Closest you've come to certain death whilst driving?
Discussion
We are all mortal. We take driving for granted at times so wondering what you've witnessed/avoided in your driving career which would likely end in certain death.
I've had a few near collision instances but the one time that sticks in my memory is this:
Left a friends house in a small village and began driving.
I'm on a single land countryside road, NSL. Up ahead is a crossroads where I have right of way, i'm about 5 seconds from crossing the road when a white van flies past from right to left at what must have been 50-60mph.
I just sort of drove past in shock, I looked left as i passed the crossroads and noticed he pulled over to a halt (must have realised what he did), I just carried on and comprehended what had just happened.
If I had left 5 seconds earlier that van would have ploughed into the side of my car, with a van engine on my lap.
Just reminds me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOf3dJ0vmMg
Anything could happen no matter how much effort put in to avoid it
I've had a few near collision instances but the one time that sticks in my memory is this:
Left a friends house in a small village and began driving.
I'm on a single land countryside road, NSL. Up ahead is a crossroads where I have right of way, i'm about 5 seconds from crossing the road when a white van flies past from right to left at what must have been 50-60mph.
I just sort of drove past in shock, I looked left as i passed the crossroads and noticed he pulled over to a halt (must have realised what he did), I just carried on and comprehended what had just happened.
If I had left 5 seconds earlier that van would have ploughed into the side of my car, with a van engine on my lap.
Just reminds me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOf3dJ0vmMg
Anything could happen no matter how much effort put in to avoid it
Really enjoying a back road in my co-car Rover 400, about 20 years ago. Went into a (rh) bend a bit hot, as did the guy coming the other way... Not much space, and in avoiding him, I battered the outside rear wheel against the fairly tall verge. Instant 30deg camber, and a nice view out of the driver's door window in the direction of travel. The other verge did the same to the other rear wheel, and the car went through the post-and-rail fence on its side, finishing neatly tucked into a corner of the field, on the wheels.
One fence rail went through the driver's side front arch, through the rad, and out the passenger side headlight.
Took me a while to figure out why there was a dink in the upper part of the driver's rear doorskin, broken glass, and the top of the door was bent OUT in a U. Then I spotted the fence post on the back seat. It'd gone through the window with the car on the side, then the door had "caught it up", snapped it, and pulled it out.
That must've been, oooh, six inches behind my head...
Apparently, the fence had only been rebuild the week before, after somebody else had done similar. Unfortunately, he'd not been wearing a belt, and was hanging half out the window as his car landed on its side in the field.
Explaining to my boss why I was there in the first place was... interesting, since I was on my way back from a job interview. I got the job... The car wasn't written off.
One fence rail went through the driver's side front arch, through the rad, and out the passenger side headlight.
Took me a while to figure out why there was a dink in the upper part of the driver's rear doorskin, broken glass, and the top of the door was bent OUT in a U. Then I spotted the fence post on the back seat. It'd gone through the window with the car on the side, then the door had "caught it up", snapped it, and pulled it out.
That must've been, oooh, six inches behind my head...
Apparently, the fence had only been rebuild the week before, after somebody else had done similar. Unfortunately, he'd not been wearing a belt, and was hanging half out the window as his car landed on its side in the field.
Explaining to my boss why I was there in the first place was... interesting, since I was on my way back from a job interview. I got the job... The car wasn't written off.
Outside lane of M6, VW Polo hire car. Must have been 20 or 21 at the time and driving way too close to the car in front. Traffic comes to a screeching halt, I brake, the polo locks up and rear end come around 90% so I'm facing the central reservation with a BMW bearing down on me at high speed. Fortunately his car did have ABS and he managed to get across into the middle lane as wouldn't have got anywhere near stopping in time otherwise. Never been so terrified in my life and can still picture it perfectly 20 years later.
I've never driven that close to the car in front since. If you're lucky you live and learn..
I've never driven that close to the car in front since. If you're lucky you live and learn..
Going down a fast windy A road, the A6 between Preston and Lancaster. In my dads 7.5t wagon with my uncle driving. The ignition switch weren't too great on the N reg wagon, switch would turn off but engine still running. Anyway, he knocked it with his knee turning the key to the off position, steering lock came on and we are going 50ish mph straight across a bend with a tanker coming straight towards us, he slams on and skids, we carry on straight into a hedge at the other side of the road, everyone s
te their pants. But it makes for a good story nowadays haha
te their pants. But it makes for a good story nowadays hahaManaged to crash a Renault Megane up and over a banking and through a sturdy hedge/fence combination into a field. No more than a foot to the right of the point of entry was a big old tree.
