Drink Drivers!
Discussion
I had my first encounted with a drink driver last night.
Last night driving down the M1, doing about 80 in the outside lane just by junction 19 and i spotted a car coming up behind me at what i would estimate to be 110+, he showed no signs of slowing down, manouvered to under-take me and piled into the car that was to my left on the inside lane with no braking whatsoever. This car then pushed forwards and sideways into me and then went spinning across the motorway onto the hardshoulder.
Luckily i haven't bought the S3 yet and was in a rental car anyway, i went sideways and onto the hardshoulder and the guy who was going to fast flew up the embankment and flipped onto his roof.
He got out OK and looked relatively unhurt however was acting pretty strange, when it dawned on him that he was at fault he took off across all 6 lanes of the M1 and started running up the northbound hardshoulder.
The police picked him up and he failed his breath test.
The two girls in the back of the car he piled into had to be cut from the car by the fire brigade and were complaining of back and neck pain (understandably)but luckily no one was killed and hopefully those two girls will be ok, no lasting injuries.
This guy wasn't legless, although a bit of a dodgy character he came across as sober and to most of us would have passed as sober.
I don't know how much he had been drinking but i should imagine it was perhaps a pint or two, probably no more.
For me, it just goes to prove, very graphically, how much impact just a little booze can have on you when travelling at high speeds.
I know i've always felt that just one pint is no problem based on the fact that socially i drink alot anyway, but in my mind i'm readdressing that and would urge other drivers to do the same too!
Hopefully the drink driver's will be the only christmas that is ruined by this.
Simon
Last night driving down the M1, doing about 80 in the outside lane just by junction 19 and i spotted a car coming up behind me at what i would estimate to be 110+, he showed no signs of slowing down, manouvered to under-take me and piled into the car that was to my left on the inside lane with no braking whatsoever. This car then pushed forwards and sideways into me and then went spinning across the motorway onto the hardshoulder.
Luckily i haven't bought the S3 yet and was in a rental car anyway, i went sideways and onto the hardshoulder and the guy who was going to fast flew up the embankment and flipped onto his roof.
He got out OK and looked relatively unhurt however was acting pretty strange, when it dawned on him that he was at fault he took off across all 6 lanes of the M1 and started running up the northbound hardshoulder.
The police picked him up and he failed his breath test.
The two girls in the back of the car he piled into had to be cut from the car by the fire brigade and were complaining of back and neck pain (understandably)but luckily no one was killed and hopefully those two girls will be ok, no lasting injuries.
This guy wasn't legless, although a bit of a dodgy character he came across as sober and to most of us would have passed as sober.
I don't know how much he had been drinking but i should imagine it was perhaps a pint or two, probably no more.
For me, it just goes to prove, very graphically, how much impact just a little booze can have on you when travelling at high speeds.
I know i've always felt that just one pint is no problem based on the fact that socially i drink alot anyway, but in my mind i'm readdressing that and would urge other drivers to do the same too!
Hopefully the drink driver's will be the only christmas that is ruined by this.
Simon
I don't drink much really and I can tolerate a fair bit when I do but I never drive. It's not worth the risk to anybody around you or your license.
To be honest I have in the past when it wasn't such a taboo but I was sensible and didn't have much (just a pint) and certainly wouldn't have exceeded the speed limits. In fact I have never been the cause of an accident in nearly 18 years of driving.
Unfortunately, other peolpe have hit me but never a drunk ...so far!
>> Edited by KentishS2 on Friday 19th November 21:22
To be honest I have in the past when it wasn't such a taboo but I was sensible and didn't have much (just a pint) and certainly wouldn't have exceeded the speed limits. In fact I have never been the cause of an accident in nearly 18 years of driving.
Unfortunately, other peolpe have hit me but never a drunk ...so far!
>> Edited by KentishS2 on Friday 19th November 21:22
Just been thinking about the other risks out there and thought I'd share my views.
IMHO driving tired/falling asleep is worse than having had a couple of beers, it's just as irresponsible and probably more dangerous, i think we've all done it though.
And driving under the influence of drugs, depending on what drug you have used, this is potentially far more dangerous than having a drink and driving home, I'm not even sure that you be done for it.
Also driving with known medical conditions. My cousin was hit by a lady on a motorway a couple of years back after she had a fit and crossed all 3 lanes of the M20. She hit the side of his car whilst he was in the outside lane and flipped him onto his roof, he wasn't speeding and was just about to collect his daughter too. He got away with just cuts & bruises, he was very lucky thanks to his Laguna (good NCAP rating).
So, if driving don't drink, don't take drugs and try not to have a fit!
Go safely
Anyway, just my views
IMHO driving tired/falling asleep is worse than having had a couple of beers, it's just as irresponsible and probably more dangerous, i think we've all done it though.
