When you thought you were a goner, dead, kaput, finito......
Discussion
Has anyone had a genuine 'That's it, I'm dead moment' when on the roads?
Not just crashes, near misses or heart-stopping moments, but a very strong sense of 'it really is all over'.
Back in 1999 when I was immature and rash, I attempted to execute an ill-advised overtake on a wet A road (60mph limit) near Ramsgate, in my 1996 Ford Fiesta 1.3 encore (in Corsa red
).
I pulled back in to my lane after the overtake but ended up losing control and spun into the middle of the road. I noticed a large lorry coming towards me at speed and that was when I thought.........OK, I am 24, it's been a good life, had fun, not achieved everything but it was fun anyway.
I really did think I was going to die, for about 2-3 seconds. Scary stuff.
It missed me narrowly, I breathed again.
Anybody else experienced similar?
Not just crashes, near misses or heart-stopping moments, but a very strong sense of 'it really is all over'.
Back in 1999 when I was immature and rash, I attempted to execute an ill-advised overtake on a wet A road (60mph limit) near Ramsgate, in my 1996 Ford Fiesta 1.3 encore (in Corsa red
).I pulled back in to my lane after the overtake but ended up losing control and spun into the middle of the road. I noticed a large lorry coming towards me at speed and that was when I thought.........OK, I am 24, it's been a good life, had fun, not achieved everything but it was fun anyway.
I really did think I was going to die, for about 2-3 seconds. Scary stuff.
It missed me narrowly, I breathed again.
Anybody else experienced similar?
Quite similar.
Few years ago was driving home behind this goon in a Nissan Micra doing 40mph in a 60mph. After a few miles I was getting pissed off. Tried an overtaking move, said goon then decides to speed up, all the while a Range Rover was hurtling towards me in the opposite direction. Had to drop a gear and swerve back into the correct lane inches from the RR. A real heart in mouth moment!
Few years ago was driving home behind this goon in a Nissan Micra doing 40mph in a 60mph. After a few miles I was getting pissed off. Tried an overtaking move, said goon then decides to speed up, all the while a Range Rover was hurtling towards me in the opposite direction. Had to drop a gear and swerve back into the correct lane inches from the RR. A real heart in mouth moment!
Yep.
Back in 1991 I was a passanger in my car, the wife was driving. We were on our way to Switzerland on holiday. She lost control at 80 on the M1. We ended up going off the side of a bridge and flying through the air rotating clockwise. The car landed on its roof, my side first. Amazingly we landed on a down slope and slid along upsidedown until some trees stopped us.
I remember distinctly to this day what went through my mind as we took off. It was 'so this is it'.
Strange really, and thankfully it wasn't
Back in 1991 I was a passanger in my car, the wife was driving. We were on our way to Switzerland on holiday. She lost control at 80 on the M1. We ended up going off the side of a bridge and flying through the air rotating clockwise. The car landed on its roof, my side first. Amazingly we landed on a down slope and slid along upsidedown until some trees stopped us.
I remember distinctly to this day what went through my mind as we took off. It was 'so this is it'.
Strange really, and thankfully it wasn't
Snow covered backroads in Buckinghamshire in mums 1988 golden Nissan Micra aged 17. Was flying down a NSL single track road at 80+ mph. Missed the 'Giveway' signs indicated 100yards until a a NSL A road. Probably doing 50mph+ as I hit the intersection. Handbrake and more than a dab of oppo applied. Mounted the kerb on the other side having missed everything, probably 2 inches from the barrier.
I still do not know how I missed every car along the way and have vivid recall of seeing headlights thinking 'its all over'. Never breathed a word to my mum, who still to this day (11 yrs later..) has no clue how close I came to death that night!!
I still do not know how I missed every car along the way and have vivid recall of seeing headlights thinking 'its all over'. Never breathed a word to my mum, who still to this day (11 yrs later..) has no clue how close I came to death that night!!
Many years ago in my Mk1 3-litre Capri.
Overtaking on a wide, damp, 60mph A road. I saw a car pull out of a junction on the left up ahead - turning right. No cause for alarm, he'd be out of the way by the time I got there.
But he stopped in the middle of the road. Still no problem - he was in the centre painted 'island' and there was room to pass behind him.
Then I saw the long steel tow-rope (no flag on it) connecting him to the car behind, whose driver had seen me and decided he didn't want to be hauled into my path.
Under heavy braking the rear of my car slid left on the camber, so my n/s/f wheel hit the rope first.
This pitched the car into a 360deg spin and into the path of the oncoming rush-hour traffic.
Got away with it, but I still shudder when I think what could have happened.
Overtaking on a wide, damp, 60mph A road. I saw a car pull out of a junction on the left up ahead - turning right. No cause for alarm, he'd be out of the way by the time I got there.
But he stopped in the middle of the road. Still no problem - he was in the centre painted 'island' and there was room to pass behind him.
Then I saw the long steel tow-rope (no flag on it) connecting him to the car behind, whose driver had seen me and decided he didn't want to be hauled into my path.
Under heavy braking the rear of my car slid left on the camber, so my n/s/f wheel hit the rope first.
