In 27 years of driving, I ve been fortunate in not having many near misses.
The most memorable was 24 years ago , going from The Hogs Back towards Guildford cathedral - I was going down the hill and almost opposite the Happy Eater - when a car came flying over the central reservation - fortunately I was driving my bosses car and at 60 ish was missed by less than 10 ft.
On Tues this week I drove from Weybridge to Hastings and back via Eastbourne - the M25 and A21 were fine, outside lane the exception - all was going well until a coach almost pulled out on me - with the favoured option of the outside lane toooooo dangerous.
Yesterday, coming back fromTolworth toweres A3 TO Weybridge, all was fine at 55 in the middle lane when a car doing 35 overtook a slower car but pulled out with out looking or indication -braking was not the best option as I carry a heavy load, the only other option was, the outside lane, that section for 200 yards actually looked OK !! it wasn't - how I missed the central reservation, the offending car and everyone else I've no idea - did a 360+ and eventually finshed facing the wrong way on the inside lane - thanks to the skill of other drivers who managed to take evasive action - that was a fortunate result
|
1982 or thereabouts on the M621 near Leeds in a Citroen Ami 8, trying to keep up with the flow of rush hour traffic. A smell of smouldering rubber filled the car and I looked around for a gap in the traffic to move to the hard shoulder. It wasn't the Citroen; 2 cars in front of me a Cortina Mk 3 lurched across the lane and dumped an entire half-shaft assembly including brake drum and wheel into the traffic. An item like that doesn't bounce with any predictability and I thank my lucky stars it bounced over my car before planting itself in the centre reservation like a big rubber toadstool.
2009 in Paris and I'd unaccountably failed to hitch the caravan on properly. We parted company at about 35mph on a busy street near the Bois de Boulogne and the break-away cable did its job and pulled the van up dead straight. I salute those Parisian drivers who managed to avoid the British caravan (and each other) doing an emergency stop with no brake lights showing.
|
|
What sort of damage does that do to the towing hitch on the 'van?
|
What sort of damage does that do to the towing hitch on the 'van?
No damage to the hitch. Plastic jockey wheel shattered and the hitch fairing grazed where the bits of wheel tried to spin next to it. Lucky ? I reckon I used up a few years' supply.
|
|
Circa 1992 when someone in a Discovery pulled straight onto the motorway without gaining any speed. To avoid carnage I undertook him using the hard shoulder.
|
|
|
I used to own a Morris Marina, no, that's not the unlucky bit.
After completing a long motorway journey with my wife and baby son we parked outside the house.
Next time I went to drive the car it wouldn't move. Looking under the car one the ball joints had dropped out of the whatever it is usually fastened to, so the front wheel was not attached to the steering.
I can't remember if the nut had come loose or has sheared but it put the heebies up me..
This was over 30 years ago so views were slightly different but I used to change the oil over a grid outside my house.
What a clever dick I was, no humping the old oil to the tip. Until the day the sump plug dropped down the aforementioned grid. Oh how I laughed, not, as I walked the three miles to the local scrapyard to buy another.
|
|
I once hit a large pothole in my MGB which left the front wheels pointing in different directions. I started to drive cautiously home, gradually picking up speed as it seemed to corner and brake OK. On reaching home without problem I jacked the front up whereupon one of the trackrod ends fell apart...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recently I was driving along a small country lane in flooded conditions. I didn't know the road, so I was surprised when it suddenly came out onto a main road just after a huge puddle that I had been wading through very carefully.
There were no signs I could see, so I guessed that going right was my best bet. I looked both ways and pulled out.
Within a few seconds I'd realised my mistake, I'd just pulled onto a dual carriageway - the WRONG way.
It was only because the trees and bushes on the central reservation had cleared and I saw the other lanes on the other side of crash barriers that I'd realised what I'd done.
At this point, two cars came launching towards me at 70+ mph. Thankfully, neither of the cares were in the RH lane, i.e. the lane I was driving along the wrong way, by now at around 30mph or so...
I did the quickest turn in the road you've ever seen and continued on my way rather sheepishly. I couldn't believe my stupidity. In that split second I seriously considered whether I was safe to ever get behind the wheel again.
Returning to the scene on another day, there was no signs on the side road at all, and the road markings gave no cues either. With care, I could just see the opposite carriageway from the junction, but not that well. All that, combined with the fact that I was distracted by driving through the deep puddles *almost* excuses my mistake, but I still count myself very lucky indeed.
|
Should have gone to Specsavers
Taxi for Fullchat!
Edited by Fullchat on 08/01/2010 at 21:57
|
|
|
|
|
I once broke down in my Allegro 1500 (actually I often broke down) last one night shortly after leaving my girlfriends house in the Oxford countryside. I walked back and got her to come out and tow me back prior to fixing the car in the morning. The plan was to tow me up to a T junction where we could make a sweeping U turn and return. As she pulled into the junction a car appeared travelling at high speed on the main road. I jammed on my brakes, the tow rope went taut as I was slowly dragged into the junction. As my girlfriend (now wife) crossed the centre line the approaching car went between us still at high speed. A large bang rang out as the towrope snapped and I expected the other car to crash into the ditch or at least stop but it disappeared into the night! I am now rather wary about towing!
|
This morning. Tried to overtake a woman in a black fiesta with white fluffy toys on the back parcel shelf. She then accelerated , I soon ran out of clear road and had to pull back in when driving in snow. Oh how I laughed.
