Roof rack and ladders, bye bye!
Discussion
I was behind a car earlier today on a dual carriageway at around 60 when his roof bars and two sets of ladders flew off. The roof bars had come undone.
I was far enough back to see them start to shift and hang back and put my hazards on, coming to a halt a safe distance behind him in the inner lane where I sat with hazards on and flashing my brake lights so that all the other cars could see the carriageway was occupied and move over.
Sods law though - I usually carry a flashing halogen warning beacon in the car but I had removed it a few days ago to carry a large load in the car. That sits on my rear shelf and can be plugged in quickly when required and would have been quite handy!
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Poor bloke, felt quite sorry for him.
I was far enough back to see them start to shift and hang back and put my hazards on, coming to a halt a safe distance behind him in the inner lane where I sat with hazards on and flashing my brake lights so that all the other cars could see the carriageway was occupied and move over.
Sods law though - I usually carry a flashing halogen warning beacon in the car but I had removed it a few days ago to carry a large load in the car. That sits on my rear shelf and can be plugged in quickly when required and would have been quite handy!
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Poor bloke, felt quite sorry for him.
Happened on one of the traffic programs not too long ago - IIRC 3points etc.
Hip2Bsquare said:
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Pretty sure the offence is 'Unsecured load'.My cousin a few years back had a massive concrete block come off a truck he was travelling behind and stop him dead. Lucky he's not dead.
I was on my motorbike on the M60 about 5 years ago when some ladders came off the transit straight in front and left one lane of me that I was passing - that was bad enough but at about 85mph they didn't so much "fall" as "tumble", whirling all over the place. They missed me by this >|< much 
The mad thing is that I didn't even stop - doubt there's anything I could have done.
The mad thing is that I didn't even stop - doubt there's anything I could have done. I travelling on the A46 (I think) one day when I saw a Police car flying down the other carriageway (DC). Turns out he was probably trying to get to a junction as a few minutes later I ran over a large metal driveway gate lying in the middle lane, luckily I was in a Transit and not something with low ground clearance 
Prosecuted for Unsafe Load, What happened after you stopped, did the police attend???
I've heard of people hitting Sofa's, Bikes etc and seen a good deal of stuff fall off but managed to avoid it, including kitchen worktops, plasterboard sheets (they fly quite well), wheels bounce off trailers (and my god do they bounce!)
Its a dangerous world out there....
I've heard of people hitting Sofa's, Bikes etc and seen a good deal of stuff fall off but managed to avoid it, including kitchen worktops, plasterboard sheets (they fly quite well), wheels bounce off trailers (and my god do they bounce!)
Its a dangerous world out there....
Dad lost a sofa once from a trailer which unfortunately hit the car behind. The police investigated and it was due to a failure of the weld on one of the hooks attached to the (new) trailer. No further action, but obviously his insurance paid for the car behind . I believe the woman on traffic cops also got away with it for the same reason
On the A406 many years ago; a car traveling in the opposite direction, with a not to well secured dismantled cot, decided to take a flying lesson. One side of the cot came straight at my windscreen. I ducked, luckily the cot went with the air-flow and skimmed the roof-line, phew! I was not so lucky with the other side of the cot as, it hit just below nearside headlights. The woman driver blamed her neighbour for not securing the cot properly. 
All-in-all, felt that I got off lightly as no telling what would have happened if it had come through the windscreen.
OP, well done with your observation and handling of the situation.
All-in-all, felt that I got off lightly as no telling what would have happened if it had come through the windscreen.OP, well done with your observation and handling of the situation.
Google [bot] said:
Hip2Bsquare said:
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Pretty sure the offence is 'Unsecured load'.My cousin a few years back had a massive concrete block come off a truck he was travelling behind and stop him dead. Lucky he's not dead.
Twincharged said:
Google [bot] said:
Hip2Bsquare said:
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Pretty sure the offence is 'Unsecured load'.My cousin a few years back had a massive concrete block come off a truck he was travelling behind and stop him dead. Lucky he's not dead.
That could probably so easily have been avoided too (unless it was an unforeseen component failure of course).
Google [bot] said:
My cousin a few years back had a massive concrete block come off a truck he was travelling behind and stop him dead. Lucky he's not dead.
Dad had to swerve round a similar hunk of rock falling of a truck recently (large medicine ball size)Wasn't too bad as he missed it.
The 7.5m caravan he was towing didn't miss it however. Went over it with 1 wheel and was on 1 wheel for a short time and lucky nothing was in the lane he swerved into.
I remember once descending a long hill as a passenger in my Dads old NSU; the front hood catch gave way and I don't know whether it had a safety catch but that did not work either and the force was far too great for the ageing hinges and it took off over the top of the car.
Luckily the car behind was not close enough to have to avoid it ....phew!
Luckily the car behind was not close enough to have to avoid it ....phew!
Google [bot] said:
Hip2Bsquare said:
I was wondering, would the Police have booked him for anything had they seen the roof rack and ladder fly off?
Pretty sure the offence is 'Unsecured load'.My cousin a few years back had a massive concrete block come off a truck he was travelling behind and stop him dead. Lucky he's not dead.
I think it was ladders, and he got prosecuted for 'Unsecured Load' - can't remember the exact penalty though.
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