This pitched the car into a 360deg spin and into the path of the oncoming rush-hour traffic.
Got away with it, but I still shudder when I think what could have happened.
few months ago driving like a knob completely misjudged an off-camber corner and the front end went light, i can't really describe it but I knew I was done for if there was anything on the other side of the road or if I left the road, luckily just caught it. Like I said I can't really understand what I did or what happened, but I knew afterwards that would have been very bad. Not having airbags kind of sticks in your mind in moments like these
On the road but as a padestrian, in Ibiza, 2000 I think but definatly under the influence.
Getting out of a car at manumission, ah there's the club just across the road, look left, nothing doing, look right bus well over a hundred yards away,
Off we go, little jog accross the road & what's this? Oh the bus appears to be doing well over 80 miles an hour.
I hadn't even made it past the Tarmac when it passed, it feels weird when something that fast comes past you that close. Strange thing he didn't even slow down & I didn't speed up, I just very nearly was a smear on the road.
I like to think the bus driver was in complete control & thought I'll give this w
ker a fright but I suspect we were both just lucky, me very much so.
But then not that lucky as the girl I was chasing took off with a scouser & the main event that night was a man who could suck himself off. That was my last time on the white isle.
Getting out of a car at manumission, ah there's the club just across the road, look left, nothing doing, look right bus well over a hundred yards away,
Off we go, little jog accross the road & what's this? Oh the bus appears to be doing well over 80 miles an hour.
I hadn't even made it past the Tarmac when it passed, it feels weird when something that fast comes past you that close. Strange thing he didn't even slow down & I didn't speed up, I just very nearly was a smear on the road.
I like to think the bus driver was in complete control & thought I'll give this w
ker a fright but I suspect we were both just lucky, me very much so.But then not that lucky as the girl I was chasing took off with a scouser & the main event that night was a man who could suck himself off. That was my last time on the white isle.
Out on the bike, on a NSL A-road, coming up to a 40 zone. Coming the other way is a Nissan Micra or some such, and a way behind that is a white Mercedes Sprinter.
I'm slowing for the 40, and the Micra is still dawdling, but white van man has his foot down, and presumable reckons that as a biker I'll ignore the 40 limit. If I had continued at 60 he would have had space for his overtake, but as I'd slowed he didn't. I don't know what the separation between me and the van was as he pulled out, but I'd bet it was inches rather than feet.
I surprised myself by not stopping and having a little cry in the next layby, but did continue straight home at about 30mph..
Fortunately, there wasn't time to think 'I'm gonna die', but that's as close as I ever want to get...
I'm slowing for the 40, and the Micra is still dawdling, but white van man has his foot down, and presumable reckons that as a biker I'll ignore the 40 limit. If I had continued at 60 he would have had space for his overtake, but as I'd slowed he didn't. I don't know what the separation between me and the van was as he pulled out, but I'd bet it was inches rather than feet.
I surprised myself by not stopping and having a little cry in the next layby, but did continue straight home at about 30mph..
Fortunately, there wasn't time to think 'I'm gonna die', but that's as close as I ever want to get...
20 years ago I came around a fast blind bend at around 60 to see a line of stationary cars. Panicked, locked-up, regained composure and released the brakes and steered round the last car in the line, just missing it. This took me onto the wrong side of the road, still travelling at 50. The look on the old woman's face coming towards me is still etched deeply on my mind as I took to the grass verge and a 40ft drop into a small copse. Car landed on its side. At the point the car launched over the bank I really thought I had bout it. Walked away without a scratch. Lucky, lucky fker.
ker.eldar said:
Standing 10 metres away from a large pile of plutonium and having the criticality alarm go off. Amazing how fast you can run if you HAVE to, while wondering how much you have already been cooked. Then wanting to kill the wazzok that caused the false alarm...
Sellafield? Surely it's only Cumbrians that use wazzok?!When I was younger...
On a 3 lane road (one lane in my direction) I followed a mate as he overtook a lorry.
I had zero visability as I was too close to his (much larger) car and knew it was a stupid thing to do.
As he pulled in, my screen was full of oncoming lorry (he was in the correct lane overtaking another lorry)
with a closing speed of 140ish I thought that's it I'm dead, I was completely calm and didn't even attempt to brake as it was pointless.
Luckily all 3 lorry drivers being higher up had seen this scenario unfolding and all moved over a little meaning that 4 of us fitted into the 3 lanes and I got to see wheels nuts approx 3" from my side windows on both sides instead of the inside of a wooden box.
On a 3 lane road (one lane in my direction) I followed a mate as he overtook a lorry.
I had zero visability as I was too close to his (much larger) car and knew it was a stupid thing to do.
As he pulled in, my screen was full of oncoming lorry (he was in the correct lane overtaking another lorry)
with a closing speed of 140ish I thought that's it I'm dead, I was completely calm and didn't even attempt to brake as it was pointless.
Luckily all 3 lorry drivers being higher up had seen this scenario unfolding and all moved over a little meaning that 4 of us fitted into the 3 lanes and I got to see wheels nuts approx 3" from my side windows on both sides instead of the inside of a wooden box.
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