Rob B

When I was still about 17 I was a passenger in a mates car as we were heading back from a party at about 3 in the morning. Being young and basically stupid we were bombing up a single track lane at rather a rather foolish rate. I made the mistake of commenting that it was great driving up these lanes at night as you got plenty of notice of cars coming the other way as you could see their headlights in the distance.

As the last words tripped off my tongue we rounded a right hand bend to find the most enormous stag I have ever had the misfortune to approach at 80mph, stood rock solid in the road in front of us. Looking the stag up and down I quickly realised that its legs were about six inches taller than the bonnet of the car meaning that if we did hit it, it would be perfectly balanced to come careering across the bonnet and send its horns followed by about a quarter of a ton of venison straight through the windscreen at the exact moment that the cars passengers were likely to be going through the said windscreen but in the opposite direction.

Fortunately the deer had only been playing chicken with us and had been doing calculations in its head. Realising that in a head on collision between flesh and metal it is likely to be rather worse for the party representing flesh at the last possible millisecond the beast gave up its staring contest and high-tailed it into the woods. We missed its backend by the length of its bum-fluff.

I now never take anything for granted on dark back lanes and carry spare underpants in the boot.



[This message has been edited by Rob B (edited 22 February 2001).]

IWatkins

3 Moments:

1. Braking hard, downhill, to stop at some traffic lights coming into Mons in Belgium on my GPZ600. Front end dives away from me on a patch of diesel/oil/crap and I go over the bars and slide out into the junction in my leathers. Luckily wasn't hit by any cars. I was unscratched if a little sore, but bike needed some new plastic.

2. Braking hard, downhill, to stop at some traffic lights coming into Mons in Belgium on my GSXR750. Front end dives away from me on a patch of diesel/oil/crap and I go over the bars and slide out into the junction in my leathers. Luckily wasn't hit by any cars. (yes, same lights, about six months later )

3. Big right sweeper coming into Mons, almost with knee down on GSXR750 at night. Large concrete 'plinth' (about 3 inches x 3 inches x 3 foot) steps out into the road, I hit it and bike slides away and I slide into the central armco at about 60mph (but at an angle). I'm OK, scratches/brused etc. but bike is totalled.

I have since given up bikes

Cheers

Ian

Dream Weaver

Two for me also, both in my 205 GTi:

1. Did the diesel on wet roundabout trick. Off throttle, lift-off oversteer. Managed to get it into shape and thought Yes!!, but then it hit the non-diesel tarmac and threw me back the other way. Ended up zig zagging down the road but kept it together.

2. This was serious and nearly gave me a heart attack. Driving over to Harrogate going from Barnoldswick to Skipton. Me and the bird driving along in the 205 at about 65/70. Old guy in Rover 825 comes up behind with 3 people in and starts tailgating me big style. I keep to 70 but am concentrating on the road ahead and him behind me. Didnt see any warning signs for roadworks. Rounded the next sweeping bend at 65 ish to be greeted by about 12 cars queued up Slammed the anchors on with full 4 wheel lockup, smoke everywhere, but reacted quickly and noticed that nothing was coming towards us. Decided the best option was to shoot down the other lane rather than hit the stopped cars. As I did this I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the Rover at 90 degrees to the road, sliding into the grass - smoke was billowing everywhere of both cars tyres. I was still sliding past all the cars, noticed a gap, changed down to 2nd and pulled into the Queue as though nothing had happened Cars behind were all shaking their heads thinking I had just cheekily pushed in.

You could see the thick black tyre marks going straight on at the bend for about 6 months after - they were brand new Yoko A520's which is probably what saved our lives

DW

[This message has been edited by Dream Weaver (edited 22 February 2001).]

Gussie Cup

Great thread this..... Interesting reading.

Scariest, following my best mate in his 12 hours old Type-R down the A31, taking it VERY easy as he was just getting used to the car and I had a slight mis-fire in mine.

Going round a roundabout I saw the tail of his car step out slightly. He caught it, briefly, but it went the other way, major lift off oversteer. Put the power down and when it gripped it fired him over a low bank and ditch, and into a very high, steep bank at about 45-50mph. Car then spun 180 degrees with all wheels off the ground spraying mud and bits of car across the dual-carriage-way.

