Can you spin a car at 30mph in dry conditions?

[g3org3y]

Just wondering what the PH collective make of this thread I've seen on Pepipoo.

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=9435...

Summary:
- Lightweight fibreglass car (not specified) but likened to a Caterham or Noble
- Driving in a 30 zone (reportedly not speeding)
- Hits (known) bump/sunken section in road
- Results in spin/crash
- Driver cautioned for DWDCA and Dangerous Driving
- Council repair road section the next day

What do you chaps reckon?
- Legit story re spin at 30mph?
- Fair DWDCA?

[otolith]

Yes, you can. But either his driving was unsafe or his car was.

[xRIEx]

I would imagine there's quite a difference in weight distribution between a Caterham-a-like and a Noble.

Only going by your summary, it seems a bit odd the dry/30mph/spin combo occurs - maybe in 2nd gear with a big hoof of accelerator and significant steering angle.

[vtecyo]

Spin? Probably not.

"The bump caused the rear end of the car to become unsettled and before I knew it the car was entering into a clockwise slide towards opposing traffic. I corrected this by steering left and thankfully missed a car in the opposite lane. At this stage the car was now sliding anticlockwise, pointing towards the pavement. It went over the pavement and the front end of the car went into someone's metal gate. Being a very light car, the back end continued to spin round anticlockwise and I came to a stop having essentially done a 180 with the front of the car facing towards the road"

Definitely not.

[spikeyhead]

I own a car that is probably lighter and more powerful than that.

You'd need to be driving like up numpty to crash due to a pothole at 30.

[kambites]

You can spin a car at pretty much no speed (doughnuts) but you have to be trying. If he managed to spin accidentally in the dry at 30mph, I'd guess the car suffered from some sort of mechanical failure.

[OldBob]

"Can you spin a car at 30mph in dry conditions?"

Intentionally - easy, as per doing doing doughnuts on the spot.
Accidentally, well only if you recreate the intentional conditions through too much gas breaking traction further while maintaining/correcting/messing with slip angles.

Is there likely more to it actually than the dude in the thread is confessing to? ... probably.

[John145]

Sounds like he was driving in autopilot, hit the bump and the rear skipped, they suddenly woke up and tugged the steering wheel left and right quickly and spun.