diana

Addit: So far have found very little "reaserch" into the facts. Have found statements from places like RAA in South Aus saying it doesn't happen, and all the myth-buster and urban-legend sites, but no research.

What I experienced (as a passenger) in a relatively new car (Holden Astra 1.8 litre, 18 mths old/35,000 Km - 40 Y/O driver) on good tyres ( Michelin )was: we were traveling along on the freeway from Newcastle to Sydney with the cruise control on when we hit a patch of water running across the road on a right hand curve. When we got to the other side of the water the car took off to the right towards the dead lane, requiring a sudden correction to the left. Was it cruse control ?????

Same would have happened with no CC

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Only if you are in a Winnebago!!!

Didn't they have to pay out on that one or is it also an urban myth?

Sound like U.M. to me but a good yarn anyway

not if the driver had managed the loud pedal and correctly...the wheel speed would have been right next door to road speed so when grip came back it wouldnt have been a sudden thing and directional control could have been maintained but more often when it does happen its the fact that the front wheels are not pointing along the line of travel when grip comes back that makes life intereting.

When the grip comes back the wheel gets yanked a bit most drivers push it back sharply to where it should be and hello thats the opening half of a scandenavian rally flick add a bit of handbrake and thats a cool thing to see.. however on a fairly straight bit of highway with a semi to the left and another coming up behind it aint the manouver you want...

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

2. the mobile road block and road drag racing

got that one today idiots in high powered ricers take up all the lanes and slow to a stupidly slow speed then go like the clappers up the next hill leaving the guys in the trucks and the laden 4x4's to struggle back up the box up the hill and costing time.... If they are drag racing there will be a block of 4 or more some to rolling block the road the rest in front to race...

I came across this today with the trailer on in a 100 zone crested the hill was engine braking in top and holding speed when around the corner I found the rolling road block (doing maybe 20khp) and a set of cars getting ready to drag... the road was mostly empty I had both lanes to play in and they hadnt blocked the emergancy lane.. Into that, full noise and sliced in in front of the cars getting ready to drag about 15 seconds later Ive got me a rolling box block (one in front, one beside and 2 behind) happening and the young gits are not happy (copping abuse from the spanker in the passanger seat in the one alongside). I wont describe the ensuing events as they probabley arent strictly legal but Im happy to report that some of the things I learnt on some of my military drivers course work really really well at encouraging idiots to go be somewhere else...

and not a new scratch on big red or the trailer....

Revenge is sweet, NO not me I didn't say that! These actions would fall into the "Requires further training" or "Needs attitude adjustment"?

Originally Posted by Ian

Revenge is sweet, NO not me I didn't say that! These actions would fall into the "Requires further training" or "Needs attitude adjustment"?

nahhh

I have a well adjusted attitude and Im not afraid to use it

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

not if the driver had managed the loud pedal and correctly...the wheel speed would have been right next door to road speed so when grip came back it wouldnt have been a sudden thing and directional control could have been maintained but more often when it does happen its the fact that the front wheels are not pointing along the line of travel when grip comes back that makes life intereting.

When the grip comes back the wheel gets yanked a bit most drivers push it back sharply to where it should be and hello thats the opening half of a scandenavian rally flick add a bit of handbrake and thats a cool thing to see.. however on a fairly straight bit of highway with a semi to the left and another coming up behind it aint the manouver you want...

Yeah, theory & practice, I've been guilty of automatic reactions when caught by surprise.