And driving under the influence of drugs, depending on what drug you have used, this is potentially far more dangerous than having a drink and driving home, I'm not even sure that you be done for it.
Also driving with known medical conditions. My cousin was hit by a lady on a motorway a couple of years back after she had a fit and crossed all 3 lanes of the M20. She hit the side of his car whilst he was in the outside lane and flipped him onto his roof, he wasn't speeding and was just about to collect his daughter too. He got away with just cuts & bruises, he was very lucky thanks to his Laguna (good NCAP rating).
So, if driving don't drink, don't take drugs and try not to have a fit!
Go safely
Anyway, just my views
Blimey Quinny, I'm glad you weren't too badly injured.
Don't forget to visit either a hospital or GP, you must for a sucessful claim for your injuries.
I had a similar thing happen 6 years ago on my way to work. The exception was that the chap in a Granada pulled out of a side road on my left about 25ft ahead of me (I was in a 60 limit) and then he spotted a car coming in the opposite direction to me, so he just stopped across the road in frony of me and I ploughed straight into him.
Looks like your BM is a write off to me but it served you well and protected you. The peugeot I was driving was just less than 2 years old and the insurance company paid out over £5k for repairs, I was amazed that they didn't write it off.
Don't forget to visit either a hospital or GP, you must for a sucessful claim for your injuries.
I had a similar thing happen 6 years ago on my way to work. The exception was that the chap in a Granada pulled out of a side road on my left about 25ft ahead of me (I was in a 60 limit) and then he spotted a car coming in the opposite direction to me, so he just stopped across the road in frony of me and I ploughed straight into him.
Looks like your BM is a write off to me but it served you well and protected you. The peugeot I was driving was just less than 2 years old and the insurance company paid out over £5k for repairs, I was amazed that they didn't write it off.
FAT MATT said:
This is an interesting thread. I have an interest in the Kinematics of road traffic accidents and have often woundered about the construction of the S and how it would fare. Not wanting to appear morbid or encroach into the realms but has anyone here been in an RTA in their S?
two! Neither were as bad as Quinny's or KentishS2's mind you. The first time someone pulled out in front of me on a big roundabout. I was probably doing about 20 - 30mph and hit them smack in the side. Basically the hinge pins on the bonnet bent and the whole bonnet was pushed backwards, whilst sustaining paint and GRP damage. I don't know whether the bonnet would've kept moving backwards if higher speeds had been involved, or whether it would've started breaking up.
The second time someone ran into the back of me, probably at about 30 - 40mph. This made a hell of a mess at the back of the car, but it was ultimately (and eventually
) repairable, and I didn't suffer any whiplash, which I put down to the excellent (and properly adjusted) headrests on the S. Apologies to those who've heard all this before!
FAT MATT said:
This is an interesting thread. I have an interest in the Kinematics of road traffic accidents and have often woundered about the construction of the S and how it would fare. Not wanting to appear morbid or encroach into the realms but has anyone here been in an RTA in their S?
I've had an Escort run into the back of the V8S at about 30 mph. Escort was totalled, every panel back to the doors was buckled, radiator split, front lights smashed, engine dead. On the V8S the exhaust was bent up a bit, there were various splits in the fiberglass that eventually needed a new boot section but at first glance it looked OK and I was able to drive home. Ironically the main visible damage was a broken rear light on one side, the donor for these lights is, you guessed it, an escort; the rear lights on the escort were probably about the only salvageable bits.
Quinny,
Glad you're all right .... several years ago I was stationary turning right on a main road against the white line. Couldn't go so was waiting for traffic to clear. Plenty of room for cars to pass on the inside of me, wide road.
I was in a Polo, and got it straight on from behind. Police reckoned from skid marks and damage he was doing 70ish. We both walked away, front seats actually broke on impact and folded flat to the rear seat. Policeman said "bet you're glad you had head rest" I said "why", "'cos you'd be dead without them, it would have broken your necks!" ....
He got done for careless driving and the car was a total wreck, had to climb out of the windows Duke's of Hazard style, the Polo actually bent up in the middle by about 6-8 inches ....
Glad you're all right .... several years ago I was stationary turning right on a main road against the white line. Couldn't go so was waiting for traffic to clear. Plenty of room for cars to pass on the inside of me, wide road.
I was in a Polo, and got it straight on from behind. Police reckoned from skid marks and damage he was doing 70ish. We both walked away, front seats actually broke on impact and folded flat to the rear seat. Policeman said "bet you're glad you had head rest" I said "why", "'cos you'd be dead without them, it would have broken your necks!" ....
He got done for careless driving and the car was a total wreck, had to climb out of the windows Duke's of Hazard style, the Polo actually bent up in the middle by about 6-8 inches ....
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