Pulling onto the M4 westbound at junction 8/9 in my new company mk2 Mondeo a few years ago I missed another car pulling into the outside line in my blind spot.
Quick flick of the wheel to the left and it was like Billingsgate Market as I fish-tailed right and left and right again - correcting like mad and ending up spinning to a halt in the hard shoulder facing the wrong way looking at the startled expressions of the drivers behind me.
Got turned round and on my way safely but given wide berth for a number of miles for some reason.
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My most memorable cor blimey moment is by far the best in my 20 years of life so far.
I was about 15 at the time travelling with my dad somewhere or other on the M1, passing thru some roadworks which had put lane 1 out of commision. The traffic ahead braked from a steady 60 to a halt fairly sharply, as did my dad in the inside lane (lane 2). As we were braking through about 15-20mph, my dad glanced in his rear view mirror, uttered a few quick expletives and veered off between cones onto the roadworks area. Before i could turn and ask him what the hell he was doing a black sierra cosworth zipped by our right hand side and obliterated the saxo in front of us, and a good few other cars in the vicinity. Apparaently the police report said it was doing 'in excess of 80mph' at the time of impact. Incredibly no-one lost their lives, not even the cossie driver, but there were 3 or 4 people taken to hospital with serious injuries. All i can say about that is thank god my dad was checking his mirrors!
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Hawesy1982
Was taught by drive and survive instructors to do this for this exact reason.
1/ on motorways never get boxed in - always have an escape route.
(in your dads case - the coned area) Normally it will be a gap to your side or good distance in front.
2/ When stopping suddenly ensure you can stop or evade the obstruction, then check your mirrors immediately.
3/ If you are about to be rear ended, use your escape route.
Sounds like your old man executed this to the letter with perfect results.
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And one that was instilled in me many years ago, and which I originally posted here last October, but which is worth repeating:
"When you are stationary on a stretch of road, waiting for a gap to appear in the oncoming traffic so that you can turn right in to a side road, never, EVER, sit obliquely to the traffic, or with your front wheels turned right, until the gap you are waiting for appears, and you actually start to move off. Instead, leave your car parallel with the traffic, and your front wheels pointing straight ahead.
Why?
If sittingly obliquely, and/or with the wheels already on right lock, and you get rear ended, to coin a phrase, guess where you are going to go? Bang. Head on.
Sounds obvious, but not a single one of my friends, family, or colleagues even thought about this, until suggested."
Back to the thread, my worst moment by far was sitting in a white box waiting to turn right on a major trunk road, whilst nose to tail traffic went past. A few seconds before a 38 tonner coming the other way reached me, out popped Mr Reverse Baseball Cap in his XR Something. He didn't back off and duck back in, and instead attempted to finish his manoeuvre.
Yes, I did release the handbrake in a vain attempt to lessen the effect of any impact, and yes, I did think my time had come with a feeling of cold fear that is hard to describe, but in the event the truck passed on my right, and Mr RBC *just* jinked by on my left, having by chance obtained a gap in the traffic I had just parted from!
My second worst moment was riding pillion on a friends' Honda Blackbird motorcycle at about 50MPH down a country lane in Norfolk. Not too fast, you might think, but it was far too fast for the distance he could see. What did we then meet, but a bus, occupying about 90% of the available road width between the hedges! Somehow, we escaped down one side of it, with marks from branches down our left knees, and dirt from the bus on our right!
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Turned into side street, noticed a 4-5 yr old leaning into road from lampost. She then fell in front of the car.
Somehow I managed to swerve around her I remember being surprised how fast my reactions were considering I was very tired from working shifts.
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Approximately 20 years ago, I was the front passenger travelling along a single carriageway trunk road. It was a fast road with lots of sweeping corners. We were doing about 50mph.
As we went round one corner however we were faced with two Artics side by side coming towards us! We only got through thanks to the artic who was being overtaken, taking to a layby conveniently situated about 30 yards ahead. To this day, I've no idea how he kept it on its wheels!
And another...
Not mine, but a friend had a moment to tell his grand kids about when he was overtaking an artic. There just happened to be another one coming the opposite way.
Being young and foolish and driving a Honda CRX he thought he could make it.
He did make it, although he managed to lose BOTH wing mirrors in the process!
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...Yes artics are a great non favorite of mine as well!
Whilst travelling from Leicester to Market Harborough 9 years ago I was going up hill and had moved into the overtaking lane provided for those going up hill to overtake a slow van. I was doing 65 or so.
In the distance I saw an artic at a junction on the RHS waiting to turn right. I thought, "He won't be a complete an utter prat now will he?" WRONG!!!!!!!
Unbelievebly, he commenced his right hand turn into the lane I was in about 50 feet in front of me forcing me back into the lane right behind the van I'd meant to overtake!
I couldn't believe the complete and utter stupidiy of this inbocile! He had absolutely no excuse visability was fine, there were no obstructions, remember, I saw him in plenty of time.
Oddly enough I was on my way to the dentist at the time. I remember realising how relaxing it was to be in the chair afterwards, reflecting on my Near Death Experience!
****Signature? - Ideas on a postcard please anyone!****
Hugo
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