I pulled in and ran back to the wreckage - the scariest part of all was that I couldn't see him moving so all the worst thoughts came into my head......

Got there, pulled him out and he was OK, just very distraught and shaken.

I'm glad that most of these tales involve 'nearly died but not quite' moments - everyone seems to have walked away feeling very lucky.... I think after one of these, it definitely changes the way you drive!!

DavidRB

A few of my own:

First car, RWD Volvo 340GL. Pulling away from a busy t-junction on diesel-covered road after it had just rained. Back end starts to slide out in 2nd gear, I lift off the throttle ...... but the pedal stays planted to the floor. Madly opposite lock and spin the car right 'round before finally getting on the clutch, somehow avoiding a serious accident. Had it stick a couple of times before I finally sold it.

Approaching a blind bend when some **** on a motorbike comes flying round it towards me. He sees me, panics, locks his front wheel and slides across the road in front of my car, missing me by feet and ends up (somehow uninjured) in the field on the left.

Girl on a sit-up-and-beg bike pulls out of a slip road on the A40 and carves straight into the middle lane at 40mph when I'm already in it doing 70. Missed her rear wheel by inches.

Confronting another blind bend in a village to be met by some kid coming the other way in a hotted-up Nova who completely misjudged the bend and went right into my lane. Just enough time to brake and he was able to gather it back up onto his side.

Travelling in Ireland a few years back as a passenger with my parents. About 1 mile off the ferry, picking up speed, a lorry goes past in the other direction, there's a loud bang and our windscreen turns into a very beautiful lace curtain. Fortunately my dad was able to stop the car safely. No other damage, but we were left trying to find a windscreen fitter in Ireland still open on Good Friday!!

DrEvil

My worst experience to date, is still from my last MX5..

Driving home last year, Feb 15, it was raining, it was 9:30pm.. Anyhow driving down the A3, approaching clandon bridge, where there is a sweeping (ish) bend when you are heading towards guildford, doing 70mph. Next come round the corner to find a pond in the fast lane (fortunately, no other cars very near me). hit the water, and experienced extreme LOOS, back end out, think I hit the crash barrier, got catapulted backwards/sidewards!? hit loads of stuff on the hard shoulder, then flew out accross all three lanes again and came to a halt (wasnt moving fast at this point) in the crash barrier in the central reservation. Airbags had deflated by now, got out of the car after sticking the hazzards on and then sat on the central reservation. Cuts and bruises and whiplash, but nothing too major. Car however was dead, 18K repair bill, only the drivers door panel survived!

Alex

Blow Dog

Anytime I see blue lights in my mirror!

Cem

Gussie Cup

Cem

'TRUE'!

lol

Jerome

It seems quite scary that so many people have had so many scary moments...

Anyway, the scariest moment when driving was skidding on black ice in a Vauxhall Chevette (we all have to start somewhere!). Went into and along a ditch. Hit a tree growing out of the bank at an angle. Said tree gouged the bonnet off and into the car. The bonnet corner gave me a lovely cut on the top of my head. I also broke the steering wheel. I almost fainted when I saw the amount of blood in the mirror when I got home. Looked like something out of a horror film. When I went back to the car the next day, and sat in the drivers seat, I couldn't believe how far the bonnet came into the car - I should be dead. Learnt numerous valuable lessons that day.

Scariest moment as a passenger was when a girl who was driving me drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway. She wasn't wearing her glasses and could hardly see a thing. I should have baled out when she asked me to let her know if any traffics lights were red, 'cos she couldn't see them!!!

Thinking about all the near misses I had in my youth, I'm amazed I ever lived past 30.

Jerome.

Yex

A few little incidents spring to mind.....

