Proudest Driving Moment/Save
Discussion
20 years ago I was driving down Bethnal Green Road in my Audi Coupe.
I waa driving across a junction and had right of way as my traffic light was green. A car decided to turn right across my path (ie. heading to the road to my left) and gave me no time to brake.
The driver obviously realised I was going to hit him and stopped half way across my lane. I instinctively jerked the steering wheel to the left and somehow avoided the car. I was then heading towards some parked cars on the left so jerked the steering wheel right to avoid them. I was then heading towards some cars coming towards me in the oncoming lane so I had to jerk the wheel to the left again.
I learned a lot about understeer thanks to that incident. I also realised that by avoiding hitting the culprit I might have ended up hitting some parked cars or oncoming cars instead.
I waa driving across a junction and had right of way as my traffic light was green. A car decided to turn right across my path (ie. heading to the road to my left) and gave me no time to brake.
The driver obviously realised I was going to hit him and stopped half way across my lane. I instinctively jerked the steering wheel to the left and somehow avoided the car. I was then heading towards some parked cars on the left so jerked the steering wheel right to avoid them. I was then heading towards some cars coming towards me in the oncoming lane so I had to jerk the wheel to the left again.
I learned a lot about understeer thanks to that incident. I also realised that by avoiding hitting the culprit I might have ended up hitting some parked cars or oncoming cars instead.
Earlier, driving toward a slight left hand bend.
Both of my kids under 18 months in my car and my girlfriend, I approached the bend, overtook a stationary lorry and found the road covered in thick clay/mud.
The back end slowley started to go, front wheels gripping still, instead of counter steering in a panic, I eased the wheel slowly.
Car hit about 20' and came back pretty quick. Doing about 55 - 60mph after and during the slide. Either side had thick/huge trees.
Felt pretty proud for saving it (lots and lots of skidpan sessions), but felt stupid for not spotting the clay till it was too late. Idiot.
Both of my kids under 18 months in my car and my girlfriend, I approached the bend, overtook a stationary lorry and found the road covered in thick clay/mud.
The back end slowley started to go, front wheels gripping still, instead of counter steering in a panic, I eased the wheel slowly.
Car hit about 20' and came back pretty quick. Doing about 55 - 60mph after and during the slide. Either side had thick/huge trees.
Felt pretty proud for saving it (lots and lots of skidpan sessions), but felt stupid for not spotting the clay till it was too late. Idiot.
I once parallel-parked in to an extremely tight space, first time of asking, with inch-perfect positioning!
None of this back-and-forth, back-and-forth rubbish; just swung it in there, left hand down, right hand down, job's a good'un.
I was so proud of myself, as soon as I got out of the car, I took a photo of it on my phone!
It might not sound a lot, but you have to remember it was an * extremely * tight space...
None of this back-and-forth, back-and-forth rubbish; just swung it in there, left hand down, right hand down, job's a good'un.
I was so proud of myself, as soon as I got out of the car, I took a photo of it on my phone!
It might not sound a lot, but you have to remember it was an * extremely * tight space...
Yiliterate said:
I once parallel-parked in to an extremely tight space, first time of asking, with inch-perfect positioning!
None of this back-and-forth, back-and-forth rubbish; just swung it in there, left hand down, right hand down, job's a good'un.
I was so proud of myself, as soon as I got out of the car, I took a photo of it on my phone!
It might not sound a lot, but you have to remember it was an * extremely * tight space...
Pictures!None of this back-and-forth, back-and-forth rubbish; just swung it in there, left hand down, right hand down, job's a good'un.
I was so proud of myself, as soon as I got out of the car, I took a photo of it on my phone!
It might not sound a lot, but you have to remember it was an * extremely * tight space...
Soovy said:
This.
IOM TT track. Rally Impreza. 160mph. "Biggest Moment of my Life".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jSYiU-JdRw
IOM TT track. Rally Impreza. 160mph. "Biggest Moment of my Life".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jSYiU-JdRw
Defcon5 said:
Different viewpoint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfdgQSkiYIQ&fea...
The co driver doesnt even flinch!
Jee. Sus. The co driver doesnt even flinch!
In fairness, I don't think the co driver realised how close that was to wipeout and how hard Higgins had to work to stay on the road.
Edited by lazyitus on Thursday 2nd February 09:36
Must have been winter 1993 or 1994. I was driving a ghastly Astra 1.7D from the Midlands to Vienna, in convoy with a girl colleague in a similar car. It was dark by the time we crossed into Austria and there was a blizzard blowing across the motorway through the mountains. All traffic was keeping to the slow lane and trundling along, but I wanted to get to our destination a bit quicker. That meant bumping over a ridge of snow onto the completely snow-covered fast lane and bumping back over again to overtake vehicles. The girl behind followed my every move. All of this on regular summer tyres.
