|
I almost became an A9 victim yesterday, I was at the front of four cars heading South between Birnam and Perth, 60mph, headlights on, average speed cameras. In the near distance I saw a tractor approaching and thought no room for an oncoming overtake. Wrong, fortunately there was room for me to get my car half off the road as the Fiesta passed between me and the tractor. There was no way I could have stopped before a potential impact, I hope it scared the Fiesta driver as much as it annoyed me.
|
|
It's tempting in those circumstances when you can almost predict a needless accident waiting to happen to turn your headlights on full beam as a warning just in case.
|
|
Regular occurrence for me in the lorry in circs like that since I have to sit behind said tractor as I don't have the acceleration to pass. It doesn't just annoy me, it infuriates me.
|
>> Regular occurrence for me in the lorry in circs like that since I have to
>> sit behind said tractor as I don't have the acceleration to pass. It doesn't just
>> annoy me, it infuriates me.
>>
Do you leave a gap, so someone wishing to overtake can fit between you and the tractor?
|
>> Do you leave a gap, so someone wishing to overtake can fit between you and
>> the tractor?
>>
Yes. Always more mindful of me mirrors too, and the rear-view camera because cars tend to get too close up behind me in the blind spots then nip out.
|
>> It's tempting in those circumstances when you can almost predict a needless accident waiting to
>> happen to turn your headlights on full beam as a warning just in case.
>>
Then the tractor turns right, thinking you're letting him go!
Linking to another thread: This kind of incident is one of the reasons I'd rather be on a motorway.
|
Was out yesterday in a fully-loaded LEC (German exchange partner as well) on a cross-country route of As and Bs. So, it being a sunny Sunday, were a fair number of lycrists. And on four or five bends, the first indication I got of the lycrist was meeting the driver that had just overtaken him - on my side.
Something about slow (or parked) vehicles seems to annoy a certain type of driver to the point where they forget the basics. Yes, lycrists can be a pain when they are too absorbed in their own athletic prowess to notice that they're getting in everyone's way, but they still need to be overtaken safely.
Glad you're OK, ON.
|
>>
>> Then the tractor turns right, thinking you're letting him go!
That's a point, but I didn't mean a short flash of encouragement. I meant just turn them on full until the danger has passed.
Wrong, I know, like keeping your hand on the horn, but tempting sometimes.
|
Easy to say, but actually quite easy to do in fact, but I just assume that if there's something really dumb another road user could potentially do next, then there's a fair chance they will.
The "Others" have always been a worry...
;-)
|
|
It's my policy to look for, or preferably be aware of an escape route, or in the worst case find a least damaging or painful impact. No trees, drystone walls or cars coming towards. It's kept me accident free for almost 50 years of driving.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 18 Apr 16 at 14:32
|
>> It's my policy to look for, or preferably be aware of an escape route, or
>> in the worst case find a least damaging or painful impact. No trees, drystone walls
>> or cars coming towards.
That's what I was taught when learning to ride a motorbike fifty years ago and it's meant I've managed to retain most of my original bits.
|
Sorry to hear that ON but also easy to see how someone less aware than you may have been the victim of a head-on.
I saw this article earlier in the week
stv.tv/news/highlands-islands/1350230-elderly-man-in-life-threatening-condition-after-a9-crash/
and although you don't have all the facts etc it appears to show the land Rover on totally the wrong side of the road after a bend! Now it may have been slowly passing a blockage on the inside lane or whatever but its shocking so many times on this road, that you are faced with someone coming at you head on.
There was also a court case recently where someone was in a situation like yours but as the car in front of them had swerved into the ditch to avoid the oncoming car, the driver had swerved the other way, across the road, and as a result hit the oncoming car head on with fatal consequences!
Split seconds is all it takes.
|
|
I nearly had a head on myself yesterday. I was trundling along a cycle path on me three wheeled laid back feet forward bike with two uprights approaching me line astern. The first guy obviously knew I was there and gave a wave and a smile, the dozy pillock sitting on his wheel was fiddling with whatever piece of electronic junk was attached to his handlebars when he pulled out to draw alongside his mate. It took a loud shout and a swerve from me before he woke up and managed to get out of the way. Now bike on bike might seem a trivial collision at first telling, but head on with a combined speed of 30-40mph would hurt at the very least, would probably result in a bone or two snapping and could prove fatal if one was unlucky.
|
If he'd been on a proper bike he'd just have gone straight over you. You might have had a tread mark or two or your head but otherwise it'd have been fine...