In my old MY98 I was following a rather tasty bright orange Elise around Cadwell and learning the lines from him as he appeared rather better at it than me. After a few laps he had pulled off and I was approaching Hall Bends at a speed that was apparently a bit too quick. I managed to get the first right hander in but lost it and span 1 1/2 times across the track before coming to a halt. I then looked up and saw PRO200 the Prodrive demonstrator car bearing down on me at a rate of knots, but fortunately he managed to stop and then proceeded to have a good laugh. I then drove VERY slowly back to the pits and decided that I would just watch for a while

The RB5WR has caught me out once just before xmas. I was coming over the A13 flyover at Pitsea and the lovely contractors had resurfaced the road but also blocked the drains. As it was raining quite heavily the car began to aquaplane at the bottom of the hill. The effect was just like being in a slow motion film, car drifts slightly sideways to left and then back to right. I remembered to slam the loud pedal down and the car corrected itself and shot off in the intended direction, but not before scaring the sh1te out of the Volvo driver in the left hand lane

The latest scare was at Buckmore Park on the kart track a couple of weeks ago. Wet track and competitive racing is a great experience. But braking as late as possible from 80+ mph for the 90 degree right hander at the end of the main straight and finding the throttle jammed wide open is not a good mixture. A lovely 720 degree spin and slam into the tyre wall for my sins.

Yex

XRS

Nothing too harrowing here, but it did make me change my car.

I was driving down a road I use regularly and there had been overnight rain. The two carriageways were dry, but there was a damp patch around 2' either side of the dotted white lines. I decided that I needed to overtake the four cars in front of me (I could see the road was clear), and so I accelerated in third. Here I should explain that I was driving my 3-door Cosworth, which had become part of the family over the previous 11 years, during which time the engine had been rebuilt (260 bhp I guess) and suspension renewed (arounf 3 months before).

Before I knew what hit me, the back end went walkabout. I over-corrected and caught it second time. In the meantime I had lost some of my momentum and only managed to overtake one car (he had fortunately left me sufficient space to pull in - so rare these days) and I resumed my journey.

That's when I decided to buy the Scoob. I'm just too old to have to worry about whether or not I've got sufficient traction for a relatively simple overtaking manoeuvre.

Andy Banks

Yex - Ouch! Was just wondering whether to put karting 'experiences' on here :-)

My moment was at the end of a long straight, hairpin at the bottom, 70mph, start braking, oh crap brakes not working at all - this is going to hurt and there's sod all I can do about it!

Walked away with whiplash and bruises on both sholders wher the helmet hit, wondering whether this sport is really for me.

I wear a neck collar & rib protector now :-)

Andy

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

I was giving a mate a lift home in my parents car just before Christmas a few years ago. Only stayed a mile or so away, all up hill. When pulling away from a junction 3/4 of the way along the road, there was a small hint of wheel spin (this was a 2.3 diesel Sierra so I really should have taken more note of this).
Anyway just as you come out of the 30 zone there is an s-bend, exiting the left of the left-right I start to accelerate in third, instantly the back end jumps out, on goes the opposite lock, accelerator to the floor. Car starts to sort itself out into a 4 wheel drift, unfortunately this is on a single track road. The back end disappears into the ditch on my right, comes back out across the road into the ditch on the other side, out of there and into a rock against a fence post.
I come to a rest at just short of 270 degrees, my foot still pinning the accelerator to the floor, but the engine has cut out. Restart the car, now somewhat the worse for wear, my mate pushing it out from the verge, so we could put it back the 20 yards onto a farm bridge off the road. Got out the car to walk up to his house, which was only 200 or so yards away. I had to use the car to stand up, the ground was sheet ice, yet it had been cloudy and almost warm when we left.
The worse bit when I think back on it was, that amongst other things the fuel tank had been burst during the incident. The only reason I am still here is because it was diesel, if it had been petrol and I had restarted it....

PeteC

I had one other "significant moment" years ago when I had a Mini Cooper S. I was coming back along a twisty country road with a mate as passenger when I had the driver's side front tyre blow out on me on a bend. I can assure you that this tends to result in a bit of a brown stain on the seat!

Fortunately, I was lucky that as we slid across the road, there was a temporary gap in the traffic, so we didn't hit anything. I managed to catch it, and we were coming back to our side of the road, but my mate sort of lost the plot! Everything was happening really quickly, and we were getting thrown about a bit, so he was looking for something to hang on to. Unfortunately, he chose the steering wheel!

So there's me now trying to pull the wheel one way, and he's hanging on to it and pulling it the other. The end result is that we drive straight up the bank, and roll the car.

Funnily enough, our relationship was a little strained after that!

