How often do you have a "oh crap" moment..

[walsh]

I have only been driving for about a year, and actively putting the miles in really for the last 2 months since I started my on the road job. Had my first genuine "This is going to hurt" moment today. Tightish roundabout, diesel/grease on the road, and in retrospect, over ambitious entry speed, totally my fault. A simple wash out really, and recovered with plenty of space to spare, but put the frighteners up me, and served a suitable reminder to keep a better handle on the speed/road condition ratio.

This was the first time I have ever felt out of control of the car, and to be honest, I felt like a prize cock for the rest of my journey home.

My question. Is this purely a lack of experience thing, or does this still happen occasionally to those of you who have been driving for yonks?

Cheers

[Regiment]

All most ran a red light today on one of those "large roundabouts" that sit on top of the motorways. Realised i was in the wrong lane, checked my blind spot, turned round and "oh dear" as i hit the brakes.

[Heathwood]

Thats just inexperience that caught you out mate, we've all been there. Don't convince yourself that it was oil/diesel on the road though, there's often a fine line between grip and slip.

[Nedz]

walsh said:

I have only been driving for about a year, and actively putting the miles in really for the last 2 months since I started my on the road job. Had my first genuine "This is going to hurt" moment today. Tightish roundabout, diesel/grease on the road, and in retrospect, over ambitious entry speed, totally my fault. A simple wash out really, and recovered with plenty of space to spare, but put the frighteners up me, and served a suitable reminder to keep a better handle on the speed/road condition ratio.

This was the first time I have ever felt out of control of the car, and to be honest, I felt like a prize cock for the rest of my journey home.

My question. Is this purely a lack of experience thing, or does this still happen occasionally to those of you who have been driving for yonks?

Cheers

When it comes to driving there is no substitute for experience.I can remember when i first started driving and was having 'moments' all the time! I am now 36 and dont recall anything that st me up for years now.I only had one minor crash when i was 20 but back then it seemed like someone i knew was involved in an 'incident' every other week!

Now i dont hear of anyone my age getting into bother and it is all down to the fact that we are all experienced drivers now.

So just take it easy,i would say you need to be driving at least 10 years before you can call yourself a good driver no matter how well you think you can handle a car.

[walsh]

In fairness, probably not. Just too much speed. The road was in that lovely just drying stage, which appears to be when it’s most slippy?

Also, how do you correct chronic understeer when you are off the power. I stayed off the brakes, and (eventually, when I thought about it) reduced the steering input. Any other advice?

[Heathwood]

I'm no expert driver and its difficult to give an answer that is right in every scenario.

If you were understeering off power, you're probably best to just try to steer in the direction you want to go and it should all come back to you (although as you've figured, be careful having too much lock on when grip is regained). Also, although most people will advise against braking, doing so will generally just stop the car without too much drama. If, for example, an impact with, say, a curb/crash barrier was looking inevitable, I'd be stamping on the brakes as hard as possible.

[jmb88]

I got very sideways the other night, coming home from work; it'd been raining quite hard, roads were wet, so I was going steady. into a left-hander, car started sliding right, as I went to steer into it the front wheels bit again and nearly threw me into the verge and a dry-stone wall. nearly a brown pants moment. I've been driving 6 years, and this car for over 2, and never had anything like that before. not sure how much I actually like my new Kumhos, never had any issues with my previous Lassa tyres.

so, IMO, these things can happen to anyone, all it takes is for you to be tired / not concentrating. I certainly paid a lot more attention for the last few miles of my drive!

[SteveS Cup]

walsh said:

In fairness, probably not. Just too much speed. The road was in that lovely just drying stage, which appears to be when it’s most slippy?

Also, how do you correct chronic understeer when you are off the power. I stayed off the brakes, and (eventually, when I thought about it) reduced the steering input. Any other advice?

Wet road in the sun causes a greasy road! Can be tricky.

Correcting understeer... You need to get weight over the front end. If you're on the power lifting off can help to transfer weight but can then obviously cause lift off oversteer... Depending on what you're driving will depend on how controllable this is IMO. In my 106 GTI you could literally control the car through a bend on the throttle!

A quick dab on the brakes will put weight over the front end too... Hence left foot braking.

