So who was it doing 112mph on A30 this afternoon?

[GrannyJen]

I keep looking for a blimey/wow/holy cow type icon but instead I will have to use the Brexit one for now. Sounds terrifying as does the deer one. REmember too if you ever see a deer run out, the chances are another 1 or 2 are following behind!

I was once in a woodland with a guy in chainmail (dont ask), thunder started and his shirt began to make a buzzing noise and vibrate. Suffice to say he threw it off and we ran.

I'm sure lots of people have a fetish for chainmail that buzzes and vibrates

 

[Velma's Dad]

This is one of the best posts I have ever read on this site. Quite possibly the best.

Dude, I'm deeply flattered. But have you tried those threads about fave paint colours?

 

[Velma's Dad]

Two ever so exciting times in my life.

The first was climbing on A buttress, Dow crag, in the lakes. I had got there driven by a madman on a motorcycle from the ODG, which I considered to be the most dangerous time of my life. 150 foot up, just reaching the second stance, big bang, ears ringing, feeling of being totally dismembered, a feeling of being bruised on every single part of my body, checked my waist belt just in time to watch a few scorched strands of perlon rope flake off leaving me totally unattached. THE most dangerous time of my life then followed as I attempted to reattach myself with just about every scrap of balance gone or making a slow and erratic recovery

Bloody hell!

 

[VW Cali]

Two ever so exciting times in my life.

The first was climbing on A buttress, Dow crag, in the lakes. I had got there driven by a madman on a motorcycle from the ODG, which I considered to be the most dangerous time of my life. 150 foot up, just reaching the second stance, big bang, ears ringing, feeling of being totally dismembered, a feeling of being bruised on every single part of my body, checked my waist belt just in time to watch a few scorched strands of perlon rope flake off leaving me totally unattached. THE most dangerous time of my life then followed as I attempted to reattach myself with just about every scrap of balance gone or making a slow and erratic recovery.

The second was quite amazing. Worsley on the M62 (now M60 I believe). Driving a BMW 7 series. Thunder everywhere than a great blue ball, seemed to hang in the sky, I'm sure the car lifted at the front but I was slightly distracted by lumps of a metal overhead gantry falling down. We carried on, probably the vehicle on cruise control, everyone behind me stopped. I pulled over after about a mile, got out, checked the car and my grey bonnet and parts of the doors were black. "Scorched" I thought but then found I could wipe it off like a polythene film. Someone suggested afterwards it was vaporised tarmac settling on the wet car, I really have no idea.

The electrics were peculiar though. One window not operating, the other going up and down with a mind of it's own. I wheeled it into the ever so teutonically efficient BMW dealer and with a smug smile on my face said to the service manager "Electric storm, probable lightning strike, need it checked over", ever so smug as they obviously would not have a manual procedure for that occurrence.

Two minutes later he emerged clutching a service bible and saying "ok, here we are, check list and recovery procedure, it will take an hour and 15 minutes". With smug smile wiped off face I went shopping

Well, well, well!

Nearly as riveting as the book Velma's dad mentioned in another thread!

Question 1 : was that blue ball you described thunder clouds or a ball you saw hover near the 7 series? If latter, then ball lightning! Very few people get to sight one!

Question 2: Man on motorbike driving dangerously! Don't naughty bikers, bad boys if you will, rank up with horses, as objects of young women's dreams and desires. Fast bikers, and ponies!

I two will describe my two escapades with lightning a little later on. One in monsoon in Asia, and the other in the MidWest in the USA a few months later.

Somewhat tamer than yours!

 

[VW Cali]

We have also had a near miss with a deer on a early morning start to Dover ferry port, we were possibly doing 77mph on an empty road and I came very close to losing control by trying not to hit it. As a result I am now much more cautious on an empty road at night and keep my speed below 70mph. Until you have a near miss like this you will always consider yourself invincible.