I was uninjured until I got out of the car and sliced myself open on wire!
That was near Sedbergh if anyone knows it, good roads
I was uninjured until I got out of the car and sliced myself open on wire!
That was near Sedbergh if anyone knows it, good roads
St Bernards Pass between Switzerland and Italy, we'd been racing all day from the nürburgring to our ski resort. On one section we came over a crest and from what looked like an easy right left chicane it quickly became apparent it was a right hairpin doubling back on left with a cliff between us and at least a 500m drop.
Things slowed down to the point where I could start to pick which part of the barrier to go through as we reached the limit of what the tyres/abs could slow us down to, which wasn't enough by the way.
Then, just as the crest had been risen to provide a view of the impending cliff and sure death it suddenly exposed a gravel layby/vantage point that sat at the edge of the first hairpin that gave me the extra 20 yards or so to get the car to slow down to a halt.
We managed to scrabble to a halt in the black gravel before going over the edge.
Daft thing being as we were all racing I didn't even have the chance to take stock and st myself as we would rapidly be left behind by the group, we nervously laughed, put the car in first and chased after the other two cars. I didn't sleep much that night however for thinking "what might have been".
I was quite sympathetic when those lads went over the edge in Austria a couple of years back mind....
Things slowed down to the point where I could start to pick which part of the barrier to go through as we reached the limit of what the tyres/abs could slow us down to, which wasn't enough by the way.
Then, just as the crest had been risen to provide a view of the impending cliff and sure death it suddenly exposed a gravel layby/vantage point that sat at the edge of the first hairpin that gave me the extra 20 yards or so to get the car to slow down to a halt.
We managed to scrabble to a halt in the black gravel before going over the edge.
Daft thing being as we were all racing I didn't even have the chance to take stock and s
t myself as we would rapidly be left behind by the group, we nervously laughed, put the car in first and chased after the other two cars. I didn't sleep much that night however for thinking "what might have been".I was quite sympathetic when those lads went over the edge in Austria a couple of years back mind....
Tango13 said:
You can't let such a minor thing as death stop you enjoying yourself
I've only had one uneventful off on my bike, diesel on a roundabout made me skid lowside at 20mph with a grazed knee and broken indicator on the bike.
Something as mental as your accident would probably make me tone it down to a 250 or even 125 until i got my confidence back
Young and stupid, driving on the A82 just outside Fort William one night, knew the road very very well but not the car, zigged when I should have zagged and thought I was finished when I lost it on a tight S bend, looked at the needle and I was doing 90+
After letting out a yelp I stacked it into a tree backwards and walked out without a scratch.
Odd thing is I'm sure I actually did die and the life I live now is in some kind of parallel universe, guess that's another story.
Anyway, all grown up now and wiser etc..
After letting out a yelp I stacked it into a tree backwards and walked out without a scratch.
Odd thing is I'm sure I actually did die and the life I live now is in some kind of parallel universe, guess that's another story.
Anyway, all grown up now and wiser etc..
Heading east along the M56 one evening in a Mk1 MR2. I was in the outside lane without a care in the world, until an articulated truck started to come over the central reservation crash barrier. It was too far across my lane to avoid and the centre lane was full of traffic so I couldn't move left. I was just about to cash in my chips when the trailer started to overtake the cab forcing it to pivot back on itself, opening up enough of a gap for me to get through.
EazyDuz said:
Well did you buy a bike of similar power? Lol.
I've only had one uneventful off on my bike, diesel on a roundabout made me skid lowside at 20mph with a grazed knee and broken indicator on the bike.
Something as mental as your accident would probably make me tone it down to a 250 or even 125 until i got my confidence back
I did my leg on a 125 as a teenager. I'm now the wrong side of 40 and have a Bob Farnham tuned 1050 Triumph Daytona running about 140bhp & 80lbs of torque at the wheel...I've only had one uneventful off on my bike, diesel on a roundabout made me skid lowside at 20mph with a grazed knee and broken indicator on the bike.