;-))
|
In the curving lanes round here, with their high hedges, it's a good idea to waft rather than going hard. That way you can give bikes a wide berth when it's time to overtake them, and you won't have to brake hard so often.
Now that I waft, I notice vehicles coming up behind. I try to make it easy for them to get past by blipping the nearside flashers when there's an obvious place for them to pass. Did it twice today, with a motor bike and a Japanese pickup... hey both said thanks, the bike with a lifted hand and the pickup with a few flashes of the hazards. People are polite in Sussex.
|
My turn this morning to have someone attempt to murder me. Twice.
I was here:
goo.gl/maps/Uq8hquFeVxP2
... doing a bit under 40 when a red Mk1 Focus appeared at the junction to the left, wanting to turn right. I clocked that the driver looked left, and then didn't look right as I was approaching, and so started to slow down in anticipation of a brain fart on his part. Sure enough, he starts to pull out, then looks, sees me and stops. I anchored on, and managed to steer round him and away. It was extremely fortunate that there was no traffic on the other side of the road - had there been, my choice would have been to hit the Focus or steer in to a head on. In which case, it would have been goodbye Focus, I don't fancy your chances against my SAAB. His passenger would have been in serious danger.
In hindsight I suppose that the fact he looked left and pulled out demonstrates there was no traffic on that side of the road. I don't think there was anything I could have done differently though, I was too close to the junction to perform an emergency stop and still not hit him, and I had a car tailgating me.
We got lucky. The SAAB would have been a write off I'm sure, which would have hurt given recent expenditure. However, the outcome may have been far worse for the passenger in the Focus.
2 minutes after this, I was passing a line of traffic on the opposite side of the road, which was queuing for a roundabout (Wellington park entrance). Some berk on a motorbike though it was OK to "filter" past the queue - on my side of the road, riding straight at me, forcing me up the verge slightly to avoid him.
b***** people. I had the wheel alignment done last week as the nearside tyre is wearing on the outer edge. Expect I'll have to do it again now.
|
Its all that stealth paint you've been putting on it. People can't see you.
;-)
|
Thinking about it, it would have been the driver taking the impact in the Focus, not the passenger, of course.
I even had my headlights on, it was 8.30 am, overcast but light enough not to have the car lights on. It was a marginal decision for me to switch them on, and even though I erred on the side or caution it still didn't help the other driver spot a 2 ton SAAB estate because he didn't look.
|
>> Its all that stealth paint you've been putting on it. People can't see you.
>>
>> ;-)
>>
b***** stuff's wearing off, too.
;-)
|
In hindsight I suppose that the fact he looked left and pulled out demonstrates there was no traffic on that side of the road.
Yes, but as you made your decision you couldn't know the other car was going to stop, so an early decision to steer around might just as easily have put you into its path, with the other driver possibly accelerating to get across your path, having noticed you late in the manoeuvre.
Looking at your Streetview link, the view around the bend opens up as you get close to the junction, so you probably just had time to register (a) that the red car had stopped, and (b) that the opposite side was clear before beginning to steer around it. You may not have had time to rationalize it quite that precisely in the moment, though! Glad you're OK.
|
Since these events always seem to happen in 3s, if we see nothing from you in the next 12 hours can we assume that fate has been sucessful? Was it just warming up your reactions or just poorly engineered attempts. :)
|
|
I'll ring to let you know I got home OK, Sherlock. Three rings then I'll hang up. No need to answer. Save the cost of the call.
|
>> Three rings then I'll hang up. No need to answer. Save the cost of the call.
>>
Blimey that brings back memories, we used to do that regularly 30-40 years ago
|
I think I just went around him instinctively, when I look back at it. But good job I'd spotted the risk and covered the brake pedal.