Just the other night my son and I were forced to taje a narrow winding country road for miles due to road closures. I thought I had seen them all but this had what appeared like 10 foot hedges either side, serious S bends, and barely enough room for one 4x4 to scrape through. Reversing when oncoming cars came through in droves was a nightmare.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse a deer popped out from the hedges and stood a metre from the car. I moved forward slowly. It moved forward too. I honked. It moved tad more. In this manner, at about 5mph we did the last mile until we arrived at a B road. Cars were waiting on other side for this super slow BMW to arrive. Not sure if they had seen the deer.

I felt so guilty inadvertently shepherding the deer onto a B road. Had hoped that would have jumped back into the hedges.

 

[VW Cali]

Dude, I'm deeply flattered. But have you tried those threads about fave paint colours?

Dude, I worry we may not have the same taste in colours!



I usually tend to worry long as I can have whatever is wearing the colour!

Colours on clothes and vehicles are superficial. Appreciate more what is just underneath.

"Is it perfume from a dress that makes me so digress!"

 

[VW Cali]

I'm sure lots of people have a fetish for chainmail that buzzes and vibrates

Hahahaha!

 

[GrannyJen]

Well, well, well!

Nearly as riveting as the book Velma's dad mentioned in another thread!

Question 1 : was that blue ball you described thunder clouds or a ball you saw hover near the 7 series? If latter, then ball lightning! Very few people get to sight one!

Question 2: Man on motorbike driving dangerously! Don't naughty bikers, bad boys if you will, rank up with horses, as objects of young women's dreams and desires. Fast bikers, and ponies!

I two will describe my two escapades with lightning a little later on. One in monsoon in Asia, and the other in the MidWest in the USA a few months later.

Somewhat tamer than yours!

It was not ball lightning, just an aura from the flash as it hit the gantry and probably forked earthing itself via my car. Sudden stress does strange things to our interpretation of visual phenomena.

This particular naughty biker had a woman waiting for him on our return, although she must have considered our return unlikely given the way he rode and I climbed.

I've had no real excitements in Asia except the mundane everyday avalanche, blizzard and earthquake although if you tell me about your lightning strike in the midwest then I can tell you about my confrontation with a tornado in SC

 

[John.s]

Personally I'm glad that people doing that sort of speed are being taken off the road (hopefully locked up) by an officer doing law abiding citizens a massive favour. It's one less idiot that won't be smashing into me or possibly killing an innocent bystander!!

 

[VW Cali]

It was not ball lightning, just an aura from the flash as it hit the gantry and probably forked earthing itself via my car. Sudden stress does strange things to our interpretation of visual phenomena.

This particular naughty biker had a woman waiting for him on our return, although she must have considered our return unlikely given the way he rode and I climbed.

I've had no real excitements in Asia except the mundane everyday avalanche, blizzard and earthquake although if you tell me about your lightning strike in the midwest then I can tell you about my confrontation with a tornado in SC

It actually does not rule out ball lightning. Many who see it are not sure.

Lightning, naughty bikers, avalanches, tornadoes, earthquakes....quite the life Jen!

As Iceman says to Mav in Top Gear, "you can be my wingman anytime."

You can be my biker chick anytime!

 

[Wolfsburg]

Most accidents on the autobahn here in Germany ar fatal due to the speed, the worst being a 52 car crash. Many people here in Germany want a speed limit

 

[Amarillo]

You can be my biker chick anytime!

The more I read from Jen, the more I admire her. Stuck by lightning on Dow Crag - it beats my drama with a friend who dislocated his shoulder on the Horns of Ben Alligin by some considerable margin.

 

[AndyFromTheBrac]

As Californiaman said speed doesn't kill, speed differential does.

Personally I'm not confident enough to believe that I know the road conditions are safe enough for me to thunder along an A-road at 110mph. Even a motorway would be questionable, but an A-road? In a Cali?