CLS

Obviously a recurring theme....there I was enthusiastically driving home in my MKII Golf GTI 16v on a road I knew so well when I met a queue of standing traffic round a blind bend at temporary road works. No ABS! I anchored on and hoped for the best, what a bloody superb car, it didn't waver an inch off course. I came to a halt approximately 1/4 inch behind a ladies stationary BMW. I can still see the look of shock on her face in her rear view mirror as if to say "where did you come from". As I sat there with a fixed grimace on my face a huge pall of tyre smoke swept past me. 30mph all the way home

Alas

Another stag incident like one mentioned before.
Coming through Glencoe through series of bends so quite slow. Come round corner to see the a*** of a stag. Slammed on brakes and literally just bumped into it. It fell over and I got out to see if it was alright(or would fit in the freezer) It jumps up and runs off while a 325i comes flying round the corner shunting my MX6 about 20 yards down the road. Lucky I was standing at the side of the car - not the front!!
Alas

StanS

iTrader: (3)

A TWO FOOT spider on my roof + ghost bird.
Back in 67 I had a '63 Mini - one lady owner, low mileage, great little car. So as soon as I bought it I removed the hub caps, put a straight through exhaust on and wired up 4 Cibie spots on the front that lit up half of Essex when on. I wired up the switch/relays etc in the drivers door cubby hole (no trim on the doors then !) and also wired a small warning light by the switch to tell me the spots were switched on (in case I hadn't noticed). Burning round Hanningfield reservoir late one night, on my way home from seeing the girlfriend in Chelmsford, I set it up for this quite sharp left hander - (lift off oversteer attempted) and at that exact point this two foot diameter spider appeared on the roof trim. I was somewhat surprised and had the 5H!t totally scared out of me and ended up losing it on the corner, doing a bit of autocross on the opposite verge (no other cars about) and finally sliding to a halt. At that point my brain started to work and I realised that there are no two foot spiders in the UK - and I looked down and saw a money spider on top of my spot light warning light, which projected its shadow on the roof trim. Feeling very relieved on two accounts (no actual spider + no damage to car) I roared off, minutes later only to then swerve/brake violently as a huge white ghostly bird suddenly appeared right in front of the windscreen, flying right across the front of the car - looked as though it was going to go through the windscreen. It was a swan, I realised after a few seconds - still scared the rest of the 5H!t out of me.
Stan

Olly

Bending the nice new Moto Lita steering wheel that I had saved up for with my head.

Usual thing: aged 17, Fiesta Mk1 950 van, 6 weeks after passing my test, understeered off into a telegraph pole. Result: 1 very bent Fiesta and a broken nose. Plus half of the village population of Marton, Cheshire with dead telephones for 2 days.

robman

Actually the scariest moment of all for me was test driving scoob, loving it to bits and realising I was about to spend more money in one go than I had ever spent in my entire life!

DaveD

iTrader: (2)

Driving...
Possibly not the scariest, but probably the closest to a crash. Driving down a Devon road in the dark in my Mk2 Astra and saw two cars a few hundred yards ahead going around 40mph. I knew the road, and a few bends lead to a short straight. I was doing around 60, and thought at my closing speed would I would be on the 2nd car's bootlid just at the point the straight came into view. However, I came round the last bend before the straight to find the two cars at an almost complete stand! A split second allowed me to see no traffic coming the other way, so I dodged past the two cars. The sudden stearing inputs loosened the back end a little (so I was passing the two cars slightly sideways), but fortunately I didn't hit anything (car or hedge) and carried on down the road.

Passenger....
An historic road rally in a Mini. The car had literally been built from a shell earlier in the week, and the rally was the shakedown! Found out part way round the first leg that the brakes needed bleeding badly (constant pumping of the peddal) and eventually only worked on one wheel. We found this out when heading down a B-road at around 90mph looking for a square-left junction. We saw it in the distance, but as soon as the driver hit the brakes, we spun and ended up just past the junction on the wrong side of the road facing the direction we had just come! Collected part of the hedge in the front wing as a momento!

Dave

[This message has been edited by DaveD (edited 22 February 2001).]