By the time we got to our hotel, she was in a state of complete shock and needed a brandy to calm down! But we both managed the entire journey there and back without incident.
By the time we got to our hotel, she was in a state of complete shock and needed a brandy to calm down! But we both managed the entire journey there and back without incident.
I was a uni student and driving on Stoneleigh road in my Skoda Felicia (before anyone says anything, it wasn't particularly terrible in honesty). At one point there's a right hand bend, followed by a dip in the road with a junction from a road to the left. I think this section of road is here:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=stoneleigh&hl=...
As I approached the junction I was doing about 55 MPH, a Focus and a Fiesta pulled out in front of me and I remember thinking, "that was a bit close". Unfortunately, a Vectra then decided to pull into the road to turn right, but didn't actually look first. Once 3/4 of the way across my lane, the Vectra looked to the right and saw me, at which point the driver simply stopped. This left me with my lane mostly blocked and a Corsa approaching in the opposite direction. I remember thinking, "Do I bury it into the back of the Vectra and hope I can get the impact enough on my side of the car so that I avoid the driver of the Vectra and my passenger is okay or do I swerve around the Vectra and hope there's enough of a gap to avoid a head on collision with the Corsa?" I went with the swerving approach, so scrubbed off as much speed as I could and managed to fit my car between both cars with very little gap either side and loads of tyre squeal. There were two things that saved me, the Corsa was turning right so was slowing and the driver of the Corsa put their car as far left as he/she could manage. This happened about ten years ago, but my mate and I still talk about it now and then. I guess from this description it sounds pretty tame, but in honesty it all happened very quickly and left us a bit shaken.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=stoneleigh&hl=...
As I approached the junction I was doing about 55 MPH, a Focus and a Fiesta pulled out in front of me and I remember thinking, "that was a bit close". Unfortunately, a Vectra then decided to pull into the road to turn right, but didn't actually look first. Once 3/4 of the way across my lane, the Vectra looked to the right and saw me, at which point the driver simply stopped. This left me with my lane mostly blocked and a Corsa approaching in the opposite direction. I remember thinking, "Do I bury it into the back of the Vectra and hope I can get the impact enough on my side of the car so that I avoid the driver of the Vectra and my passenger is okay or do I swerve around the Vectra and hope there's enough of a gap to avoid a head on collision with the Corsa?" I went with the swerving approach, so scrubbed off as much speed as I could and managed to fit my car between both cars with very little gap either side and loads of tyre squeal. There were two things that saved me, the Corsa was turning right so was slowing and the driver of the Corsa put their car as far left as he/she could manage. This happened about ten years ago, but my mate and I still talk about it now and then. I guess from this description it sounds pretty tame, but in honesty it all happened very quickly and left us a bit shaken.
Took my Dad's boat out with 2 mates near Newark (IIRC) got back to find the mooring, parallel to the quayside had suddenly shrunk as the smaller boat behind us had left and been replaced with a bigger one.
I had about a foot either end spare, Which is fine for a car, but not so much a 32' trawler with single shaft drive (for non-boaties; probably the worst setup for close-quarters manouverability you can get. Great for the sea though) and 10 ton displacement.
Slotted in perfectly! God bless my crew It was that tight at the front the anchor was passing under the davits of the boat in front.
I had about a foot either end spare, Which is fine for a car, but not so much a 32' trawler with single shaft drive (for non-boaties; probably the worst setup for close-quarters manouverability you can get. Great for the sea though) and 10 ton displacement.
Slotted in perfectly! God bless my crew
It was that tight at the front the anchor was passing under the davits of the boat in front.IN the little village of Carnock, west of Dunfermline, driving one of these
It's a narrow, downhill, tight-right, long-left double bend with the usual pedestrian crossings, school, shops, houses, whatever. It was very early morning, the blue lights were on, and the red mist was up. I lost it on the frosty road. By the end of the right hand bend I was looking through the passenger window in the direction of travel. A back tyre touched a kerb and I entered the left hand bend looking through my side window. A dab of opposite lock (f
king big armfulls of opposite lock) got it straight just as an approaching car swerved onto the wrong side of the road and passed on our left.
Not a word was spoken by the rest of the crew, I think I was the only one awake!
It's a narrow, downhill, tight-right, long-left double bend with the usual pedestrian crossings, school, shops, houses, whatever. It was very early morning, the blue lights were on, and the red mist was up. I lost it on the frosty road. By the end of the right hand bend I was looking through the passenger window in the direction of travel. A back tyre touched a kerb and I entered the left hand bend looking through my side window. A dab of opposite lock (f
king big armfulls of opposite lock) got it straight just as an approaching car swerved onto the wrong side of the road and passed on our left. Not a word was spoken by the rest of the crew, I think I was the only one awake!