Even if you have the confidence (or arrogance) of Lewis Hamilton, there's simply so much more to contend with on a regular road (including, but not limited to; potholes, blowouts, deer and idiots).

So it's perfectly dry, clear and 4am (umm it's dark, right?) and there is that tractor pulling out ahead, just out of sight, the driver either glanced quickly before manoeuvring, or didn't bother at all (it's 4am after all, who's on the roads at this time?). Perhaps your counterpart is coming the other way and he also knows the conditions are "safe" but glances at his nav just before seeing you approach each other at 200+ mph. Or maybe there is just a regular muppet dawdling, that performs a f*ckwit manoeuvre which would normally see him abused and/or embarrassed at worst.

You simply cannot even factor in these unpredictable situations in let alone react to them.

Soberingly each year more British people are killed on our roads than during the entire Afghan conflict to date.

 

[Annik]

Anyone to think they are safe travelling at speed on an open road is fooling themselves, we have hit a scafolding bolt that must of dropped of the back of a truck whilst we were doing 60mph which caused a blow out to our front offside tyre. Even if our tyres were brand new there is no way we could of avoided this and certainly would not of avoided it at 70mph + Also at higher speed I suspect I may have lost control.

The people saying they are safe travelling at speed on an empty road can still have something unexpected happen be it something in the road or a wild animal, these things oocur much more than a lightning strike

 

[potem]

As Californiaman said speed doesn't kill, speed differential does.

Personally I'm not confident enough to believe that I know the road conditions are safe enough for me to thunder along an A-road at 110mph. Even a motorway would be questionable, but an A-road? In a Cali?

Even if you have the confidence (or arrogance) of Lewis Hamilton, there's simply so much more to contend with on a regular road (including, but not limited to; potholes, blowouts, deer and idiots).

So it's perfectly dry, clear and 4am (umm it's dark, right?) and there is that tractor pulling out ahead, just out of sight, the driver either glanced quickly before manoeuvring, or didn't bother at all (it's 4am after all, who's on the roads at this time?). Perhaps your counterpart is coming the other way and he also knows the conditions are "safe" but glances at his nav just before seeing you approach each other at 200+ mph. Or maybe there is just a regular muppet dawdling, that performs a f*ckwit manoeuvre which would normally see him abused and/or embarrassed at worst.

You simply cannot even factor in these unpredictable situations in let alone react to them.

Soberingly each year more British people are killed on our roads than during the entire Afghan conflict to date.

"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know". Donald Rumsfeld

 

[sidepod]

Alternative scenario - Sunday evening after a great weekend. Nicely relaxed. Cruising home in the Cali, cruise control on, 69 mph on the motorway. Not breaking any laws.
Family asleep, seats rolled back and your eyelids are heavy. You've glanced the rumble strips a couple of times but you're confident you can get home ok. And you do. Every time. So far.
If it went wrong here it'll be a big one as you take out three lanes of traffic.
We've all done this and that includes the super safe cautious ones.

Now compare this to having a bit of fun on the 'perceived' safe, dry road.
At least here you're wide awake and concentrating hard. If the sh*t does hit the fan at least the likelihood is it's only yourself that'll get hurt.

Which is the safer.

 

[VW Cali]

Alternative scenario - Sunday evening after a great weekend. Nicely relaxed. Cruising home in the Cali, cruise control on, 69 mph on the motorway. Not breaking any laws.
Family asleep, seats rolled back and your eyelids are heavy. You've glanced the rumble strips a couple of times but you're confident you can get home ok. And you do. Every time. So far.
If it went wrong here it'll be a big one as you take out three lanes of traffic.
We've all done this and that includes the super safe cautious ones.

Now compare this to having a bit of fun on the 'perceived' safe, dry road.
At least here you're wide awake and concentrating hard. If the sh*t does hit the fan at least the likelihood is it's only yourself that'll get hurt.

Which is the safer.

Both are unsafe.

The second scenario does not factor in that other road users may suffer too.