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

2 Scary, 2 Funny/Stupid

People in the Camberley area all know of the 'Red Road' between Lightwater and Camberley. Great driving road. Anyway, about 3 years back,I was at a party in Chobham and had pulled some georgeous random bint there. Needed something from my house, so bombed it back in my 106XSI. Started raining heavily on the way there. trying to make sure that the filly didn't lose interest, I was hammering it back down the long downhill to the tight 's' bend.Still chucking it down. Nowhere for the water to go.hit the bottom of the hill @80+ at the beginning of the bends. Lots of water+ light car= fishtail big-style. backend pulled me into oncoming lanes with cars exiting the bends. Snapped her back into my lane, just to hit the following bend 20 yards on and do exactly the same thing. Scared the **** out me. That was the car's way of telling me that I had been stupid.

No.2

Gordon road between Chobham and lightwater. 1 summer night, I had had a foul day and was stuck behind a beemer driving like they were drunk. Floored my heavily kev'd MK3 'scort (Trust me, modified tastefully with amazing handling)coming towards a long sweeping bend, almost finished passing him, when a RS Turbo came around the bend @ doing at least 85, skittering his wheels, with NO LIGHTS ON! I had no choice, kept my position and dude lost it and flew off into a field.

Stupid No.1

Cruising in my minimetro. Driving through main road in West End, by lightwater.
Going past petrol station, saw some non-driving freinds by the mini round about, increased speed and left braking optional to attempt sporty shimmy straight on around the roundabout. Turned wheels quickly, but car kept on straight!. Bricked 'bout. Hit it dead on and launched car skyward. Never seen such a mashed rim in all my life. It must have looked bloody hilarious! Chuckle just thinking about.

Last one, honest!

Picked up some friends from train station, filling my metro completely, which had a slow puncture on front right. Floored it down the station slip road and joined the main road running. Needed to take small left turning 50 yards up the road. Turned, tyre popped, ramped kerb and met with post. Steering wheel I left on parcel shelf cracked me in the bonce. Dragged car to freinds house and wondered what to tell the folks......

It sure was fun, being stupid and young!


Damn, I still talk toooooooo much!

TonyNesta

...when I was younger I used to ride pillion while my mate pulled monster wheelies - only I was facing backwards!!!!!

ChrisB

If you come through Burton-on-Trent heading South on the A38, you come off, go up to a roundabout and get onto some more dual carriageway, heading for the M42.

I was doing about 80 in my old 1.8 Clio, with a BMW starting to overtake me. At this, Mr Dimwit pulls out of a house drive in his little MEB Fiesta Van. I've never braked so hard in my life - imagine Fred Flintstone and you get the idea

I was damn close to making the first cut 'n' shut Cliesta.

The only scarey time before that I don't remember apart from waking up in a pre-theatre ward, the 10 days in hospital and lots of physio.

BOB.T

I've had too many moments to list here and I'm still only 23!

My favourite was leaving the village where I live, there's an uphill section with a sharp left which goes straight into a sharp right. I came belting up the road in my 1600 sport mk2 Escort trying to keep up with a mates 306 ( uprated suspension etc) whacked it into the left hander, back end steps out so I fire on the opposite lock, back buggers off the other way allowing for the best sideways attempt all the way round the right hander! The whole episode was completly out of control and had the road been a different shape it could of been really messy but the lasting memory of the event is the two hikers stood backs against a gate, white faces, mouths open!

Bob

Mr.Cookie

Being in a mates mini when an artic lorry that was in front of us at a t junction decided to reverse, thankfully he stopped about 5 inches away from the windscreen and we where all safe bar the car, only bum part was his mum blamed me as we were going to my work place

Si

Gerg2

Being 20 ft in the air and realising "Holy #$%@....I'm not gonna clear this triple ! ! !"

PS It hurt!!

teknopete

Here`s a few, BTW mod if it`s a double post scratch 1 please, my ISP is playin up jnow

1/ Driving down overtaking lane of dual carriageway, spots van on road parallel with Dcarrway hit the kerb, mount the grass verge, bounce off a lampost at right angles to me and shoot across Dcarrway bout 2 foot in the air in reverse and land in my lane in front of me (I just had new brakes fitted!!) engine braked & hand braked. Stopped within about 3 feet of the van. Had 2 change my drawers after that 1. Learned u can b a great driver but it only takes 1 **** 2 cause an accident.....

