Bmw 4 series spun out of control m25
Discussion
Alucidnation said:
PK0001 said:
Just look at the latest Audi advert which shoes a Q5 in the rain and tells you that the car is making decisions for you for gods sake. Appalling advert.
I have had several BMW's and in the rain you have to adapt your driving as they are terrible in the wet. Run Flats, rear wheel drive with no weight over the rear axle, and dim witted electric steering are not a great combination.
So if i understand correctly, you say the Audi is crap because it uses AI to keep the car stable in the rain, but the BMW is also crap because it handles badly in the rain.I have had several BMW's and in the rain you have to adapt your driving as they are terrible in the wet. Run Flats, rear wheel drive with no weight over the rear axle, and dim witted electric steering are not a great combination.
He's saying that the combo of a car that insulates you from the sensations of travelling at speed, RWD, very wide tyres and poor steering make for a poor combo in the wet. And he's right. As the OP found out.
Just take it as a lesson that hasn't cost you anything other than a dent to your pride and a brown trouser moment, it could have been a lot worse, injurywise, financially, and legally.
It's a fallacy to think that wider modern tyres mean you can drive faster on wet roads. Its even worse in the snow.
It's a fallacy to think that wider modern tyres mean you can drive faster on wet roads. Its even worse in the snow.
You’ve aqua planed. Nobody got hurt, good.
Learn from it.
I’ve done it myself in the past and learnt from it. I’ve been full on sideways in the snow at 25 mph and thought I was going through the fence into a field. Literally just managed to correct it, if anyone was coming the other way I’d have hit them. I’ve learnt from it.
BMW’s are good cars, but they are a b
d when they let go unexpectedly. Err on the side of caution in crap conditions and keep it out of that point it could let go on you.
You’ll probably get more people giving you crap for it, let them get on with it.
But remember, you’ve got to learn from this experience. It would have been impossible, unless you are a professional driver, to correct this aqua plane at the speed you were carrying.
Learn from it.
I’ve done it myself in the past and learnt from it. I’ve been full on sideways in the snow at 25 mph and thought I was going through the fence into a field. Literally just managed to correct it, if anyone was coming the other way I’d have hit them. I’ve learnt from it.
BMW’s are good cars, but they are a b
d when they let go unexpectedly. Err on the side of caution in crap conditions and keep it out of that point it could let go on you. You’ll probably get more people giving you crap for it, let them get on with it.
But remember, you’ve got to learn from this experience. It would have been impossible, unless you are a professional driver, to correct this aqua plane at the speed you were carrying.
Well at least the guy has posted wanting to understand, hopefully he now does...
Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
ChocolateFrog said:
Just take it as a lesson that hasn't cost you anything other than a dent to your pride and a brown trouser moment, it could have been a lot worse, injurywise, financially, and legally.
It's a fallacy to think that wider modern tyres mean you can drive faster on wet roads. Its even worse in the snow.
Pretty much this.It's a fallacy to think that wider modern tyres mean you can drive faster on wet roads. Its even worse in the snow.
I think everyone has a few of these moments when they're young; fortunately most people do it at slow speeds or in a FWD car, but some of us do it in 300hp+ RWD cars and think "well, that was rather silly wasn't it" with a positively warm feeling from the car seat.
My personal "moment" was going from 6th to 4th at 40mph to overtake someone; it wasn't raining or even wet (it's true, honest, even in Scotland it does happen), but I still managed to light up the rear and send it towards the far kerb. Fortunately I'd done a bit of training to know not to brick it, and caught it before it went uncontrollable, but even still... could've been pretty crap if I'd gone off the verge, or worse come back and hit the guy I was overtaking!
OP just needs to make sure that he learns from this experience to drive to conditions.
I wonder if having this sort of experience in a VR simulator during driver training would let people realise just how bad it is? Sometimes you just don't believe it until it happens to you...
Thank you for the positive responses and negative ones, like I said I admit fault and was not aware of this aquaplaning, never heard of it until now, later on I’m going to get up and take a picture of the tyres so everyone can judge for themselves!
Just to clarify one thing, when I said the traction control light flashed, it only flashed when I hit a small puddle at the edge of one of the lanes, it happens at 70 mph, the light wasn’t constantly flashing!
I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Just to clarify one thing, when I said the traction control light flashed, it only flashed when I hit a small puddle at the edge of one of the lanes, it happens at 70 mph, the light wasn’t constantly flashing!
I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Pvapour said:
Well at least the guy has posted wanting to understand, hopefully he now does...
Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
That's why in North Sweden you have a co-driver, or Elk-spotter (now Volvo has thermal imaging). An elk is tall, with a heavy body, and they do not go backwards. Worse case result?, the torso goes through your windshield, pillars and all, and de-capitates you.Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
Pvapour said:
Well at least the guy has posted wanting to understand, hopefully he now does...
Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
Yes and that section is so wide that there's little or no camber to drain off the surface water.Has anyone mentioned the 2am standing water? Far less likely to hit this with other cars dispersing it during the day, I’m always much more vigilant in the wee hours as you’re always the first to encounter most things, animals, broken down or crashed cars, anything really..
Chestrockwell said:
Just to clarify one thing, when I said the traction control light flashed, it only flashed when I hit a small puddle at the edge of one of the lanes, it happens at 70 mph, the light wasn’t constantly flashing!
I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Wide tyres are more likely to aquaplane, very heavy cars are slightly less succeptible. No car is inherently unsafe, it depends entirely upon the driver. Most drivers aren't routinely relying on the car's active safety systems to savd their arses as you are. I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Chestrockwell said:
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Lots of grip in the dry, awful in proper wet or snow as the tyre's too fat to cut through to the tarmac underneath. PGNSagaris said:
The fact your mum wanted to speak to you during your drive back shows she is a smart lady and you drive like a fool, despite what you may think.
It's ok. Most here have been fools, myself included.
Get some advanced driving lessons. Immediately. And thank your lucky stars again nothing terrible happened
It shows his mum's a fool. The last thing he needs when driving on a motorway at night in heavy rain is an incoming phone call, hands free or not!It's ok. Most here have been fools, myself included.
Get some advanced driving lessons. Immediately. And thank your lucky stars again nothing terrible happened
280E said:
Chestrockwell said:
I’ve been driving 7 years,
Chestrockwell said:
... was not aware of this aquaplaning, never heard of it until now,
I don't think this will be the last of these 'educational moments' for you
7 years experience and never heard of aquaplaning? Is Pass Plus still a thing? Perhaps it should be compulsory.
Chestrockwell said:
Just to clarify one thing, when I said the traction control light flashed, it only flashed when I hit a small puddle at the edge of one of the lanes, it happens at 70 mph, the light wasn’t constantly flashing!
I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Re; the traction control light flashing. You seem to accept this as normal perhaps without understanding what is happening. In the example you provide, at least one tyre is spinning at a different rate to the others as it looses traction/aquaplanes over standing water. All the clues are there...I know my limits and I thought I knew my cars limits but I was wrong, need to adjust both, I’ve barely slept trying to comprehend how I managed to stay within the 4 lanes.
Lots of people mention ‘over tyred’....are you saying those x5/q7’s on 295 tyres all round are unsafe ? I always thought the opposite, there’s an x5 4.8is in my area and I’m certain it has 315’s on the back, what purpose do they serve if the cars meant to have all weather ability
Re; wide tyres. Of course people are not suggesting they are unsafe, but when driven on by people who are ignorant to the physical conditions they are driving in, and will not alter their speed to suit.
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