On M25 today on way to Ikea. Driving in middle lane from Brentwood to Lakeside. I was 3 cars behind blue van (Hiace type of van) All making reasonable progress at 60 or so. Suddenly, puff of black smoke and blue van veered into outside lane as overtaking car approached at speed. Van lurched wildly as driver tried to gain control. Overtaking car managed to brake well without drama, middle lane car nearest van also braked well as van veered back and across middle lane, inside lane and onto hard shoulder. Of course, it was a rear offside blowout, tyre shredded. The van diver did so well to keep it all under control. So did the other drivers. I cadenze braked to alert others coming up from the rear. It all turned out so well, when it could all have gone horribly pear shaped.
End result? Got my gnarfsnarlbikboxballutrog shelves. On way back, van man still on hard shoulder but with RAC van there. I gave a hoot and a wave and blessed him under my breath!
Edited by Pugugly on 30/08/2008 at 22:06
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How nice to read a post like that!
So often we're all guilty of being negative and not having an idea of what the real problem was.
Well done to all concerned, I'd say.
Pat
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A lesson for all the speed merchants who try to justify above 70mph speed limits.
All concerned appeared to be able to react well in a safe manner because they were travelling at a manageable speed. If the van had blown out at 80 and the following vehicles had been at the same speed or higher, the outcome could have been far worse.
Well done to all for using common sense and reading the road allowing the poor guy to get on to the shoulder. Also a case for not having the shoulder as a temporary lane.
I'll pop down behind this parapet!
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More like a lesson for banning solid rear axles?
The driver of the van would have been fine with independent suspension, as you can see by the cars which have been popped with stingers and stop sticks on these Police fly on the wall shows.
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I have only ever had one blowout, o/s rear at about 85 mph, outside lane of a dual carriageway A road. The car was a VW 411 Variant, four people in it, and tracked absolutely straight after the big bang. It was easy to cross the other lane onto the grass verge. Of course had the blowout occurred during a high-g left turn things might have been a bit more difficult.
There was a twenty second warning in the form of increasing vibration, which I was still thinking about when the blowout occurred. The tyre was an old Michelin X, and it looked as if whatever had pierced it had come from the inside. Very weird.
Edited by Lud on 31/08/2008 at 15:16
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tack, you witnessed first-hand such a brilliant example of the superiority of man in the face of the world around him and you STILL went on to IKEA? ;-)
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I had a nearside rear let go on my old Sierra at 80 mph in damp conditions in lane 2 of the M40 once. The guy I was overtaking was well on the ball and braked, which was a good thing as the car started fishtailing quite violently and rather quickly
I kept it pointing the right way through luck as much as judgement, and got it onto the hard shoulder and stopped with very sweaty palms and a pulse rate of well into three figures. The tyre itself was a sticky, steaming mess of shredded rubber.
The first (and last) time I ever bought part worn tyres.
Cheers
DP
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Last motorway tyre out was on a minibus, complete with 15 people in it and a trailer... in the middle lane... don't want to repeat that again... fortunately it was the front tyre so not too bad in comparison to the rear going on a blow out!
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>>>>>......and you went to Ikea >>>>>>
The wife MADE me go. You know HOW they can make you do what you don't want to do?
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I got out of IKEA trips a long time ago by being stroppy, angry and generally foul tempered in the days running up to it, and a short time afterwards. A road rage incident in the car park during my final dragging to Brent Cross sealed it, and SWMBO now says 'it's more trouble than its worth' and has suspended my invite.
Heh heh...
Not often I get one over on SWMBO, so it has to be enjoyed :-)
Cheers
DP
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Also a case for not having the shoulder as a temporary lane.
On the M42 N/B near Solihull this afternoon there was a broken-down Mazda Bongo on the hard shoulder, bonnet up and driver standing behind the Armco 20 feet away from the car.
The hard shoulder was still in use as a running lane with "50" signs showing above it and all three other lanes. I was in (the conventional) lane 2, just about to draw alongside an artic in lane 1, the cars running on the hard shoulder all braked and swerved out behind the artic very sharply.
I thought the whole of the hard shoulder running stretch was under constant scrutiny by trained CCTV operators with the power to change the overhead signs as soon as they spotted a potential problem? They must have taken their eyes off the ball if Bongo man had managed to stop, get out, open bonnet, decide against any repair work, and climb over the barrier all unnoticed...
I stopped at the next-but-one refuge (it took me that long to move over to the left through the heavy traffic) and called the HA using the emergency phone, upon answering they asked me to have a look at the outside of the phone and tell them what serial number was written on it!!! I thought that information came up on the operator's screen, but then again so should the breakdown.
Maybe they were all outside having a fag break?
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Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:38
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