2/ Out avin some phun in my MR2 turbo G-Ltd
wasn`t used 2 RWD. Comming off circle on Dualcarriageway, pushed the volume peddle and it fishtailed. Powered on an made it worse hit the central reserve, spun 720, hit crash barrier on opposite side of Dcarrway, banged head on windscreen KO`d for a second, came round to find I`d bounced back perpedicular to on comming traffic and in the middle of both lanes.
Looked up just in time to c 2 motors plough into the passanger side. Next thing I saw was the paramedics shoehorn me outta the car.
Good work lads Learned RWD is not 4 me

3/ Last 1.. Drivin home 23:00 pitch black,
pulled out 2 overtake car in front, accelerates to 60mph, see something in the middle of the road looked like a cardboard box no prob, got closer it was a kerbstone or similar, 3 choices knock off geezer I jus overtook / brake hard an risk loosing steer / brace up an hit it & hope for the best. I hit it square on!! wrecked 1 of my new alloys an a swaybar link. Learned that alloys dont like hitting kerbstones at 60mph where there`s roadworks be extra cautious.

Got more but thats enough 4 now

Pete

Steve Williams

About 12 years ago, in my old Ford Cortina (2 litre no less).

Just starting to overtake a van, and the bonnet flies up totally obscuring the windscreen luckily I managed to pull over and tie the bonnet down (should have seen my mates face, he was in the passenger seat)

Now 4 days later same car (straightened out the bonnet, but still needs replacing) driving too fast down a hill, car pulls out of a sideroad directly in my path, can do nothing but slam on the brakes and hope, road wet so skidded, hit the other car just behind drivers door (lucky for him) so hard it spun him about 270degrees and put the back half of his car in a ditch on the other side of the road.
My car, cracked the alloy wheel, severe damage to bonnet/ wing, twisted the whole car (one front wheel was about 4" behind the other, but both still parallel), even put ripples in the roof, needless to say the car was a mess, only had it 12 days before.

Can a car be cursed??

dowser

Bad
----
Travelled way to fast (90-100mph) on a wide A road about to overtake down the middle a line of traffic behind a slow lorry - 15metres from the last bugger, he pulls out. <Slow motion mode on> - realise that if I try to minimise impact by steering right I'll bounce into an oncoming artic So I went straight into back of the offending car with full braking....his rear bumper broke my windshield as I went underneath him....

After coming to a halt he was slumped over wheel....I casually tapped on his window and suggested (maybe not so politely) that he may try looking in his mirror in future. He burst into tears, sobbing " I did, I did".

With hindsight, he probably did and I was shooting down his blind spot.

Ugly
----
Borrowed my mate's Jensen Healy (modded 2.2 Lotus lump) 3 up, with the 3rd guy perched on the bootlid. Very long, hilly straight at 90-100...over a blind crest to find a Porsche 928 overtaking towards me.

Luckily a very wide run-off grass verge, which I swerved onto...very, very aware of my mate perched on the bootlid.....followed by unbelievably graceful sideways motion for what seemed like a mile before edging it back onto tarmac. My mate dug holes in the windscreen holding on for dear life and we slowed down.....

Funny...ish
-----------
Approaching T-junction in a town early in the morning I notice some kids running off holding a petrol can..... Try to brake for the T junction and notice the diesel smell at the same time....straight across the road and up a grass verge the other side. Luckily nothing else on road - little b*stards

longun

Mine was when I was 13. In a mini bus (no seatbelts then) going down to cardiff on M4. We are in the inside lane doing about 60mph when I look left and see a BMW going up the inside of us in the hard shoulder, currently thinking this ain't right. BWM mounts grass verg on side of motorway and straight into a lamp post must have been doing about a ton when he hit it. Bounced of that and back down on to the front of the minibus off us and into about 7 other cars all in the outerlanes. Few cuts and bruises all over from being thrown about in the mini bus but because I was young thought it was really cool. Made the papers as well. Apparently the driver had had a heart attack and was dead before he even hit the lamp post but he also took another 3 people with him from the cars in the outer lanes.

[This message has been edited by longun (edited 23 February 2001).]