This could be a bit of a contentious thread... or it could be over very quickly!

Picture this, you're on a dual carriage way, nose to tail in both lanes, 5mph, and in your rear view mirror you see blue lights slowly heading your way! Cars are splitting left and right and you look at your side of the road and see a large 17" rim eating kerb!

This has happened to me twice and thankfully both times I was next to a layby/non kerb bit. After the first time, I resolved to do it if I had to - my kids could be the destination of the emergency vehicle afterall, but I'd be fecking angry for a while.

Now I've typed this, it sounds stupid, "suck it up fosters, you can afford to repair a wheel!".

Does anyone else's heart drop when there's no where to go and the blue lights are rushing to get past you?

 

I was once first in a line of traffic going through some road work traffic lights when I was faced with an on coming fire engine!!

We all had to pull into the conned off section. I cought the underside of my car dropping down as the old tarmac had been stripped away and had to drive along the roadworks before I could get out!!

Steve

 

I wonder where you stand claims wise???

Mark.

 

Dont do it, not only is there the risk of damage to the rim but also the sidewall of the tyre. Think about your children in the car if you have a blowout.A high speed blowout can be a butt wrenching experience

 

Guys,

I don't know if this helps, my other car is dropped 70mm front and back and the front valance is 1 inch off the road so climbing curbs is a skill with out damage to you respect rim's. My advice and what I do in this situation.

When you are lined up with a curb regardless how high turn your wheel to a full lock and climb the curb very slow, and I mean very slow!!!

use the same method to drop from the curb.

So what you are doing is only using the tyre width/tread, the rim is totaly isolated from the curb.

So once agian full lock on the curb and off the curb AND REAL SLOW!!!

Let me know!

TC

 

Had this happen to me on the Edinburgh bypass
with a fire engine as I was going through road works and No Way did I go for the ruff
he had bigger wheels than me anyway!!!

 

I remeber reading something written by a Police Class 1 driver. Basically, he said he has seen people mount kerbs at incredible speeds in order to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. He said this was crazy and might be putting lives at risk, by increasing the chance of a blow out at a later date.

He finished off by saying that it was up to the driver of the Emergency Vehicle to safely negotiate his/her way past you!

C

 

that's good to know!

 

My story.

Place: Edinburgh city centre.
Time: One sunny afternoon last year.
Scene: Police panda car on a 999 call, blue lights flashing etc.
Postion: Police car right behind me, clearly wanting past.

What happened:
I spotted a bus stop layby about 50 yards ahead, so hurried along to it to pull in rather than risk damage to wheels/tyres by mounting the kerb.
Police car shot past and on its merry way.

Later (back at the ranch):
Got a call from a policeman I know.
Turns out it was him in the panda car.

He said "mount the kerb next time..."

 

Ive done it

Stuck at traffic lights, ambulance with flashing came up behind.

Made the mistake of trying to mount kerb at an angle as I was too close to get full lock mullered a brand new 17" wheel.

Still I always think that Id rather someone mullered a wheel if I needed the emergency services.
I now make sure I am further away from the kerb, so that I can get full lock before I start to mount kerb.

robski

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by RichS:
<B>He said "mount the kerb next time..."

[/quote]

I may be wrong, but I thought it was illegal to mount the kerb? Although it is also illegal to impede the progress of an emrgency vehicle, but I can't see that being an easy offence to prosecute.

C