 

[potem]

Alternative scenario - Sunday evening after a great weekend. Nicely relaxed. Cruising home in the Cali, cruise control on, 69 mph on the motorway. Not breaking any laws.
Family asleep, seats rolled back and your eyelids are heavy. You've glanced the rumble strips a couple of times but you're confident you can get home ok. And you do. Every time. So far.
If it went wrong here it'll be a big one as you take out three lanes of traffic.
We've all done this and that includes the super safe cautious ones.

Now compare this to having a bit of fun on the 'perceived' safe, dry road.
At least here you're wide awake and concentrating hard. If the sh*t does hit the fan at least the likelihood is it's only yourself that'll get hurt.

Which is the safer.

From the perspective of the family in the car you have just taken out I would not have thought there was anything in it.. Over 90% of all drivers think they are better than average which makes them feel safe not holding to the rules which are imposed on them because of the inadequacies of the others who they believe to be worse than them. Their feelings of superiority bear no relationship to their abilities. Many of those who feel they are worse than average turn out to be amongst the best..

 

[sidepod]

The point I was making is that almost every driver on the road has taken part in the first scenario while only a few , occasionally in the second.

 

[potem]

The point I was making is that almost every driver on the road has taken part in the first scenario while only a few , occasionally in the second.

One of the advantages for me in owning a Cali (if VW ever get round to building mine) will be that stopping for a rest will be that more comfortable!
Having said that I do not follow your argument.. Just because other drivers behave in one dangerous manner does not seem to make driving in a particular way any less (or indeed more) dangerous.

 

[GrannyJen]

My rationale is always, if Sh*t happens, it's going to be hard enough to live with, if it happens to be my fault then it will be impossible.

Rationale developed by a "definitely no angel" guilty in the past of some pretty stupid and dangerous things.

 

[MattBW]

Anyone to think they are safe travelling at speed on an open road is fooling themselves, we have hit a scafolding bolt that must of dropped of the back of a truck whilst we were doing 60mph which caused a blow out to our front offside tyre. Even if our tyres were brand new there is no way we could of avoided this and certainly would not of avoided it at 70mph + Also at higher speed I suspect I may have lost control.

The people saying they are safe travelling at speed on an empty road can still have something unexpected happen be it something in the road or a wild animal, these things occur much more than a lightning strike

I have to agree many years I was passenger in a loaded pickup that was doing just under 80mph indicated (probably less than speedo), we had a blow out and barely made it onto the hard shoulder. We completely crossed into the next lane involuntarily and the driver barely managed to stop it spinning out. If we had been doing 100, we would have been in big trouble, to be honest 85 or 90 would have been enough. That guy didnt drive for a few weeks after that.

 

[T6 CFO]

Being out on the open road always carries an element of danger and all you can do is reduce the odds.
We all know speed is one of the main elements as is being amongst the heavies in the slow lane on occasions or alongside a long vehicle, particularly a leftie.
It is mainly for this reason I like a bit of power in reserve.
Rule 1 - Avoid head on
Rule 2 - Never hit a big tree.
Rule 3 or perhaps Rule 1 - Stay lucky.

As for 112mph on the A30.
Not a good plan especially if it is a single carriageway as more chance of breaching rule 1.
Motorway and dual carriageway accidents where sudden obstructions are not encountered tend to be very spectacular but survivable.



Mike

 

[Stolly]

The 1991 M4 crash was horrendous, with the direct cause being a driver falling asleep at the wheel followed by many drivers behind all driving far to fast for the conditions.

 

[T6 CFO]

The 1991 M4 crash was horrendous, with the direct cause being a driver falling asleep at the wheel followed by many drivers behind all driving far to fast for the conditions.

Yep agreed as it resulted in a sudden obstruction and sudden stop similar to recent one on M5 initially blamed on firework display. My biggest worry on a motorway is not what I might hit but been hit from the rear by someone traveling too fast and too close.


Mike