To be honest though, it sounds like you entered the roundabout too quickly, let off to try and slow down, turned in and hoped for the best!

In the wet in my Clio if it understeers, usually booting it then letting off shifts the weight to the front and sorts it out.


I might add that I am no advanced driver and you may want to clarify this with better drivers on here than me!

For a laugh, go out and try left foot braking... I nearly cracked my windscreen with my forehead on my first attempt!!!!!

[Heathwood]

SteveS Cup said:

For a laugh, go out and try left foot braking

OP, don't do this!

[walsh]

I may have already had the forehead/windscreen interface moment attmepting to heal and toe...

For the moment, I think just keeping it out of the kerbs whilst navigating wet roundabout would be good . I may try and go on a skid pan day or something. Be handy before the winter rocks around.

[walsh]

Steve- Booting it at that moment would have had no effect what-so-ever.

Turbo lag/boost threshold on my car is awful, would have just about got straight then dumped 120 BPH through the front in one lump. Stupid CDTI's

[Nedz]

walsh said:

In fairness, probably not. Just too much speed. The road was in that lovely just drying stage, which appears to be when it’s most slippy?

Also, how do you correct chronic understeer when you are off the power. I stayed off the brakes, and (eventually, when I thought about it) reduced the steering input. Any other advice?

You are basically just taking too much speed into a corner than the grip of your car can handle.Once a front drive car is understeering all you can really do is back off,reducing the steering input will help as the tyres are more likely to find grip the less lock applied.

If your car is suffering bad understeer in the wet it would probably benefit from a new set of front tyres or even a better quality tyre than what is on the rears.

I dont know what you drive but you also have to remember the basic laws of physics.A small front drive hatch on skinny rubber simply will not go round a wet corner like a 4wd rally car!

[SteveS Cup]

walsh said:

Steve- Booting it at that moment would have had no effect what-so-ever.

Turbo lag/boost threshold on my car is awful, would have just about got straight then dumped 120 BPH through the front in one lump. Stupid CDTI's

Yep, it massively depends on what you're driving! My Clio and my old 106 are so "adjustable" mid corner they can make you look like a driving god whilst not doing much!

A short sharp dab on the brakes "should" help out by transferring the weight in an attempt to gain traction.

Using the loud pedal to adjust mid corner it is crucial to be in the right gear!

[Celt]

I don't think its always a bad thing to get them. Yes its inexperience and foolishness. However it makes you realise your a mere mortal. Iv had one major fright when I just passed. Now any are just slightly to much speed in a corner. I don't believe its dangerous, apart from possibly me. Just the car doesn't feel quite as good kid corner.

I should add I don't drive like a tit and I couldn't tell you the last time I had that feeling.

[AntTPIV8]

Nedz said:

When it comes to driving there is no substitute for experience.

Not necessarily. I see plenty of 40+ and 50+ people who's driving is absolutley st. Poor standard, no lane discipline, tail gating, the lot.

Infact, its the same with many things, not just driving. I've had people saying how they've got more experience just as they've been doing it longer. Experience in what? Cocking it up all the time?

I'm not saying this is you, just an observation.

[walsh]

Nedz- It’s an astra (van), 120 CDTI. So it’s relatively competent in the bends. Tyres are decent ish, though mis-matched i notice.

I think in this case it’s the squishy bit behind the wheel that caused the issue.

Side note: The ESP/TC that is so eager to park me in the middle of a junction by cutting all power at a mere hint of wheel spin didn’t even flicker.

[Bungleaio]

I remember when I was 17 and first got my car I would get home and sit there waiting for the law to turn up due to driving like a bell end, they never turned up but to be fair I never had a massive off or did anything really serious.

Now at 31 I'm completely different and I'm very conservative, for my next car I'm thinking about the toys it will have and its MPG rather than how fast it is, this is a complete reversal to my previous priorities.

[Bungleaio]

walsh said:

Nedz- It’s an astra (van), 120 CDTI. So it’s relatively competent in the bends.

You may think it is but it isn't.

[Heathwood]

walsh said:

I think in this case it’s the squishy bit behind the wheel that caused the issue.

Congratulations, you've just made the biggest step to becoming a safe and competent driver

[carlove]

My post in here. First time I actually thought I was gonna have a crash.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I don't often have "oh crap" moments.