Last week, going down a snowy hill on Old Coal Pit Lane (A5270) a rigid lorry coming up the hill started crabbing across the road as I was level with its rear wheels. Managed to get by and kept the upholstery clean.
Some may say both the above were foolish moves. I'd agree.
|
|
Christmas 1970. Was taking Dad from Newark to Lincoln on Christmas day to see his sister, in my Elan. Came to short uphill stretch and cars were queuing to get up 'cos it was slippery. At the back of the queue I was frightened of the next car coming along and thumping into my rear so said to Dad "Sorry, we are going home". No sooner had I turned around than a car went straight into the one I had been waiting behind. One of my better decisions.
|
A couple of summers ago, out on my bike on a nice country road. Approaching a line of vehicles on the opposite side of the road coming towards me, headed by a large horsebox type waggon,
I am just about level with it when out pops a Vauxhall van from about 3 cars back from the waggon.
He just lunged out for an impatient overtake and obviously could not see me. Luckily there was just enough room to get passed.
I just carried on thinking words that would not get passed the filter, but did not break into a sweat over it.
You get used to idiots when riding a motorcycle.
|
I was overtaking a line of cars on the M74 approaching a crest and signs warning of road works ahead.
I signalled left and on reaching the crest saw stationary traffic. I cancelled the indicator and held my place in the outside lane, not wanting to pull left and brake.
The inside lane all ran into each other!
|
I did a 360 degree spin at Marble Arch in London.
Driving down Edgware Road to go around the junction to turn right into Bayswater Road.
Too fast, too much right wheel - pure pilot error.
Didn't hit anything and carried on my way.
|
when i were a lard and spinning wheels and handbrake turns everywhere was the norm i once made a mistake and hit a central pedestrian refuge at a road give way junction.
A couple of people said they were going to report me for dangerous driving i, had a quick brainwave and told them my accelerator pedal had stuck and then i got lots of sympathy,i changed the blown out tyre and carried on my journey :-)
|
|
lucky escapes, ive had a few...lost a wheel on a capri 30 years ago M1 southbound , just before toddington services...grade 2 brown trouser moment , since then had a potential killer incident with a left hand drive lorry driver , got Tboned in the third lane on the M1 ( i think ive mentioned it on this website previously) that was a cat 5 soiled clothing , im sure i have a guardian Angel....this couple were not so lucky...could of been US!!"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8448689.stm
|
oil burner, I like your story.
This didn't happen to me, nut I was watching it with disbelief, and you have to know Woking to understand it fully.
Coming into Woking from Guildford/mayford direction, with the Sovereigns pub on the left hand side, I once saw a car turn right, and then left up past the police station on the right hand side, this section is all a one way street, dual lane and Yes he was going the wrong way.
I remembered the other frightening time - being driven along the M3 with my sister doing 70+ish when the tyre blew in rush hour traffic - how she controlled it and safely got to the hard shoulder I will never know. RESPECT
|
Yesterday. I was driving carefully along an icy side road towards the junction with the main road. Slowed down by changing down, then just a touch of brake - oops suddenly i'm slidding at a rate of knotts all over the shop. Managed to hold it and turn left into the main road, just slotting in front of car making steady progress on the main road. Fortunately the main road was gritted and i got traction so made progress.
Changed my pants when i got home.
Funnily enough the road was closed when i drove past it today - presumably just too icy.
Edited by nick1975 on 08/01/2010 at 20:17
|
|
i was driving along at around 70mph on the m1 on the way back to leicester from a weekend in hull.
less than 100mtrs behind me a stricken jet was crash landing on the carriage way and into the field on the other side.
i reckon at that speed i was less than a second from being sqaushed by the jet.
|
less than 100mtrs behind me a stricken jet was crash landing on the carriage way
Good grief... Kegworth I guess?
|
yep. absolutely horrible sight.
i stopped and got out the car but there was nothing i could do so got off at j21 to find a phonebox.
|
Can I say a prayer for those behind you?
I'm a true infidel!
|
|
|
|
Last time I got Lucky?
That would be before I was married. Dutch girl.
|
Last Thursday morning.
Pressed the brakes at the end of our road and nearly slid on the ice into the back of the wife's car on her way to work.
I would never have lived it down.
|
About three years ago I was travelling up the M1 in quite thick fog, the cluster of cars I was travelling with were driving too close to each other, I still remember them a Mitsubishi Shogun, A Peugeot 306, a white van, then a BMW 3 series came steaming up behind me and stuck himself on my bumper, as I was overtaking myself there was nowhere I could go, he started flashing me, when I got out the way I thought "sod this" and pulled over at the next service for a coffee.
15 minutes later I hit the road again, it wasn't long before I hit a sea of hazard lights, picking my way through the debris of smashed and twisted metal I spotted what was left of a Shogun, a 306, a white van and a 3 series beemer...
|
|
|
|