The first time I was driving my shiny new Elise all on my own, top down along nice open country lane not another car in sight.
It was the day I picked it up so was running it in and rev limited and I was twitchy as hell. I had wanted to own a Lotus ever since THOSE White Esprit James Bond days, and had a very patient, loooooong wait while I waited for it to move along the build list.
I was shrieking and hollering and had the worlds biggest grin.
Some driving god big saves came later in ownership as well as some really nice on track moment with it. But this is the freeze frame for that car.
It was the day I picked it up so was running it in and rev limited and I was twitchy as hell. I had wanted to own a Lotus ever since THOSE White Esprit James Bond days, and had a very patient, loooooong wait while I waited for it to move along the build list.
I was shrieking and hollering and had the worlds biggest grin.
Some driving god big saves came later in ownership as well as some really nice on track moment with it. But this is the freeze frame for that car.
Had a moment today driving back from Londinium in the snow. Navara pulled out into the middle lane as I was passing. Had to swerve to avoid, hit the outside lane snow bank and tail came out. Didnt really do much to correct but it weas smooth enough for the Missues not to take her eyes away from her iphone!
Safe and sound
Safe and sound
lazyitus said:
Jee. Sus.
In fairness, I don't think the co driver realised how close that was to wipeout and how hard Higgins had to work to stay on the road.
I think if I'd been the passenger I'd hope I'd be looking forwards at where we were heading into rather than sideways at what needed to happen from someone else!! In fairness, I don't think the co driver realised how close that was to wipeout and how hard Higgins had to work to stay on the road.
Edited by lazyitus on Thursday 2nd February 09:36
First in class and championship class record at Llys-y-fran last year. Screwed up my final run and managed to just miss the finish line (how the...?), just missed out on the run off! Overall win was taken by Dai Llewelyn (sp?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl4pi6ETx8w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl4pi6ETx8w
Edited by Adam205 on Sunday 5th February 22:52
Hanging a brisk left from Sciennes Road onto Marchmont Crescent in my old rustbucket black mini, back in 2000, I chucked it in slightly too fast on the cobbles and the back end came around 270 degrees. Marchmont crescent has end-on parking, and I came to rest a couple of inches from the kerb, perfectly end on and between two other parked cars. I was headed for a flat only a couple of streets away, so I got out and left it there, hoping that anyone who had seen it would think it was intentional.
Plenty of semi-intentional lairy slides in the '73 V6 Capri I had after that, as it was so easy to catch, but nothing as spectacular as in the Mini.
Plenty of semi-intentional lairy slides in the '73 V6 Capri I had after that, as it was so easy to catch, but nothing as spectacular as in the Mini.
a friend of mine who just bought a peugeot 306 decided he'd like to show me what it could do down some lanes, all was going well until he lifted on a brow of a hill which had a right hand bend on it. You can imagine what happened.
As soon as I felt the rear start to step out out (not really trusting this lads driving). I grabbed the top of the wheel, dragged it down to the bottom and shouted accelerate. A tank slapper later, we didn't spin and hit the giant rocks that had been placed at the side of the farmers field entrance.
A few years later a lad in a Corsa did the same on the same corner, 180'ed and killed his passenger. To this day I'm glad I did the wheel yank.
As soon as I felt the rear start to step out out (not really trusting this lads driving). I grabbed the top of the wheel, dragged it down to the bottom and shouted accelerate. A tank slapper later, we didn't spin and hit the giant rocks that had been placed at the side of the farmers field entrance.
A few years later a lad in a Corsa did the same on the same corner, 180'ed and killed his passenger. To this day I'm glad I did the wheel yank.
bigfatnick said:
a friend of mine who just bought a peugeot 306 decided he'd like to show me what it could do down some lanes, all was going well until he lifted on a brow of a hill which had a right hand bend on it. You can imagine what happened.
As soon as I felt the rear start to step out out (not really trusting this lads driving). I grabbed the top of the wheel, dragged it down to the bottom and shouted accelerate. A tank slapper later, we didn't spin and hit the giant rocks that had been placed at the side of the farmers field entrance.
Stupidity at it's finest here.As soon as I felt the rear start to step out out (not really trusting this lads driving). I grabbed the top of the wheel, dragged it down to the bottom and shouted accelerate. A tank slapper later, we didn't spin and hit the giant rocks that had been placed at the side of the farmers field entrance.
You that is, not the actual driver.
Best save for me was having the back end of my car, (3200 GT Maserati) step out at 70mph as it changed from 2nd to 3rd, (Auto) going down a damp slip road leading on to the A1. No idea how I managed to get it back in line so quick. I dare say I couldn't do it again, I'll put it down to beginners luck.
First RWD car I had ever owned and I chose a one with 370bhp an auto 'box
First RWD car I had ever owned and I chose a one with 370bhp an auto 'box
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff