Driving up the M4 in February I came across lots of pieces of wood in the middle of the carriageway. Bit further on I was passing an open back lorry when a piece of wood came arcing out of the back. I swerved into the empty 3rd lane and it missed me by a couple of feet.
I chased the lorry driver for a bit, sounding the horn, and pointing to his load (which was still shedding all over the road) and got no response.
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DVD et al - is this the sort of thing that would be worth stopping at a motorway phone to let the police know? I would think it would or should be if it is not.
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The incident happened on a section of Dual Carriageway in Cornwall, the truck shed its load only seconds before travelling at 70 ish mph, it filled a whole lane so very difficult to avoid as laying flat just over the brow of a hill. Also it was dark.
I have some loads in flat bed trucks where no attempt has been made to secure the load, so it only takes high speed and/or a windy day to cause a problem.
To be fair to the police a week later they (VOSA & Police) were pulling over all large vehicles on the same stretch of road to check for infrigements. My point is that if using a phone and causing an accident is sometimes a imprisonable offence, should other offences where the driver is blatantly negligent by treated the same way?
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One of the more terrifying sights on the road is a big stone between the twin rear tyres of a fast-moving Murphy (or similar) truck. Always makes me back right off.
A few months ago on a stormy night I ran over a big tree branch on the A24 just outside Dorking. It made the crack in my car's windscreen much worse and damaged the front number plate (which still passed the MoT however) but greatly to my relief did no other damage at all.
Small objects are the worst. A bolt or something pierced my Plymouth's radiator in Nebraska and led to a lot of barked knuckles, filth, slow driving and general redneck stuff. And the windscreen of my Dyane fell into my lap in the outside lane of the M1. I hadn't even seen a projectile.
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Yes - I nearly came to grief a few years ago on the bike, came round a bend two up, length of 2x2, swerved to avoid it but the front wheel caught it it flew up and arced over us....that was brown trouser moment and I nearly took up smoking on the spot. I must admire posters who reckon they could avoid debris in the road under all circumstances. I wish I had their reactions.
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the bike makes you more vulnerable doesn't it... couple of years back M5 southbound near Exeter services saw a wheel nut come off a lorry... and watched mesmerised whilst it bounced down the carriageway like of one Barnes Wallis's creations.
was worried it would hit my head, but it didn't....it went right through the lens of the bike's headlamp..which miraculously still worked...(cost me £105 for a second hand replacement though.. and i've now got a plastic lens cover as well)
have had cars throw grit up off the road..and even with decent leathers that can still hurt if the stone/pebble is big enough
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I must admire posters who reckon they could avoid debris in the road under all circumstances. I wish I had their reactions.
I am not saying that it is possible to "avoid debris in the road under all circumstances". Just the vast majority. Once upon a time, for instance, I ran over a squashed staw bale in the road, at night, while riding an old motorbike quite fast. It could've been someone, or something not quite so soft (although it wasn't *that* soft - I was nearly launched into orbit by the impact) in the road - that learned me, that did, as they say.
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There was a great story in the wee village where I used to live in the Scottish Borders. One of our neighbours was a normally gentle but absolute giant of a man who was a truck driver. Picture the Incredible Hulk with normal skin tone. For the purposes of his privacy I shall temporarily call him Fred. Fred had a regular Friday run to Yorkshire and back which he had timed to perfection as it would only just fit on his tacho hours for a day. On his return one Friday night and only 20 miles from his first pint of the weekend, he was blocked by a logging lorry which had shed its load in front of him. Well he says he does his best to help the other guy sort things out but realises that he can't now get back to his depot that night. He strangely though, doesn't turn up until Saturday night. When questioned about this in the snug he reveals that he has spent a bit of time at the police station. Asked why, he mutters something about having "shaken" the other driver. Disbelief that such a minor altercation would involve the Police ensues. The full story comes out that "well I went to have a word wi' him and he locks himself in the cab so I took one of his flippin logs, shoved it through his windae, dragged him oot, and then I shook him!"
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When I did my RAC ACU course (yes, I'm that old) we were told to drive as though there was a brick wall round every corner. Absolutely correct, but few people (including me) do.
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Yesterday I was out with the dustpan and brush sweeping up several smashed bottles covering the road outside where I work. Like to think that I saved someone from potential grief.....................
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It is different on a bike.
On one occasion, a car from the opposite direction lost its wheel trim, and this came scything towards me. I remember thinking that I didn't have much protection if it changed direction into me.
On another occasion, I was riding a scooter when a house-brick appeared between the wheels of the car in front - they had not problems missing it, but the scooter hit it full on.
It was not pleasant - but I did manage to stay on. I do wonder what happened in the car behind me.
Westpig's point of staying out of trouble is very valid. I hate following cars that have several pushbikes strapped on the back.
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several pushbikes strapped on the back.
And me, not least that often they cover the rear lights and plates - yet another risk factor.
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'Twas a dark and stormy night', well, it was raining, and I was on a m'bike behind a 6V headlamp (anybody who did an RAC/ACU course will know what they're like). I saw what I thought was a brick in the road. Too late to avoid it, you hit the brakes, but release them just before impact. It was a soggy cardboard box!
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Yes I did an RAC/ACU course and had a bike with 6 volt electrics.
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One of my more frightening moments was when driving a Mini and an oncoming flatbed truck sent one of its 6" X 6" packing pieces off sideways just before we passed. I have no idea how I reacted so quickly, but they do say that time stands still. I had time to guess the trajectory, and swerve right to head under the end of the tray. [ People as old as me may remember publicity photos of Minis parked under truck trays.] Still in the air, this lump actually bounced off my LH front tyre and into the grass. I stopped forthwith to see whether I had any damage, but none immediately apparent. Next working day the Mini went into the local suspension shop for a full check-over.
Worrisome, but less frightening, was when I was following a car when its bonnet took off. As in - flew up like a glider to about 50 ft, then banked quietly over and dived into the nearby stream. The road concerned was a known habitat for young gentleman who liked to work on their cars and then test their work before finally buttoning things down.
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Rear number plate flew off an artic I was following - it flapped around in the air a bit then clouted my front valance.
Left a scuff mark, not much else.
Wrote to the comany, not for compo, just for a bit of a moan.
They said they couldn't trace the journey from their records.
So if you ever want to nick a lorry, make sure it's an Asda one, they haven't a clue where any of them are.
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Was overtaking a truck on the M9 - a half brick was caught between the outer and inner offside tyres - brick came loose, bounced, hit and smashed my front passenger window, when whizzing past the back of my head, hit the piller behind me and landed on the rear passenger floor-well.
Yes -I needed new trousers after that!
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two things stick in my mind - first -years and years ago in Birmingham outside Lewis's -in them days the railways at new street station had those three wheeler trucks that pulled a trailer - was sitting on my scooter in line of traffic when just happened to look round and saw one of these -it had just come round corner and a big plank was hanging out over side by about 4-5ft just ducked in time as it went past on near side -
Second was blasting down M1 in Zodiac at night - light's on cars in them days wasn't that good and suddenly I went over a load of black stuff - made car bounce and buck a bit - 10 min later on radio a message for motorists on M1 - a lorry has shed it's load of coal - I knew where as well.
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One of the worse things I saw was a rigid flatbed carrying those preformed steel mesh barriers you get around building sites, somehow, they slid off sideways on a bend like a horizontal cascade and then stayed there held by the strap like a giant blade across the pavement the lorry's suspension was way down on that side and if anybody had been walking along, they may have been cut in half - it was a 50mph road..
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