I drive that road most days and I was always wary of someone doing this. Which in and of itself probably helped. I'm always looking at drivers' head movements at junctions, this isn't the first time that doing so has saved me from an accident.
|
I wasn't as fortunate as the rest of you. 2 weeks ago I was driving along the A390 just coming
Into lostwithial in a 12tonne truck when a car came in the opposite direction indicated to turn right into a road on my left .He stopped so I thought good he has seen me then as I got about 2 cars length to him he pulled across me and we hit head on.
I was travelling at about 35 when I braked but I never stood a chance, Neither of us was injured but his Forrester was a right off , my truck is still in being repaired.
Best of all though the old boy driving the car was 97, said sorry I never saw you.
|
|
What colour is your Saab vić ?
|
Eez a seelver, meester Perro.
But it matters not - the bloke didn't look, so it could have been any colour and he still wouldn't have seen me.
|
Wozzee a duffer vić, over 55 like.
8-)
|
|
Youngsta, meester Perro. 20-odd I'd say.
|
Just as well yoos keep 'em peeled. I'm an ex biker and still drive on the defensive to this day.
It takes two usually to cause an accident. (1) an idiot, and (2) an unobservant fellow [A N Other idiot]
:}
|
It's the youngsters who are more likely to look once and go with their lightning reactions.
I learned a long time ago to look twice. Even when you look, you aren't guaranteed to see.
Even so I had a near one on Thursday morning, about 6.30am in the MX5 with the hood up. Over-the-shoulder visibility is poor to nil with the hood on, and I was turning right from a T-junction with the traffic from both directions cresting rises and coming late into full view.
Misty morning, low sun on my left.
I asked my very reliable and sensible passenger to check left for me and he said clear...as I pulled out I leaned forward for a check and caught a movement, no more, and stopped astride and parallel with the white line. An unlit, fast, dark blue Fiat 500 came out of the sun with horn blaring and passed on my left.
The 'three things' rule crossed my mind then, as we had just set off to Castle Combe 100 miles away. Happily our 40 laps of the circuit there were much less dramatic.
No apology for reposting this -
www.slobc.org/safety/documents/road-survival-guide.pdf
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 25 Apr 16 at 13:58
|
>> I don't fancy your chances against my SAAB...........
>> We got lucky. The SAAB would have been a write off I'm sure, which would
>> have hurt given recent expenditure.
Is this the SAAB of 1037 posts fame?
He obviously did it for the publicity.
|
I used to travel that road quite frequently Alanović and over the years I've had at least half a dozen vehicles pull out in front of me at that junction. No idea why because visibility is pretty good in either direction. Weirdest one was an old guy in a Merc who stopped half way across the road to shake his fist at me. Maybe he just didn't like Jags?
The garden wall of the house on the left also takes a regular beating from cars failing to make the bend when heading towards Reading.
Nowhere near as hazardous as The Causeway/A33 junction at Wellington Monument though.
|
Maybe that particular section of road is more suitable for 30MPH than the bit under 40MPH the OP was doing.
I know plenty of roads in Cornwall where the legal 40MPH can be a tad dicey, to say the least!
|
|
I am sure we all know junctions where someone approaching above the speed limit means you will make the decision to move when they are out of sight but they will arrive before you are clear of their path. There are a few near here that I can think of.
|
This is a junction I use a few times per month. The road leads to the Eden Project so there's always cars with topboxes whizzing to and throw. God, in his infinite wisdom, should have given us eyes on the side of our heads!!
goo.gl/VuXXOm (Google Maps)
|
>> Maybe that particular section of road is more suitable for 30MPH than the bit under
>> 40MPH the OP was doing.
Yarss, I followed an AMG CLS through there today and he was doing about 30-35. Probably the best approach, I'll look to knock the speed down a bit in future. Limit not target and all that. The AMG was weaving about a bit though which led me to keep further back than normal and think: "Bit early for festivities, isn't it?" 8.30am. Probably phone fiddling more likely.
I wonder.
|
>>"Bit early for festivities, isn't it?" 8.30am.
The morning after ...
|
>> Nowhere near as hazardous as The Causeway/A33 junction at Wellington Monument though.
>>
I pointedly avoid using that junction. Horrific place.
|
A
Good to see you here after 40hr absence, I was just beginning to wonder. And the phone had not rung :)
|
Even plutocrats have to shovel some brown stuff occasionally.
;-)
|
Nearly dead. - Cliff Pope