Something as mental as your accident would probably make me tone it down to a 250 or even 125 until i got my confidence back
LaurasOtherHalf said:
St Bernards Pass between Switzerland and Italy, we'd been racing all day from the nürburgring to our ski resort. On one section we came over a crest and from what looked like an easy right left chicane it quickly became apparent it was a right hairpin doubling back on left with a cliff between us and at least a 500m drop.
Things slowed down to the point where I could start to pick which part of the barrier to go through as we reached the limit of what the tyres/abs could slow us down to, which wasn't enough by the way.
Then, just as the crest had been risen to provide a view of the impending cliff and sure death it suddenly exposed a gravel layby/vantage point that sat at the edge of the first hairpin that gave me the extra 20 yards or so to get the car to slow down to a halt.
We managed to scrabble to a halt in the black gravel before going over the edge.
Daft thing being as we were all racing I didn't even have the chance to take stock and st myself as we would rapidly be left behind by the group, we nervously laughed, put the car in first and chased after the other two cars. I didn't sleep much that night however for thinking "what might have been".
I was quite sympathetic when those lads went over the edge in Austria a couple of years back mind....
I can imagine that your pants needed changing after that. Things slowed down to the point where I could start to pick which part of the barrier to go through as we reached the limit of what the tyres/abs could slow us down to, which wasn't enough by the way.
Then, just as the crest had been risen to provide a view of the impending cliff and sure death it suddenly exposed a gravel layby/vantage point that sat at the edge of the first hairpin that gave me the extra 20 yards or so to get the car to slow down to a halt.
We managed to scrabble to a halt in the black gravel before going over the edge.
Daft thing being as we were all racing I didn't even have the chance to take stock and s
t myself as we would rapidly be left behind by the group, we nervously laughed, put the car in first and chased after the other two cars. I didn't sleep much that night however for thinking "what might have been".I was quite sympathetic when those lads went over the edge in Austria a couple of years back mind....
I've had a nasty experience going from Bala to Knockin - specifically the mountain pass with sheer drop on one side. Now I was pressing on hard caught some traffic and decided to overtake going downhill. It's narrow and the chap I was overtaking seemed to ease out to the middle of the road I had drivers side of the far both wheels on the verge at 60+ no grip little steering my Arse was clenched.
Somehow somehow nothing came against me and I managed to ease those wheels onto Tarmac. I pulled into the first lay by got out the car feeling utterly utterly sick.
That would have been a long long drop and game over. I drive that section very slowly now and like others here I get those flashbacks which give a cold shiver at the thought.
Yes that was me as a youngster driving like a t
t that nearly resulted in game over. I wasn't driving - January 1985 - West Hill, Hastings - after closing time - icey.
Had been on the lash all night with co-workers - don't know why, but accepted a lift from a mate who was even more pissed than I was.
In an attempt to impress me with the handling of his new Cavalier, he totally misjudged a left hand turn, crossed the road, hitting (actually going through) a parked Reliant Robin and then through a fence, before barrel-rolling down an embankment and landing, roof first on a greenhouse in the back garden of a house in the adjoining street.
On the way through the fence, an 8 ft section of fence-post came through the windscreen and embedded itself in the head restraint of my seat. By some miracle, in the initial impact, I'd submarined under my seat belt and was kind of half wedged in the passenger footwell.
Both being pretty much st-faced, our combined injuries were confined to glass cuts from all the shattered glass - mainly from the greenhouse panes that came through our smashed windows. Apparently the 'rag-doll' effect saved us - as it does so many other drunken aholes.
Had been on the lash all night with co-workers - don't know why, but accepted a lift from a mate who was even more pissed than I was.
In an attempt to impress me with the handling of his new Cavalier, he totally misjudged a left hand turn, crossed the road, hitting (actually going through) a parked Reliant Robin and then through a fence, before barrel-rolling down an embankment and landing, roof first on a greenhouse in the back garden of a house in the adjoining street.
On the way through the fence, an 8 ft section of fence-post came through the windscreen and embedded itself in the head restraint of my seat. By some miracle, in the initial impact, I'd submarined under my seat belt and was kind of half wedged in the passenger footwell.
Both being pretty much s
t-faced, our combined injuries were confined to glass cuts from all the shattered glass - mainly from the greenhouse panes that came through our smashed windows. Apparently the 'rag-doll' effect saved us - as it does so many other drunken aholes.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff